Youth Advocacy
As the November mid-term elections approach, we face a dangerous intersection where systemic voter suppression and unregulated artificial intelligence are converging to strip away our fundamental agency.From targeted attempts to weaponize the postal service against mail-in ballots to corporate tech giants admitting they have lost control of rogue automated swarms, the current regime is running a master class in distraction to mask structural failures and corporate greed. The digital and political structures built today will permanently dictate the world our youth inherit, making it essential that we reject quiet compliance, protect our communities of trust, and claim our power at the ballot box—because true authority belongs to the people, but only if we say so.
Youth Advocacy
by Dr. Jerry Goebel
📢 Review and Announcements
✊ Weekly Review & Announcements
Review and Announcements
Before diving into this week's visual updates, I highly encourage you to check out my latest analytical breakdowns on youth advocacy and confronting modern authoritarianism.
👉 Read the full articles on my website: Explore the archive and subscribe to our weekly briefings directly at Communities of Trust Articles.
Free Advocate Resources Available: We are committed to equipping front-line leaders. If you are a voting or youth advocate, don't forget to access our two exclusive, free music compilation pages—"Anthem,s" and "Advocates"—hidden right within our digital space for those doing the work.
Connect on Socials: Let's keep the dialogue moving daily. You can find my latest updates, micro-blogs, and shared resources on Substack (under @drjerrygoebel), Bluesky (@docjerr.bsky.social), and Facebook. For a complete dashboard of all our active hubs, visit my Linktree.
Visual Stories
This week's featured visual story brings the core theme of democratic ownership straight to your screen. Music has always been the frontline engine for social change, and right now, the high-stakes reality of our upcoming November mid-term elections demands that we step out of quiet compliance and make our presence felt in the voting booth.
Our featured video, "Only If We Say So," is a high-energy, raw rock-and-roll rallying cry. Heavily inspired by the uncompromising stance of Bruce Springsteen, this track strips away political noise to remind us of a fundamental truth: absolute authority belongs to the people—but that is only true if we actually stand up and claim it.
We cannot expect the scales of justice to balance themselves if we are sitting safely on the sidelines. Watch the performance, catch the rhythm, and most importantly, get in line to vote this November.
🎥 Watch the Visual Story Now on YouTube: Only If We Say So – Official Video
Articles and Commentary
08.09.2026 | Source: Letters from An American
September 3, 2026
Heather Cox Richardson gives an in-depth, comprehensible read into the myriad schemes coming from the Trump Regime and Republicans to prevent their losses in the upcoming 2026 mid-term elections.
Many of Trump’s brainstorms involve illegally forcing the United States Postal Service to either not send ballots to voters or not accept ballots from voters. If you, like Donald Trump, vote by mail, those ballots are supposed to be sent to voters on September 5th. (If you don’t receive one in the appropriate timeline and you’ve asked for one, then you might be one of those that this regime blocked. CALL YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE!)
From his side, Trump looks like he’s preparing for a major loss. He’s trying to create a shell company to cash in on Venezuelan oil (according to Cox Richardson, Congress has so far said “no,” until it can see where the money is coming from and going to), he’s pushing through his illegal triumphal arch (bypassing Congress again), and he’s having a coin minted in his name. Of course, he’s going ahead with his ballroom (this time with the Supreme Court’s approval) and he’s hired another consulting firm (without going through the proper vetting channels) to clean the algae from the National Reflecting Pool. None of these projects would see the light of day under a democratic Congress.
Trump has ordered his staff to keep the focus off of Iran and his failing war. It is hard to conceive what distraction this regime will create next to accomplish that task. And yet… this regime might well go down in history as a master class in distraction. The Epstein files, shooting innocent citizens, the tariffs, I simply don’t have the bandwidth to cover all the failures that this regime is trying to hide…
07.09.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
The Singularity Is Not What It Seems
Last week, a batch of bots (AKA a swarm) broke loose and attacked another company (Hugging Face—an open-source platform for the AI community), without the AI bots’ owners being aware of the massive security breach. It is causing a substantial amount of alarm in the AI world. Here is how The Atlantic contributors, Matteo Wong and Charlie Warzel, put it: “This fear has not been helped by the fact that AI companies appear to be willfully ignorant of their bots’ worst behavior. OpenAI said that it hadn’t noticed that its agents were conspiring to hack another company until the swarm hacked another company. Anthropic’s bots caused similar incidents; the company reported that it hadn’t launched a rigorous review to identify such behaviors until after OpenAI started talking about the Hugging Face hack.”
None other than Bill Gates (Microsoft founder and former CEO) came forward last week with a 6,000-word essay on the dangers of AI; his warnings are accompanied by the cautionary words of AI podcaster, Dwarkesh Patel.
Wong and Warzel warn us that the primary consensus, or what they call the “defining feature” of the moment, is a “loss of control.”
The revenue opportunities of AI are so large that no one wants to be left behind. Elon Musk estimated, before going public with SpaceX, that revenue would top $28.5 trillion (with a “T”), that is larger than the U.S. gross domestic product. But the costs are similarly excessive. We can expect Musk to be excessive in his estimates and less than honest to potential investors, but Anthropic, preparing for its own public offering, put estimated revenues at $30 trillion (again with a “T”).
The Trump Regime—no doubt seeing potential personal payoff—is on board and has proposed building the largest fossil-fuel power plant in the nation’s history. This despite the fact that U.S. voters are largely against such development, as Patel and Warzel say: “Three-quarters of them oppose a data center being built near where they live. The negative sentiment is hard to overstate: There is very little else that three-quarters of the country agrees on. And much of the outrage seems to stem from a pervasive sense of agency slipping away. A person cannot control how chatbots reshape their workplace, their school, or their relationships. Town residents lose control over the empty lot in the area being converted into a data center. Even in cases where major data centers are blocked, a back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that doing so can slow AI progress by only a few hours or days—and that’s assuming the data center won’t just get built elsewhere.”
Agency is the primary word for all of us today. When we fear losing agency, we often make poor decisions—especially about who will govern us. Republicans have known this for decades, and it is an essential part of their political strategy to sow chaos and create fear in order to drive voters to their brand of authoritarianism.
The question at this time, though, seems not to be, “Who will control AI?” But “Can AI be controlled?”
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and parent company of the renegade bots, is scrambling to create excuses for their errant behavior, joining the chorus of technocrats telling us their concerns about AI. His seems twofold, according to Patel and Warzel: “One is ‘a loss of control, where AI somehow just becomes too powerful in a way that we can’t guarantee the control we want.’ The other is that ‘power gets too centralized’ and ‘you have one company or model or person with too much power.’”
Right now seems like a particularly creepy time for the ownership and leadership of such a dominating technology to be up for grabs. If you feel somewhat like Frodo confronting Mordor in the Lord of the Rings, you wouldn’t be isolated. To think that control could be held in the hands of a Trump Regime under a military guided by Pete Hegseth, then you—like me—must have a pit in your stomach. Control of AI is a critical issue rapidly slipping through our fingers. It will determine the type of world our young people live in. The two predominant camps in the AI tech world today are “Doomers” and “Boomers.” Doomers suggest we initiate a “full pause” on technological development until we can get a handle on where we are going and who will be our guides. Boomers tell us that this will only put us behind others, like China, who are full speed ahead with the technology and that singularity will actually lead to a better world with improved medicine, education, politics, and human rights. Where are you on this spectrum (for indeed it is not a binary choice)?
Do the politicians you are supporting this November seem educated in this critical arena? Do they present platforms that are beyond the immediate? Beyond just preventing a data center in their district?
04.09.0206 | Source: TNR (The New Republic)
Trump Is a Liar. That’s Bad. But He’s Delusional—and That’s Even Worse
What is worse than having an incompetent, intimidating, ignorant leader at the helm? According to Michael Tomasky—author of this article—having a delusional one. Tomasky makes the case that Trump is beyond lying these days; he’s moved on to delusion. The difference is vital. Trump 1.0 knew the truth and chose the lie. Trump 2.0 seems to be completely unaware of truth and has surrounded himself with only people who will support his delusion; even more, who are dependent on his delusion.
Tomasky looks at the most apparent lies that this Regime has released during it’s term—in truth, they almost seem to many to count—but he points especially to the recent statements about an oil windfall in Venezuela, the tariffs, the elimination of income tax, Iran, and the reflecting pool. Here’s why Tomasky says a delusion is far more dangerous than a lie: “Because while a liar can change course, a delusional person cannot.”
Does the cabinet, the Supreme Court, and congress know this president is delusional? Most likely, but as pointed out before; their future lies in supporting the delusion. They are part and parcel of the delusion. Trump’s delusions would be dead in the water were it not for the support of people like Mike Johnson, John Roberts and Pete Hegseth. And none of them will tell him (or us) the truth. They have to much to lose by choosing honesty. Their futures are tied to this madman’s delusions. They supported him in his lies, now they’re indebted to his delusions.
We have a small window to break the captivity of this madman’s delusions; a small window. The November 2026 elections. Make your plan to make your vote count. Support fair elections and encourage turnout with all your ability. The scales can tip—but not unless we weigh in. There will be change, but only if we say so.
03.09.2026 | The Atlantic
Roy Cohn Did It First
To understand Trump, one must first understand Roy Cohn, Trump’s Machiavellian Mentor and puppet-master in his early years. This article by Kim Phillips-Fein, focuses on the new book about Cohn by authors, Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark, “American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joseph McCarthy to Donald Trump.”
Here is how Bird describes Trump and Cohn: “Both men were avatars of the glitzy New York of the ’70s and ’80s, sharing an obsession with sex, a love of celebrity, and a hatred for expertise.”
Perhaps Cohn’s mentoring of Trump might be summed up in these words; “Bird argues that Cohn’s willingness to say and do anything to get what he wanted—no matter who might suffer along the way—provided a model for Trump’s approach to political life.”
Bird concludes that Cohn; “…was an “empty vessel” with “no coherent personal philosophy unless you count his shallow mirroring of Ayn Rand’s celebration of unadulterated selfishness.” But he would surely have been bothered by the epitaph that was included on the AIDS Memorial Quilt—especially the last word: roy cohn. bully. coward. victim.
Trump didn’t love Cohn (is a narcissist capable of love?), but Trump did adore and emulate him. We will remember Trump in the same way: bully, coward. victim.
02.09.2026 | The Atlantic
What Might Happen to Trump’s Ill-Gotten Gains
Whenever I see an article by David Frum, I pay attention. I also regularly listen to his weekly podcast (The David Frum Show) and would encourage you to do the same.
Frum is a historian who moved to the U.S. receiving a Bachelor of Journalism from Yale and a Law Degree from Harvard. His parents, Barbara and Murray Frum, were famous in Canada for their journalism. Frum was a conservative who worked for the Reagan campaign before writing for The National Review and The Walla Street Journal. As you can see, he has impeccable street cred.
In this article, he takes a historians view of what could happen to the fortunes the Trump family has amassed during his presidency. Frum says of Trump’s ill-gotten gains: “The Trump presidency has often looked more like a post-Soviet or postcolonial regime than like a first-world democracy. The Trump post-presidency may look the same. Trump has abused his office to enrich himself and his family in ways that are completely unprecedented—not only in the United States but also in the history of almost any peer democracy.”
While Frum acknowledges that the Supreme Court of John Roberts has largely protected Trump from prison by bestowing criminal impunity upon him, there are a number of things that the US can do to recover what he has stolen.
Frum examines similar kleptocrats of other countries that were also corrupt and how their countries recovered their stolen funds once deposed. He looks at Peru, the Philippines, and Nigeria. The lessons learned?
These countries started a special commission to recover the funds.
Many of these countries faced opposition recovering the funds.
Many of the families of these kleptocrats used their fortunes to restore themselves to power and try to clear the names of their families.
Frum notes that the Trump family remains a danger if funds are not recovered, here’s how he closes his article: “If the Trump family can keep the money it has accumulated this term, the next generation of Trumps will be far richer than Donald Trump ever was until his 80th year. Americans traditionally let bygones be bygones after a president leaves office, on the theory that ex-presidents rarely cause much trouble. But money is power in politics, and dirty money needs power to protect itself from the law. As much as Americans may wish to forget the Trumps and their corruption after this presidency ends, the next generation of Trumps surely understands that political power is its surest defense against legal retribution. This makes recovering the Trumps’ wrongfully obtained wealth not only a matter of justice but also a matter of democratic survival.”
This is an important warning shot across the bow of the USA. We must remember that Trump did not attain his power alone. His graft was empowered by a criminally negligent congress who also aided Trump in hiding his pedophilia. This chapter could end, but “Only If We Say So!”
November 7 is our final chance to “say so.” Make a plan to vote. Make a plan to protect fair elections in your community.
Are you volunteering to support free elections? I want to fuel your efforts with some music.
To claim your free copy of the Anthems music compilation, follow these simple steps:
Head over to the private Anthems page on my website: https://www.communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
Stream or download the tracks directly to your device.
Feel free to share this page with fellow election volunteers and voting advocates who need a lift!
Youth Advocacy
"True youth advocacy isn't about speaking for the next generation—it is about dismantling the systemic barriers that try to silence them. When we look closely at the rise of modern authoritarianism and unchecked technological oversight, the front line of defense has always been, and will always be, our youth. Read the full article to discover how forty years of frontline insights can help us protect their voices today."
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
26.08.2026-01.09.2026
📢 Review and Announcements
Welcome to this week's review. Below, you will find direct links to the full articles featured in this Youth Advocacy blog, detailing the critical challenges facing our democratic systems and national security. Let’s unite to make sure young people grow up and understand democracy!
🔍 Read Full Feature: Pete Hegseth and the Cost of "Lookism"
Dive into our analysis of Brynn Tannehill’s article from The New Republic, detailing how blind loyalty and camera-readiness are impacting the U.S. military. Tannehill sums up the situation perfectly: “Trump and Hegseth keep claiming that they’re restoring the American military. To the rest of the world, it looks like chaos and weakness caused by people too egotistical and incompetent to know they’re incompetent: the Peter principle and the Dunning-Kruger effect all rolled into one.” Read the full commentary and the original source here: Pete Hegseth Is Too Egotistical to Know How Incompetent He Is.📰 Read Full Feature: The Pentagon and Classified Leaks
Explore our look at The Hill's coverage regarding internal dissent over the Iran war operations. We examine what happens when public servants speak the truth and why independent journalism remains an essential shield for the public interest. Read the full post here: Pentagon Erupts Over Classified Leak of Iran War Dissent.🗽 Read Full Feature: The Assault on Naturalized Citizens
Review our commentary on The Atlantic's feature regarding the new movement targeting the constitutional rights of foreign-born citizens, exposing the deep contractions and foreign influences within the current administration. Read the full analysis here: Not American Enough.🗳️ Read Full Feature: The Supreme Court and Voting Rights
Examine our breakdown of Matt Ford’s piece on the Trump v. California shadow-docket decision, uncovering how the high court's conservative bloc is facilitating voter suppression by attempting to bring state mail-in voting under direct presidential control. Read the full article here: The Supreme Court Joins Trump’s Insidious War on Voting Rights.🍁 Read Full Feature: Kicking Allies and New Global Alliances
Read our deep dive into Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American, dissecting the reckless tariff wars against long-standing allies like Canada and how world leaders like Mark Carney are building a future that no longer depends on a volatile United States. Read the full breakdown here: Letters from an American: August 24, 2026.
🗳️ Free "Anthems" Music Compilation Release
We are officially releasing a special, free music compilation dedicated entirely to anyone who is supporting fair voting turnout in the upcoming election. This collection is built to inspire, mobilize, and sustain leaders on the front lines of democracy.
How to get the compilation: You can access and download the music immediately on our hidden page: Get the Anthems Music Compilation.
How to tell others about it: We need this music to reach grassroots coordinators, student organizers, and community leaders. Please share this dedicated link directly via your network emails, or copy it over to your social platforms to help amplify the call for voter engagement.
🎬 Visual Stories
Featured Song: “You Don’t Get My Attention”
When confronting the rise of authoritarianism in both government and digital spaces, focus is our ultimate currency. Watch the complete visual presentation for the track “You Don’t Get My Attention”directly on the Jerry Goebel YouTube Channel. This presentation brings the sonic narrative to life, offering a stark reminder of where we must place our boundaries and our energy.
Articles and Commentary
01.09.2026 | TNR
Pete Hegseth Is Too Egotistical to Know How Incompetent He Is
In his second term, Trump picked his cabinet based upon loyalty and whether they would “look good on tv” (lookism). Stephen Miller apparently squeaked under the radar on the looks side because he scored so highly on the loyalty spectrum. What didn’t matter was competence. Especially the type of competence that comes with leading large teams down democratic paths of leadership. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the leadership of the world’s largest military, by the world’s least qualified military leader, Pete Hegseth.
In this article, by Brynn Tannehill, we see the critical and destructive choices Trump has made by selecting someone who only makes decisions based solely upon how it pleases his/her “audience of one.” “How will this please my master?”
In the process, Hegseth has depleted the military both of its best leaders (and minds) and of its stockpiles of weapons. Hegseth’s military is more focused on attractiveness and loyalty rather than competence. This “lookism” is ruining the U.S. military and costing lives abroad. Yet it is exactly how Trump picked Hegseth. Here’s how Tannehill puts it: “This is basically the phrenology of fitness metrics, right up there with BMI.”
Tannehill sums up his article with this important statement: “Trump and Hegseth keep claiming that they’re restoring the American military. To the rest of the world, it looks like chaos and weakness caused by people too egotistical and incompetent to know they’re incompetent: the Peter principle and the Dunning-Kruger effect all rolled into one.”
Trump’s choices for blind loyalty and camera-readiness have set our military back decades, if not generations. He continues to do the same in choices domestically and internationally. Agriculture, basic democracy, economy, education, environment, immigration, infrastructure, international diplomacy, justice, voting rights, and yes, defense. It is going to be hard to tally the damage, harder still to make up the deficits. Trump appealed to a significant portion of the United States that loved his theatrics and performance. Now we have a country that is all show and no content—just like our military under Hegseth.
November 7, 2026; that may be the most important day in U.S. history. The day we learn if democracy will survive. The day we learn if the voting public of the United States has learned to dig beneath the wig and orange makeup, the “lookism” of this regime. Have you made your plans?
31.08.2026 | The Hill
Pentagon erupts over classified leak of Iran war dissent
Someone told the truth…
Hegseth is fuming… most people would reply, “Still?” And we also know that when Pete Hegseth is fuming it is usually because someone is telling the truth to the public and it leaked to the press. What the Washington Post shared with taxpayers (who are funding this war and being asked to support it in multiple ways including the lives of sons and daughters) is that (according to Jared Gans, author of this article): “…top military leaders recently warned Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth against extending large-scale Iran war operations.”
The question is, “Who doesn’t know that?” Who doesn’t know that we are losing this self-initiated war against Iran and have no strategy to turn it around? Apparently, only this White House… And that is largely because Hegseth is working so hard to keep Trump in the dark about how badly he’s failing.
When the Pentagon tried to say that Post reporters were “traitors” for telling the truth in the General’s report, Post Military Affairs reporter, Dan Lamothe, responded: “Fact check: Independent journalism is not a crime. It’s also especially important at a time when government officials are withholding key details and concerns about a war being fought on behalf of the American people with their taxpayer dollars.”
Hegseth has been fighting a war of his own, a war against the press. A war against letting his master, Donald Trump, see how badly he is failing.
What do you think? Is it traitorous to give the public (and Congress) accurate information about a war this regime started and said would only last “four to five weeks (PBS, Feb. 2026),” but is now entering its sixth month? The sad truth is that the President is probably not getting accurate information from his Cabinet pick, Hegseth, either. Most presidents pick their cabinet leaders for their ability to provide accurate information—especially during critical times like war. But we know this regime picked its cabinet members based on three parameters: 1) loyalty to Trump, 2) loyalty to Trump, and 3) how they would look on camera.
What do you think? How is Pete looking on camera lately?
I think Pete is increasingly looking pretty red-faced. The truth is catching up to him. He’s in way over his head, and he’s in overseeing a losing war while following up his lost cause by completely depleting the U.S. Military for generations to come.
What do you think? Does the public have the right to know this? Is it traitorous to tell the public that military readiness is compromised by incompetency at the administrative level?
What made Hegseth mad? Someone told the truth…
You can expect that this regime will turn red-in-the-face whenever and because someone told the truth…
31.08.2026 | The Atlantic
Not American Enough
It seems like almost daily that Republicans seek another way to upend the constitution in order to make the United States into a white, Christian, nation. This week it is a new movement to bar foreign-born citizens—yes citizens—from running for public office. Not that the Republicans or this regime care about the constitution, but fully 20% of the writers of that document were foreign born. Of course, the brain-fart behind all this racism came from Trump’s boy wonder, Stephen Miller, but the banner-carriers are not in short order among this xenophobic class of Trump lackeys. Voices pour in from Red States across the nation, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona. Currently, this ban would impact 26 House members and six senators. But the main target seems to be the Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani. Here is how the author of this article, Toluse Olorunnipa, describes the situation: “When Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen first floated the idea of barring naturalized citizens from serving in elected office, he cited Mamdani’s mayoral run as one impetus.” And when asked for his reasoning, here is what Mr. Allen said, “We want to make sure that no potential foreign influence or foreign meddling could impact our state’s highest elected leaders...”
The hypocrisy of that statement couldn’t be any more sanctimonious. Republicans support a president who flies around in a jet donated by Qatar (when he’s not hiding in a catering cart with Natalie Harp while others serve as his decoy), and whose both sons acknowledged that a major amount of their loans came from foreign sources. In 2008, Donald Trump, Jr. stated that their companies saw "a lot of money pouring in from Russia" to support golf courses and real estate projects when American banks pulled back and in 2014, Eric Trump stated, “We have all the funding we need out of Russia" for golf courses.
No presidency has been as openly criminal as this White House, and no president more indifferent to the Emoluments clause for public officials. Yet, where are the Republicans to protect Mr. Allen’s charge of “potential foreign influence” in these instances?
The Trump’s are owned by foreign investors, and the Republicans are owned by Trump.
November is our chance to stop this supremacist madness. But, as can be plainly seen, impeaching the president and his cabinet is not enough. Radical changes must occur in Congress and the Supreme Court. Your vote is vital.
Are you volunteering to support free elections? I want to fuel your efforts with some music.
To claim your free copy of the Anthems music compilation, follow these simple steps:
Head over to the private Anthems page on my website: https://www.communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
Stream or download the tracks directly to your device.
Feel free to share this page with fellow election volunteers and voting advocates who need a lift!
28.08.2026 | TNR
The Supreme Court Joins Trump’s Insidious War on Voting Rights
Do you know who votes by mail and wants his vote to count—but not yours? The President of the United States. A lower court disagreed with him in what will become a landmark case: League of Women Voters of Massachusetts vs. Trump.
The author of this article, Matt Ford, confronts the Roberts’ Court for beginning their preamble to counteract the lower court Massachusetts decision with a blatant lie. He quotes the court as saying: “About five months ago, President Trump issued an Executive Order designed to maintain public confidence in federal elections…” It’s obvious to even the most obtuse follower or anyone who listens to any news besides Fox News and Trump’s own, Truth Social, that Trump has spent the last 20 years trying to undermine public confidence in the US elections.
Voting is a state issue, not a federal issue. But Trump and his Supreme Court want to change that. They are intent on making the Administrative Branch of the Government, the primary decider on who gets to vote and who does not. It’s not the way the Constitution is written, but it is the way this President and the Supreme Court want the law to read. Why? Because their positions are threatened by a democracy and they do not want to lose the power they wield.
Chief Justice John Roberts lied to get into the Supreme Court. He was never intent on promoting the Constitution and protecting the American right to vote. Even in his early days under President Reagan as Special Assistant and also as Associate Counsel. When Roberts was sworn in to the Supreme Court in 2005, Senator Ted Kennedy heavily pressed Roberts over his past Reagan-administration memos, arguing that Roberts historically held a "cramped" and "mean-spirited" view of the Voting Rights Act. In response, Roberts defended his record and explicitly stated his support for extending the landmark 1965 civil rights law. In truth, no one has done more to undermine the VRA than John Roberts and his conservative toadies.
Allowing citizens (especially minorities and women) the right to a fair vote would definitely undermine his efforts to secure a white, Christian, USA that furthered democracy.
This President and this Supreme Court know they will not survive in a democracy with full voting rights. Let’s prove them right at this upcoming election. Let’s end this tyrannical regime and bury its voices.
27.08.2026 | Letters from an American
August 24, 2026
An anti-dependent child will act out against parents because he/she believes they won’t cut him off. Trump is a mentally anti-dependent child with the power of a president. According to Heather Cox Richardson, he is acting out against Canada and other allies because he is losing in so many other areas. Here is how she puts it: “Trump is flailing in Iran, and so—as national security scholar Tom Nichols pointed out in The Atlantic after Trump nonsensically attacked South Korea, another longstanding and loyal ally—he is looking to reassert his dominance. Trump doesn’t dare to cross the leaders who actually threaten the U.S., those like Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Instead, Nichols writes, he is trying to make himself feel better by ‘kicking America’s allies, the nations he can punish without fear that they will kick him back.’”
In a healthy USA, Congress and the Supreme Court would rein in an incompetent president, but this is not a healthy country and, in particular, not a healthy democracy. Premier Mark Carney’s response to Trump’s tariffs (cutting off trade talks) is the most functional adult response to this president’s tiring adolescent behavior.
As his mind continues to decay (and his body shows continual evidence of it as well), Trump’s behavior becomes increasingly dangerous, isolating the USA from our closest allies. The behavior is not just current. Foreign powers recognize that the United States voted for this man twice—in full admission of his agenda. They are unlikely to rally round a country and a Congress that is so schizophrenic. As Trump courts Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin, the world rallies around new alliances. The USA can’t afford a president who thinks little deeper than a spoiled child with a Congress (and Supreme Court) acting as his indulgent and permissive parents.
Make sure whomever you cast your vote for in November has a plan to rein in this president, cabinet, Supreme Court, and Congress; a plan that includes consequences for damaging behavior. It might be too late to influence our allies, but we can at least protect democracy for our children.
. Here is a summary by White: “Perhaps the best one can say is that many Americans, for many different reasons, are not comfortable with the makeup of US society today. They blame Washington, and they vote for Trump.”
For White, the revolution began with Trump; for me, the revolution is about to begin with the overthrow of this regime.
It is critically important that we listen to the voices of world leaders observing the U.S., Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Mark Carney of Canada, voices from abroad who might be much abler to inform the U.S. of its predicament than the biased voices at home. From them, we learn the world is coalescing around a global system sans U.S. leadership. A world where even China is more reliable than the U.S.
I hope that not only Congress is taking notes, but also voters in the U.S. The movement within the Democratic party itself shows us that, although everyone is united against Trump and his regime, they are also against the way business has always been done in Washington. Tired of big money, tired of corporate power, tired of oligarchical systems, and tired of the Supreme Court. We’re tired of politicians so old that they have to offer proof they are even alive, of the monarchal system that believes it is privileged enough to appoint someone to Congress simply because she is the brother of a dead Senator.
The whole of the U.S. voting class could quote Lili Van Shtupp in Blazing Saddles, “I’m Tired.”
*White, Hugh. Hard New World: Australia’s Post-American Future (Black Inc).
Youth Advocacy
Curated insights on resisting authoritarian overreach, deconstructing systemic political deception, and utilizing Fred Rogers’s brilliant communication tools to empower youth advocacy ahead of the critical 2026 midterm elections.
Youth Advocacy | Dr. Jerry Goebel
19.08.2026-25.08.2026
Review and Announcements
Frontline Voter Gift Release: In exactly 70 days, U.S. voters face a monumental choice at the 2026 midterms. To fuel, support, and honor the frontline advocates working tirelessly to protect the vote, we are dropping an exclusive gift release this November. Make your explicit voting plan today, and stay tuned for details on how to claim yours as we stand united for democracy.
Exposing the Anatomy of Deception: This week's curated reads analyze a coordinated, systemic onslaught against democratic norms. From Tom Nichols’s breakdown of the White House’s petulant, retaliatory military drawdowns in South Korea, to Shermin Kruse’s investigation into "motivated reasoning" and why smart people succumb to political self-deception, the warning signs are clear. We are standing against an entrenched regime of structural lies.
Empowering Youth Literacy: Countering this normalization of falsehood requires actionable educational tools. We spotlight Finland's preschool disinformation curriculum as a model, offering real-world classroom strategies to help students identify neighborhood stereotypes, deconstruct bias, and spread positive, community-driven social narratives.
The "Freddish" Standard: We explore the brilliant communication legacy of Fred Rogers. By applying his disciplined "9 rules for talking to children" to our modern advocacy work, we can transform complex, high-stakes political truths into clear, non-judgmental, and constructive dialogue that unites rather than divides.
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Visual Stories: "El Gran Presidente"
"El Gran Presidente" stands as a direct, visceral response to the systemic narcissism, manufactured trade hostilities, and structural gaslighting exposed in today's blog. From unprovoked trade conflicts with Canada to the quiet erosion of the Voting Rights Act, this track confronts the unchecked ego of modern autocrats who delight in the pain of vulnerable targets. Watch the complete visual story, track the exact lyrical narrative with our embedded English subtitle translations, and share the video directly on YouTube.
Articles and Commentary
25.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
How to Lose a Trade War
With Trump losing other wars, he’s now decided to start a trade war… with the U.S.’s closest (physically and politically) ally: Canada.
David Frum (staff writer at The Atlantic and former Canadian) analyzes this new war-of-choice in light of the other wars this regime is losing. Here is how Frum puts it: “Yes, Trump can hurt Canada more than Canada can hurt Trump. That part of Trump’s thinking is true. But wars are not decided only by the question Who can inflict more pain? Wars are also decided by the question Who can endure more pain? Trump’s failure to accept this truth is why he lost the Iran war—and why he is losing his trade wars.”
It is not very hard to ascertain which leader has more trust among his people to endure more pain (Carney’s approval rate is between 55 and 66%, while Trump is at an all-time low of 33-39%). National endurance based in trust surely doesn’t exist with this U.S. president (who seems to smugly delight in inflicting pain on his own people, not just through trade, but also through his other self-declared wars: His war with Iran, his war with the people of the U.S., his war with Congress (and not just Democrats, but seemingly Republicans too), and most-of-all, his war with truth).
Who is advising Trump to take these self-defeating actions? Probably, no one. Trump doesn’t take advice. He listens to the little man “upstairs” in his own “genius mind,” he’s a man of his own deranged counsel.
Maggie Haberman and Jonathon Swan, who wrote, “Regime Change*”, tell us that this president loves tariffs for the sheer power he can wield, for the fear he can cause. He doesn’t understand their long-term effect. Frum calls this administration an “omnishambles.” As Frum again puts it: “The story may not be over. Donald Trump is notorious for issuing threats, then reversing them. Wars are on, off, on again, off again, then on a third time—but only as a “little detour.” This is not an administration that thinks even one move ahead. But without a supersized Trump TACO, the U.S.-Canada impasse likely won’t resolve soon.”
Who else can Trump start a war with? Who is left? His mind is so deranged now that imaginary enemies seem to be spawned daily. Foreign powers, allies, the press, immigrants, citizens, the only ones Trump doesn’t seem to be at war with are the world’s leading dictators, especially Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin. Because Trump is a malignant narcissist with pedophilic tendencies (with entrenched cognitive distortions), he enjoys causing pain. And the more helpless his victims, the more pleasure that he feels.
We have one chance to stop this: Midterms, 2026, 70 days from this posting, the U.S. voters can decide whether or not they want this lunacy to continue. Have you made your plans to vote?
* Haberman, Maggie, and Jonathan Swan. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2026.
24.08.2026 | Source: The Progressive
The Long Con of John Roberts
Bill Blum, the attorney and former state judge from California is well-equipped to take us on this hefty dive into the “long con” of Judge Roberts. In fact, Blum states: “There is no bigger con man in the United States than Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Not even President Donald J. Trump.”
Blum presents the Merits Docket and Key Decisions that led up to Robert’s devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act (VRA). He points to a young Roberts who lied to Senators during his hearings saying: “[T]he existing Voting Rights Act—the constitutionality has been upheld. And I don’t have any issue with that.”
Essentially, Roberts has been attacking voting rights every step of his career. He is a hardened racist and slowly (the Long Con) worked his way up to Chief Justice before he unleashed his total ire for fair elections. Of course, none of this would have been possible were it not for his collaboration with the crafty (and now missing) Senator Mitch McConnell who denied President Barack Obama the choice of a Supreme Court justice. Roberts and his majority white nationalist majority are currently having a heyday making sure the court implements ruling that will strip the United States of a fair democracy and install a white conservative majority that any future court will have a difficult (if not impossible) time dismantling. His long con has been very effective and his hand has been played. Whomever we elect in the next election must have a solid plan for changing this Supreme Court and rolling back the damage that con men have done, in the courts, in congress, and in the regime. We must keep in mind that we are standing against a regime, not a man. This is not a Trump problem, it is a white, Christian, nationalist problem rooted deeply in systemic racism.
24.08.2026 | Source: The Daily Beast
The Only Truth About Trump’s America Is That Everything Is a Lie
They lie. According to columnist David Rothkopf, this is the one truth we can count on about this administration. Here is how Rothkopf puts it: “How do we know the lies will keep flowing? Because they seem more and more compelled to lie about smaller and smaller matters. If they are going to lie about the actual role being played by the president’s… amanuensis Natalie Harp, or the state of the Trumps’ Potemkin marriage, or the causes of bruises on his hands or his golf scores, you know that they are going to lie about the big damaging realities we face.”
And what is “the big stuff?” The debt, Iran, the economy, and always… the Epstein files.
Rothkopf’s solution does not rely on governmental change—especially in this era—it relies on us. Here’s his suggestion: “The only path out is that each of us, individually, makes seeking the truth our top priority, and skepticism our constant ally. We must seek out reliable sources of information and reject those who deliver anything less.”
This is on us, this is up to us. Whatever we hear from this administration; we must assume it is a lie, or it is a distraction to cover up another lie. If their mouths are moving; they’re lying. It doesn’t matter if it is Trump’s golf scores or health care. It’s a lie. It’s a lie.
It’s a lie.
Our work goes deeper (as we looked at in yesterday’s column about “Why Smart People Believe Lies”). We must teach our children not to believe their eyes, not to give the benefit of the doubt to the adults around them. Make people earn your trust—especially our politicians. No doubt for all of us; this is not the world we prefer to live in, but it is the world that this administration has normalized.
21.08.2026 | Source: Psychology Today
Why Smart People Believe Lies
Self-deception is a form of cognitive shielding with the priority of maintaining a coherent sense of self. Shermin Kruse, J.D. provides us with insights into an imperative question in this age of demagogism; “Why do smart people believe lies?” But she looks deeper than why we accept them from politicians or on social media and into why we lie to ourselves. The term psychologists often use for this type of self-deception is “Motivated Reasoning.” Here’s how Ms. Kruse defines it: “Motivated reasoning …results from the cognitive dissonance between the truth and what we need to be true.”
I would emphasize her use of the phrase, “need to be true.”
There are a variety of reasons we might need something to be true. Kruse tells us our primary reason is: “Self-deception often preserves our coherent sense of identity.”
She presents a contrast between Intelligence and Intellectual Honesty, suggesting that intelligence may even assist us in self-deception by adding to our reasoning power (our ability for self-justification). Whereas Intellectual Honesty demands humility, requiring us to examine our beliefs in light of, “what we may emotionally gain from reaching them.”
It is imperative we ask ourselves, “Is this belief I hold truth or is it a convenient way for me to justify my personal self-deception?”
This step of self-analysis might also become a way we can better understand why others believe such obvious deceptions from an administration so prone to intentional deception.
As a Youth Advocate, I feel it is imperative for me to find ways to teach this concept to others—especially young people. I admire Finland, who includes classes on digital literacy and identifying disinformation into their national curriculum as early as preschool. It is inspiring to see others following suit. For example, in England, but also in states like California, Delaware, and New Jersey. In fact, at this moment, 19 states are trying to pass similar laws for youth awareness.
My teaching suggestion would be to have a team of students identify derogatory statements or stereotypes they might have heard about their neighborhood (this especially works if the school is in an impoverished area). Ask students to create ideas for how those false beliefs may have arisen and been spread. Then ask students to strategize on ways they could challenge those false mindsets. Students can also discuss how to develop a strategy for spreading an alternative positive social message throughout their school(s) and who (from their community) they might have to enlist to enact that strategy. This provides students with ways to connect with their community and deepen the strength of their positive messages through cognitive dissonance.
20.08.2026 | Source: Upworthy
Mister Rogers' strict '9 rules for talking to children' were the secret to his brilliance
Communicating better should be on all of our agendas. I have always found that if you can communicate effectively with children or youth, then you are a much more capable communicator with adults. This article about Mister Rogers’ tools for talking to children is, as columnist Cicely Nobler says, “Brilliant.”
These nine rules may at first seem onerous, but if you start applying them to your communications, they will become a regular tool that you use to improve all your communications.
Were I teaching these rules to a group of people (staff or volunteers), I would have them draft a message they would like to share with their audience. Then, I would have them work through the rules one-by-one to improve and deepen that message. Depending on the time, I would encourage them to share those messages with the entire group and create comments for each other.
Before attendees left, I would have them create some tough communication scenarios they might be facing when going back to the families, units, or workplaces and encourage them to involve collaborators in the same process.
With time, the nine rules would become a habitual way of interacting and not a checklist for every discussion.
19.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Trump Will Make South Korea Pay for His Iran Humiliation
Tom Nichols is one of my favorite The Atlantic writers. In this column, he writes about the continuing insanity of the feckless regime in the White House at this time. He examines why Trump has decided that he will punish South Korea by withholding support for military exercises off their coast. Exercises the U.S. has been involved in for decades that show nuclear-powered neighboring dictator, Kim Jong Un, that our country will continue to support democratically led South Korea. But this president supports dictators (and admires them) worldwide. He is also mad at South Korea because they did not “support us” in our Trump-inspired failure of a war with Iran.
Here is how Nichols puts it: “And because Trump is unable to subdue Iran, unable to replenish stocks of U.S. weapons he should never have expended in this war, unable to take care of the service personnel he has put in harm’s way, someone is going to pay. The most convenient target he could find, at least for the moment, was South Korea.”
Of course, this makes no sense. But seeking to make sense of this regime would drive any rational person senseless. The only thing that makes sense to this president is guarding his own narcissistic ego.
We are attacking friends worldwide and proving to enemies that the United States no longer adheres to the values it has long held. Trump’s relationship with our historic friends reminds me of a teenager’s behavior. Secure in the love of one’s parents, he lashes out at them without reason while coddling his anti-dependent peers.
What we must keep in mind is that this regime’s behavior is not only a reflection of it; but also of those who voted it in… and certainly (as Nichols points out) the Republican Congress that gives this petulant child desires. The world is learning… and adapting, to a landscape devoid of moral U.S. leadership, vacuous of civil rights, and/or global justice. A world led by a madman whose simple aim is to enrich himself and satisfy his ego. Early November is our chance to end this. Let’s end it resoundedly. In such a way that there is no doubt left that this is not the country or leadership we desire.
Youth Advocacy
The Regime of Cowardice vs. Collective Resilience
As a compromised leadership bows to authoritarian tactics, the working class is standing up. Read this week's update on resisting systemic cowardice, grab a preview of our upcoming free music compilation for voter mobilization frontlines, and watch the fierce new visual anthem, "They Ain't Gonna." It’s time to protect our youth and defend the Constitution.
✊ Weekly Review & Announcements
12.08.2026-18.08.2026
The Regime of Cowardice
Cowardice is our defining theme this week. We are witnessing a leadership that hides away while leaving others behind as decoys. Concurrently, a complicit Congress refuses to challenge the unchecked installation of a weaponized Justice Department. This system is actively pivoting to protect corruption and carry out personal retribution. It is a regime built on pure, unadulterated cowardice.
A Gift for the Frontlines
For those standing on the frontlines of resistance, your exhaustion is seen, and your resilience is vital. If you are organizing, turning out voters, or monitoring stations for this upcoming November election, I am preparing a direct gift for you. Keep a sharp eye on this space for a completely free digital compilation of my resilience music to fuel your fire on the ground.
🎬 Visual Stories: "They Ain't Gonna"
While this administration actively plots to impose a corporate, mudsill economy that strips the working class to enrich billionaires, our communities are standing shoulder-to-shoulder. We have a different answer: "They Ain't Gonna."
Watch the Anthem
This track is a direct, uncompromising Southern rock and outlaw country confrontation against authoritarian governance and administrative deceit. It is explicitly built to inspire educators, youth advocates, and independent thinkers who refuse to watch our Constitution dismantled
Watch the Visual Story on YouTube: They Ain't Gonna... Video Anthem
Support Independent Advocacy: Stream or purchase the high-quality studio track directly from the Communities of Trust Web Store to keep this mission entirely self-sustaining.
🌍 Join the Movement
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Articles and Commentary
18.08.2026 | Source: The National Magazine
Tracking the Crisis: Running on Empty
Jump Ship…
The man the U.S. elected was a king of bankruptcy before he was a president. He was a failure in business management, a failure in marriage, and by all measurable means, a failure in morality. Yet, voters chose him. Now he’s bringing the same failing mindset to the nation that elected him. He has depleted U.S. weapons, he has depleted U.S. trust, he has depleted the U.S. oil reserves, he is destroying the U.S. economy, and now we have reports of naval members on the U.S.S. Lincoln depleted of sanitary conditions, safe food, and other essentials of life. The U.S.S. Lincoln is a perfect example of the United States itself. Many are ready to “jump ship.”
And, where is the Commander in Chief? Taking calls from either his golf cart or hiding in a catering cart while leaving staff and journalists to die in his place. If Trump were the captain of the Titanic, he’d be the first to “jump ship.” He’d be pushing women and children out of the way to stock his own lifeboat and leave everyone else behind.
This article, by the editorial staff of The National Magazine, examines the many ways that Trump has “jumped ship” and left the people of the United States depleted… running on empty.
17.08.2026 | Source: NPR
Adults have struggled to set rules for AI in school. These teens figured it out
https://text.npr.org/nx-s1-5853571?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/u.s.politics
I’ve always believed that finding sustainable solutions lies in empowering the people closest to the problem to create them. According to Cory Turner, that is exactly what happened recently when a group of high school juniors and seniors from across the United States were gathered in a mock Senate hearing to create solutions to the issue of AI’s use in schools.
These brilliant young men and women crafted what they called, “The Student’s First Act,” and, according to Turner, included some of the following requirements: “States should provide AI literacy as soon as students get access to classroom devices; AI use should be banned on all graded tests; and teachers can require an oral defense of any project from a student suspected of using AI inappropriately.” (Turner includes a full copy of the bill in his article).
This is a wonderful example of “how it’s done”: Empower the people closest to the problem to develop their own solution, and they will always craft something more sustainable and applicable than anyone else.
15.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
A Green Light for Crooks
Casey Michel is an author who wrote the book, “United States of Oligarchy: How America’s Wealthiest Align with Dictators, Weaken the U.S., and Destroy Democracy.” That background surely comes to the fore while analyzing the work of the Republicans and Trump’s Treasury Department under Scott Bessant this week. Here’s how Michel puts it: “On Tuesday, the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced that businesses formed in the United States would no longer need to disclose their actual owners, and that nearly all the data already gathered on such companies would be destroyed.”
As the title of this article suggests, this is basically a “Green Light for Crooks.” Not only has this regime promised to allow wealthy individuals to hide their investments, but they will go on to destroy any information that’s already held about such ownership. This means that drug dealers (or wealthy U.S. citizens) can hide money in any shell company of their choosing. It also means, according to Michel’s: “Now anyone, domestic or foreign, can secretly barrel as much money into American elections as they want.”
As if U.S. politics weren’t replete with dirty money enough once Mitch McConnell shepherded “Citizens United” through a cash-hungry Congress.
These oligarchic policies will further imbed politics into the hands of the wealthy, and they will not be stopped by the regime and Republicans who favor them as a primary means to raise money and retain power. Welcome to Trump’s America: Land of the thieves and home of the corrupt. Trump voters: “This is on you…”
14.08.2026 | Source: TNR
The Endless, Maddening Wait for a Woman President
“A promise just a little too far away to be kept…” that’s how Ana Maria Cox describes the promise of a woman being elected to the United States’ presidency. She researches and offers insights on the history and offers insights into why women have almost been president so many times, but voters continue to deny them the office. I thought her most insightful comment was: “The history of people telling women they will not become president is rage-bait. ‘Never’ is always ‘never.’ But a march through the history of ‘soon’ leaves a mark on the heart. Over one hundred years of ‘someday’ makes each next chance feel even further away, not closer. Certainly, women are not the only group that hasn’t had their turn in the Oval Office; our grief is not unique—or rather each intersectionality can claim its own particular shade of mourning. What all women can share is the familiar sense of a promise just a little too far away to be kept.”
Maria Cox speaks about four women who possibly have a shot at the office in the 2028 Presidential election: Gretchen Whitmer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Kamala Harris, and possibly, Amy Klobuchar (especially if she wins the race for Governor of Minnesota).
The journalist also addresses social-psychological issues of why women have “almost made it” using the term, “pluralistic ignorance”; when people say they are willing to do something (like vote for a woman), but given the opportunity, consistently do not.
I, like many others, would like to be part of the generation that sees this glass ceiling finally shattered. In fact, I long for it. Living in Mexico right now, I see the impact that a woman president can have on a country. Claudia Sheinbaum has brought universal free health care to all citizens of this country. Pew Research Center puts her favorability rating at 64%, and some polls go as high as 68% (Enkoll/El Pais). The United States has twice elected a rapist and pedophile to the Presidency over women, and he now has an historically low approval rating of 32%. The closest thing to a health plan that the U.S. has is being dismantled in favor of tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. I honestly pine for this “…promise just a little too far away to be kept.”
13.08.2026 | Source: Huffpost
Trump Abandons Air Force Crew, Secret Service, Press And His Own Staff As Expendable Bait
Yesterday we looked at how the Republican Congress “Smells of Helplessness.” I think they will go down in history as the “Cowardly Congress” (if not something worse along the lines of “Traitorous…”).
Yet, the ranking coward is the man they follow, the Predator in Chief, Donald J. Trump.
Many of you know—or have seen the memes of Trump abandoning his illegal “Gift Plane” from Qatar, by hiding in a catering truck and being taken to a different jet.
Why? Because his new Qatar Play Thing isn’t secured properly.
In this article by S.V. Date, the journalist identifies a number of alternatives available to Trump so that his staff and the press corp (probably up to 100 plus people with crew and Secret Service) wouldn’t have been like they were flying in a clay pigeon.
Instead of choosing any of these options, Don, the cowardly lion (liar), had the press pull down their window shades (so they didn’t see him creeping away) while he snuck into a military aircraft and jetted away. When both planes arrived safely at Mildenhall Air Base in England for refueling, Trump was secreted back aboard the original plane so it would look like he never left.
Presidents have changed modes of transportation in the past due to security risks, but no president has been so cowardly, so reckless with the lives of others, and so inept in trying to fool others that he was actually “braving it out” on the original flight.
This is the cowardly leader, adored by a cowardly Congress. If this Congress “smells of helplessness,” this president reeks of it.
12.08.2026 | Source: Alternet
Total 'impotence': How Trump broke wounded Republicans
Republicans had a chance to stop Trump from appointing his mafiasque consigliere, Todd Blanche, to head the Department of Justice (now the DOR: Department of Retribution), but, in typical Republican fashion, they caved.
This article by Matthew Rozsa looks at how even the lame-duck Republicans that Trump undermined caved in to their master.
A couple of terms that captured my attention were Rozsa’s use of “Lawfare.” For the intentional way this regime has used the courts to bury people with lawsuits. That is only going to increase under Blanche.
He also cites Nick Cattagio, from The Dispatch, speaking about Sen. Bill Cassidy about the Senators’ approval of Blanche, saying: “That vote was morally indefensible but legible as a matter of expedience…”
Cassidy also said that he voted for Blanche because Trump’s next pick “could be worse.”
Rozsa goes on to say that the way Senate Republicans are voting, “smells of helplessness…”
That typifies this Republican Congress to me; they “smell of helplessness.”
Let’s make sure we do not accept this odor or take it on ourselves. Let us encourage each other to not “smell of helplessness” and reject any person for public office that does.
Youth Advocacy
This week’s review highlights the dangers of rigid education in fostering authoritarian compliance, alongside analysis of how the Trump administration is dismantling equality and McConnell's role in crippling democracy.
Youth Advocacy
Communities of Trust | Dr. Jerry Goebel
29.07.2026-04.08.2026
📝 Part 1: Review and Announcements
This week’s review focuses on the urgent structural changes U.S. voters are demanding from future elected officials to permanently safeguard our democracy against authoritarian takeovers. We also break down the scapegoating, systemic racism, and failed policies of the current white, Christian, nationalistic regime—moving the analysis beyond just Donald Trump to confront the broader movement. Read the full analysis and join the discussion over on my Substack Profile or join our daily conversation on Facebook and BlueSky.
🎨 Part 2: Visual Stories
Our visual story this week features the premiere of “The Party of Projection,” a concept developed alongside my son to expose the psychological warfare of modern politics. As he perfectly captured it: “Every accusation is an admission.” We see this dynamic play out vividly in the Senate’s revenge hearings targeting Dr. Anthony Fauci—sessions run by partisan hacks and medical quacks at the direct insistence of their "Hater-in-Chief," Donald Trump.
Watch: Experience the full visual story right now on my YouTube Channel.
Support: Purchase the track directly from the Communities of Trust Store to help keep this advocacy self-supporting.
Connect: Access all of our resource hubs, youth advocacy initiatives, and music platforms in one place via our Linktree Page.
👤 Dr. Jerry Goebel (He/Him/His)
Youth Advocate, Author, & Engagement Consultant
Communities of Trust
Central Hub: linktr.ee/docjerr
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Connect: goebeljerry@me.com | (52) 999 645 8105
🏳️🌈 Love is an awful thing to hate.
Articles and Commentary
04.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
This May Be Trump’s Biggest Error in the Iran War
The writers of this article, Nancy Youssef and Jonathon Lemire, point to an adage about war by Sun Tzu: “Know your enemy.”
Like Vietnam, Afghanistan, and even Ukraine, this war-of-choice will not be over until the occupied country says it is. And the morally-vacant instigators of this Middle Eastern war—Trump and Netanyahu—are incapable of “knowing their enemy,” because they are incapable of reflection. Both are insanely capable of deflection, blaming their current situation on others, but the internal mechanisms for what another is thinking are absent in these two. Both can only think about themselves.
Perhaps the most telling phrase in this article is a quote taken from Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies: “America’s calculation is that escalation would lead to surrender. Iran’s calculation is that escalation would lead to deterrence.”
Trump’s response to the war currently was, “Couldn’t care less…”
It’s not his children that are going to war in Iran; it won’t be any of his children dying. Chances are Trump stands to graft even more of a fortune from rebuilding the U.S.’s depleted military. How will it leave the nation in his wake? Again, let’s quote Donald: “I couldn’t care less…”
03.08.2026 | Source: USA Today
Trump's approval is circling the toilet. I'm delighted. | Opinion
Rex Huppke of USA Today suggests that Trump should have been a plumber, not a politician, since his polling numbers are circling the porcelain lately. He goes on to examine these numbers and look at why they are historically low after pointing out that the President’s current numbers match the low they hit after Trump’s January 6 riots. Here’s how Huppke spells it out: “Do you know how bad things have to be for you to hit an ‘as bad as that time I fomented an insurrection’ level of disapproval? Trump didn't even need to coax his followers into ransacking the U.S. Capitol this time around. He just earned this striking level of disapproval organically. Part of me feels like we should congratulate him. It shows real growth when a tin-pot dictator learns to be loathed all on his own.”
And, guess who is circling the porcelain with the president? Yes, his congressional lackeys. While the Senate Republicans (The Party of Projection) are busy attacking Dr. Anthony Fauci in their kangaroo court, measles has hit a 35-year high and the country is awash (perhaps a bad choice of words) with an explosive diarrhea epidemic caused when Trump, RFK, Jr., and Musk’s DOGE dismantled the agency responsible for preventing such national malaises. Here’s how Huppke interprets the numbers for a GOP on the verge of a potentially disastrous midterm: “MAGA enthusiasts and Trump bootlickers can spin these numbers as numerical tyranny or denounce math as a form of socialist extremism all they want. But denial shouldn't be of much help to a Republican Party waltzing into November's midterm elections with a president who's about as popular as tainted lettuce.”
What astonishes me is that there is still a percentage of citizens that support this “Marie Antoinette” cretin and his policies. That percentage—like the Republicans in Congress or on the Supreme Court— won’t change. They need to be outed. They need to experience the consequences of how unpopular (even loathed) they are. Our one shot is Tuesday, November 3. If we don’t overwhelm them at the polls this time, a second time will not come around.
31.07.2026 | Source: PBS News
The campaign against Fauci and what brought him back before Congress
If we could see the inside of a courtroom where the Catholic Church attacked Galileo, it would look very much like the Republican (and Rand Paul’s) attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci yesterday. This was obviously a kangaroo court carried out for an audience of one: Donald J. Trump. Trump was embarrassed by Fauci for two reasons: 1) Fauci’s commitment to honesty and scientific fact, and 2) Trump’s continual bumbling that cost the lives of millions in the U.S.
Their respective responses to a globally dangerous disease couldn’t be more juxtaposed. Trump suggesting rectal bleach suppositories and horse medication for a quick (and cheap) fix, Fauci pressing for a scientific, long-term response that involved closing schools, social isolation, and mask-wearing, plus governmentally-funded vaccines.
Fauci chose to respond to Republicans’ queries yesterday by choosing the Fifth Amendment, including when Josh Hawley (the senator who ran in shame during the Trump-sponsored attacks on the Capitol on January 6, 2021) asked him about the color of his tie. This is not an indication of Fauci’s prevarication; it is an indictment of Trump’s desire to take down anyone (or anything) that reminds us of how bad his presidency has been. A “revenge-tour” propagated by his many minions, including Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson, on this faux court. It’s important to remember that Fauci is no longer covered by the pardon he received from Joe Biden, and the Republicans were clearly looking for any information they could use to arrest and prosecute this outstanding public servant who faithfully advised (with honor) seven presidents over forty years.
Perhaps Fauci’s greatest sin against Trump was when the incompetent-in-chief wanted to fire the doctor; Fauci’s ratings were higher than Trump’s, and Trump had to retreat.
Once again, Republicans find themselves on the wrong side of truth, science, and morality. Their narrative wants someone to blame for the Corona Virus, but science doesn’t support that conspiracy, and Fauci isn’t giving them their bogeyman. They would love to blame anyone but Trump for all the deaths on his (their) watch. Once again, they show themselves as merely lackeys of the Orange One, bunkered down in the White House. Their hearing was another circus show, but not a show of justice. Instead, it was a show of unchecked power and vengefulness. A cultic attempt to create a mythology around an inconvenient truth. My son said it best when he said, “This is a party of projection, every accusation they make is an admission.”
In this trial of a modern Galileo, this Party of Projection portrays their own ignorance, spinelessness and adherence to their pedophile king.
30.07.2026 | Source: Daily Kos
‘Chaos, corruption, and poverty’: The racist wrath of Stephen Miller
Lisa Needham, staff writer at the Daily Kos, peels back the ugly layers of a rotting onion; namely… Stephen Miller. Here are her words: “In an administration stuffed full of the very worst, most morally vacant, reprehensible people on Earth, senior White House adviser and top hate-filled hobgoblin Stephen Miller still manages to stand out.”
No white, nationalist, racist has had more sway in this administration than this Joseph Goebbels of the Trump administration. When you want to know who is behind ICE, the killing of U.S. citizens on our own soil, behind concentration camps (in the U.S. and abroad), look no further than this man.
Miller has had unlimited access to Trump, ever since his first term, but even more powerful in the second term.
Needham pays heed to the dichotomy of this man’s evil ideology by saying: “Of course, Miller is only here to spew this garbage because his grandfather fled anti-Jewish violence in Belarus and settled as an impoverished immigrant in the United States, where his family then joined him. But Miller doesn’t believe that anyone else’s family deserves that sort of chance.
It is interesting that this administration is knee-deep in immigrants; Trump’s wife, Vance’s wife, Miller’s parents, Rubio’s parents. And yet, all of them hate immigrants. Melania is a former call-girl for Jeffrey Epstein, who visited a child-detention facility wearing a coat that said, “I really don’t care, do you?” Vance’s wife is of Indian descent, Miller’s parents were Jewish from eastern Europe, and Rubio’s parents fled Cuba. What is the root of their passionate hatred?
Needham points to the recent murders of Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz, reminding us of the atrocities done to them under Stephen Miller’s policies: “The couple was recently found shot to death in a sugarcane field in Guatemala—bound and showing signs of torture, with their 14-month-old daughter crying beside her mother’s body.”
The primary point of Needham’s article is to call attention to one of Miller’s most recent spittle-infused diatribes in which he said, “If you give these people power, everything you know and love in this world falls apart. You have chaos, corruption, and poverty!”
But, points out Needham… “Buddy, we have chaos, corruption, and poverty right now—under your boss—at unprecedented levels.”
Trump’s approval ratings are at an all-time low (The Economist/YouGov: 34% approval, 62% disapproval, July 25–27, 2026) and yet the Republican Congress by and large still seems to live in fear of his mafia-like tactics (and enough Democrats to continue to wage an illegal war in Iran).
It is not enough to elect a new Congress and impeach Trump. Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution allows us to impeach his entire cabinet, but only one at a time. Will we elect a Congress that understands that this is their mandate? We can’t allow J.D. Vance to take over the presidency. We can’t allow cabinet members like Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio or Stephen Miller to retain their power. Let’s not go into this next election wishy-washy about the results we are demanding. Let’s pull this whole administration out down to its rotting roots.
29.07.2026 | Source: Pew Research Center
Most Americans favor big changes to the political system that likely would require amending the Constitution.
Drew DeSilver and John Gramlich of the Pew Research Center keep us apprised of changes that most U.S. citizens (Democrats and Republicans) want to see to the United States Constitution. They also examine how difficult these changes would be but affirm that it has happened before.
Simply put (the article goes into much more detail), citizens are strongly in favor of four changes: Term Limits, Maximum age restrictions for public office (all branches of government), limits on how much individuals and organizations can spend on campaigns, and presidential elections that are decided by a nationwide popular vote.
The first two of these changes are supported by over 70% of the voting public, and the third is supported by over 60%. Keeping the current system is as unsupported as Trump’s latest poll numbers (in the low-thirties).
Changing the constitution requires 2/3’s of Congress. But when 2.3’s of voters want that change, it seems that Congress (and the courts) would respond. However, we know that it isn’t unusual for our representatives to neglect whom they’re representing when their own self-interest is at heart—and many of these changes would challenge their self-interest. Here is another reason the midterms (now only months away) are so critical. These representatives need to see how reprehensible their behavior is to a majority of their voters. They need a clear message that cannot be misinterpreted. Turnout needs to be historic.
Youth Advocacy
This week’s feature tackles the urgent structural changes U.S. voters are demanding to permanently safeguard our democracy against authoritarian takeovers. We break down the scapegoating, systemic racism, and failed policies of the white, Christian, nationalistic movement, proving the threat extends far beyond a single political figure. Read the full analysis, explore resources for youth advocacy, and discover how we can collectively confront the rise of authoritarianism in both government and AI oversight. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Join the movement, listen to the music that fuels the resistance, and connect with me across my digital spaces:
Read & Subscribe: Dive into the full, deep-dive analysis on my Substack Profile.
Daily Discussion: Join our active, daily community conversations on BlueSky and Facebook.
Music & Media: Watch the visual presentations of these concepts on my YouTube Channel and browse the song store on my Official Website.
All Links: Access my complete digital hub at Linktree.
Booking & Contact: To book a speaking event or collaborate, contact me directly at goebeljerry@me.com. [1]
Youth Advocacy
Communities of Trust | Dr. Jerry Goebel
29.07.2026-04.08.2026
Review and Announcements
This week’s review focuses on the urgent structural changes U.S. voters are demanding from future elected officials to permanently safeguard our democracy against authoritarian takeovers. We also break down the scapegoating, systemic racism, and failed policies of the current white, Christian, nationalistic regime—moving the analysis beyond just Donald Trump to confront the broader movement. Read the full analysis and join the discussion over on my Substack Profile or join our daily conversation on Facebook and BlueSky.
Visual Stories
Our visual story this week features the premiere of “The Party of Projection,” a concept developed alongside my son to expose the psychological warfare of modern politics. As he perfectly captured it: “Every accusation is an admission.” We see this dynamic play out vividly in the Senate’s revenge hearings targeting Dr. Anthony Fauci—sessions run by partisan hacks and medical quacks at the direct insistence of their "Hater-in-Chief," Donald Trump.
Watch: Experience the full visual story right now on my YouTube Channel.
Support: Purchase the track directly from the Communities of Trust Store to help keep this advocacy self-supporting.
Connect: Access all of our resource hubs, youth advocacy initiatives, and music platforms in one place via our Linktree Page.
04.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
This May Be Trump’s Biggest Error in the Iran War
The writers of this article, Nancy Youssef and Jonathon Lemire, point to an adage about war by Sun Tzu: “Know your enemy.”
Like Vietnam, Afghanistan, and even Ukraine, this war-of-choice will not be over until the occupied country says it is. And the morally-vacant instigators of this Middle Eastern war—Trump and Netanyahu—are incapable of “knowing their enemy,” because they are incapable of reflection. Both are insanely capable of deflection, blaming their current situation on others, but the internal mechanisms for what another is thinking are absent in these two. Both can only think about themselves.
Perhaps the most telling phrase in this article is a quote taken from Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies: “America’s calculation is that escalation would lead to surrender. Iran’s calculation is that escalation would lead to deterrence.”
Trump’s response to the war currently was, “Couldn’t care less…”
It’s not his children that are going to war in Iran; it won’t be any of his children dying. Chances are Trump stands to graft even more of a fortune from rebuilding the U.S.’s depleted military. How will it leave the nation in his wake? Again, let’s quote Donald: “I couldn’t care less…”
03.08.2026 | Source: USA Today
Trump's approval is circling the toilet. I'm delighted. | Opinion
Rex Huppke of USA Today suggests that Trump should have been a plumber, not a politician, since his polling numbers are circling the porcelain lately. He goes on to examine these numbers and look at why they are historically low after pointing out that the President’s current numbers match the low they hit after Trump’s January 6 riots. Here’s how Huppke spells it out: “Do you know how bad things have to be for you to hit an ‘as bad as that time I fomented an insurrection’ level of disapproval? Trump didn't even need to coax his followers into ransacking the U.S. Capitol this time around. He just earned this striking level of disapproval organically. Part of me feels like we should congratulate him. It shows real growth when a tin-pot dictator learns to be loathed all on his own.”
And, guess who is circling the porcelain with the president? Yes, his congressional lackeys. While the Senate Republicans (The Party of Projection) are busy attacking Dr. Anthony Fauci in their kangaroo court, measles has hit a 35-year high and the country is awash (perhaps a bad choice of words) with an explosive diarrhea epidemic caused when Trump, RFK, Jr., and Musk’s DOGE dismantled the agency responsible for preventing such national malaises. Here’s how Huppke interprets the numbers for a GOP on the verge of a potentially disastrous midterm: “MAGA enthusiasts and Trump bootlickers can spin these numbers as numerical tyranny or denounce math as a form of socialist extremism all they want. But denial shouldn't be of much help to a Republican Party waltzing into November's midterm elections with a president who's about as popular as tainted lettuce.”
What astonishes me is that there is still a percentage of citizens that support this “Marie Antoinette” cretin and his policies. That percentage—like the Republicans in Congress or on the Supreme Court— won’t change. They need to be outed. They need to experience the consequences of how unpopular (even loathed) they are. Our one shot is Tuesday, November 3. If we don’t overwhelm them at the polls this time, a second time will not come around.
31.07.2026 | Source: PBS News
The campaign against Fauci and what brought him back before Congress
If we could see the inside of a courtroom where the Catholic Church attacked Galileo, it would look very much like the Republican (and Rand Paul’s) attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci yesterday. This was obviously a kangaroo court carried out for an audience of one: Donald J. Trump. Trump was embarrassed by Fauci for two reasons: 1) Fauci’s commitment to honesty and scientific fact, and 2) Trump’s continual bumbling that cost the lives of millions in the U.S.
Their respective responses to a globally dangerous disease couldn’t be more juxtaposed. Trump suggesting rectal bleach suppositories and horse medication for a quick (and cheap) fix, Fauci pressing for a scientific, long-term response that involved closing schools, social isolation, and mask-wearing, plus governmentally-funded vaccines.
Fauci chose to respond to Republicans’ queries yesterday by choosing the Fifth Amendment, including when Josh Hawley (the senator who ran in shame during the Trump-sponsored attacks on the Capitol on January 6, 2021) asked him about the color of his tie. This is not an indication of Fauci’s prevarication; it is an indictment of Trump’s desire to take down anyone (or anything) that reminds us of how bad his presidency has been. A “revenge-tour” propagated by his many minions, including Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson, on this faux court. It’s important to remember that Fauci is no longer covered by the pardon he received from Joe Biden, and the Republicans were clearly looking for any information they could use to arrest and prosecute this outstanding public servant who faithfully advised (with honor) seven presidents over forty years.
Perhaps Fauci’s greatest sin against Trump was when the incompetent-in-chief wanted to fire the doctor; Fauci’s ratings were higher than Trump’s, and Trump had to retreat.
Once again, Republicans find themselves on the wrong side of truth, science, and morality. Their narrative wants someone to blame for the Corona Virus, but science doesn’t support that conspiracy, and Fauci isn’t giving them their bogeyman. They would love to blame anyone but Trump for all the deaths on his (their) watch. Once again, they show themselves as merely lackeys of the Orange One, bunkered down in the White House. Their hearing was another circus show, but not a show of justice. Instead, it was a show of unchecked power and vengefulness. A cultic attempt to create a mythology around an inconvenient truth. My son said it best when he said, “This is a party of projection, every accusation they make is an admission.”
In this trial of a modern Galileo, this Party of Projection portrays their own ignorance, spinelessness and adherence to their pedophile king.
30.07.2026 | Source: Daily Kos
‘Chaos, corruption, and poverty’: The racist wrath of Stephen Miller
Lisa Needham, staff writer at the Daily Kos, peels back the ugly layers of a rotting onion; namely… Stephen Miller. Here are her words: “In an administration stuffed full of the very worst, most morally vacant, reprehensible people on Earth, senior White House adviser and top hate-filled hobgoblin Stephen Miller still manages to stand out.”
No white, nationalist, racist has had more sway in this administration than this Joseph Goebbels of the Trump administration. When you want to know who is behind ICE, the killing of U.S. citizens on our own soil, behind concentration camps (in the U.S. and abroad), look no further than this man.
Miller has had unlimited access to Trump, ever since his first term, but even more powerful in the second term.
Needham pays heed to the dichotomy of this man’s evil ideology by saying: “Of course, Miller is only here to spew this garbage because his grandfather fled anti-Jewish violence in Belarus and settled as an impoverished immigrant in the United States, where his family then joined him. But Miller doesn’t believe that anyone else’s family deserves that sort of chance.
It is interesting that this administration is knee-deep in immigrants; Trump’s wife, Vance’s wife, Miller’s parents, Rubio’s parents. And yet, all of them hate immigrants. Melania is a former call-girl for Jeffrey Epstein, who visited a child-detention facility wearing a coat that said, “I really don’t care, do you?” Vance’s wife is of Indian descent, Miller’s parents were Jewish from eastern Europe, and Rubio’s parents fled Cuba. What is the root of their passionate hatred?
Needham points to the recent murders of Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz, reminding us of the atrocities done to them under Stephen Miller’s policies: “The couple was recently found shot to death in a sugarcane field in Guatemala—bound and showing signs of torture, with their 14-month-old daughter crying beside her mother’s body.”
The primary point of Needham’s article is to call attention to one of Miller’s most recent spittle-infused diatribes in which he said, “If you give these people power, everything you know and love in this world falls apart. You have chaos, corruption, and poverty!”
But, points out Needham… “Buddy, we have chaos, corruption, and poverty right now—under your boss—at unprecedented levels.”
Trump’s approval ratings are at an all-time low (The Economist/YouGov: 34% approval, 62% disapproval, July 25–27, 2026) and yet the Republican Congress by and large still seems to live in fear of his mafia-like tactics (and enough Democrats to continue to wage an illegal war in Iran).
It is not enough to elect a new Congress and impeach Trump. Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution allows us to impeach his entire cabinet, but only one at a time. Will we elect a Congress that understands that this is their mandate? We can’t allow J.D. Vance to take over the presidency. We can’t allow cabinet members like Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio or Stephen Miller to retain their power. Let’s not go into this next election wishy-washy about the results we are demanding. Let’s pull this whole administration out down to its rotting roots.
29.07.2026 | Source: Pew Research Center
Most Americans favor big changes to the political system that likely would require amending the Constitution.
Drew DeSilver and John Gramlich of the Pew Research Center keep us apprised of changes that most U.S. citizens (Democrats and Republicans) want to see to the United States Constitution. They also examine how difficult these changes would be but affirm that it has happened before.
Simply put (the article goes into much more detail), citizens are strongly in favor of four changes: Term Limits, Maximum age restrictions for public office (all branches of government), limits on how much individuals and organizations can spend on campaigns, and presidential elections that are decided by a nationwide popular vote.
The first two of these changes are supported by over 70% of the voting public, and the third is supported by over 60%. Keeping the current system is as unsupported as Trump’s latest poll numbers (in the low-thirties).
Changing the constitution requires 2/3’s of Congress. But when 2.3’s of voters want that change, it seems that Congress (and the courts) would respond. However, we know that it isn’t unusual for our representatives to neglect whom they’re representing when their own self-interest is at heart—and many of these changes would challenge their self-interest. Here is another reason the midterms (now only months away) are so critical. These representatives need to see how reprehensible their behavior is to a majority of their voters. They need a clear message that cannot be misinterpreted. Turnout needs to be historic.
Youth Advocacy
"Tyranny does not always arrive with a roar; often, it creeps in through quiet compliance. We must discard the dangerous illusion that Donald Trump is an isolated aberration. He is merely the figurehead of an entrenched, calculated apparatus. To protect our youth from this rising authoritarianism—and the silent reach of corporate AI oversight—we must build human-centered systems built to outlast a single election cycle. Our struggle is not for a season; it is the work of decades."
📝 Part 1:
Review and Announcements
The Long War Against the Machine
In this week’s brief, we dissect the absolute depth of this regime’s institutional graft and expose the loyal sycophants sustaining it.
We must discard the dangerous illusion that Donald Trump is an isolated aberration. He is merely the figurehead of a deeply entrenched, calculated apparatus. This machine thrives on a terrifying coalition: compromised congressional leaders, a captured Supreme Court majority, and Christian Nationalist extremists who cloak raw political greed in divine mandate.
Dismantling this architecture will not happen at a single ballot box. It is the work of decades. As we confront the dual threats of authoritarian governance and automated, corporate AI oversight, our charge is clear: we must engineer durable, human-centered systems capable of shielding our youth and defending democracy against the rise of the new plutocracy.
Stay connected to the frontlines. Subscribe to the deep-dives on Substack and join the daily resistance on Bluesky and Facebook.*
🎨 Part 2: Visual Stories
Exposing "The Banality of Evil"
Our featured multimedia piece this week takes aim at the psychological floor of modern authoritarianism.
Inspired by Hannah Arendt's profound concepts, “The Banality of Evil” examines the terrifying cognitive laziness of those who actively enable this regime. It uncovers a grim truth: there is virtually no level of cruelty, graft, or systemic degradation these followers will not tolerate—so long as their own biases are coddled and their grievances are weaponized. Tyranny does not always arrive with a roar; often, it creeps in through quiet compliance.
Watch the Visual Story: Experience the stark, urgent music video directly on YouTube.
Support Independent Protest Art: Own the track by purchasing it directly from the Communities of Trust Digital Store. Your purchases directly fund independent youth advocacy and anti-authoritarian research.
👤
Dr. Jerry Goebel (He/Him/His)
Youth Advocate, Author, & Engagement Consultant
Communities of Trust
Central Hub: linktr.ee/docjerr
Web: communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
Video: YouTube Channel
Connect: goebeljerry@me.com | (52) 999 645 8105
🏳️🌈 Love is an awful thing to hate.
Articles and Commentary
28.07.2026 | Source: Reason
How Trump's Tariffs Undermine US Trustworthiness and Credibility—and What Can Be Done to Stop it
Ilya Somin, a Professor of Law at George Mason University, quotes from an article by economist David Hebert examining the long-lasting damage of this President’s tariffs on the United States and the global economy. There is no doubt these tariffs are as illegal as the first ones that Trump arbitrarily implemented, but there is an additional insult accompanying this batch of policies. Here’s how Hebert puts it in his article: “So in the span of a week, the White House effectively told Canada, our closest trading partner and ally, that America's word means nothing and then told them that they are complicit in forced labor.”
It is not just our closest allies that have experienced Trump’s malignant ignorance, but also Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The Supreme Court could do something about this, Somin points out, as could Congress, but their solutions are long-term, months away, and do not address the immediate damage done to international relations from a rogue regime that these partners find deceitful. There are also internal consequences from businesses unable to plan strategies with a president that changes policies on a capricious whim.
There’s no doubt this administration is in panic mode. Midterms are coming and the economy is in terrible shape. The President’s war-of-choice in Iran continues to appear unresolvable—and indeed—seems to be escalating. Even the GOP is doubting this President’s credibility—and thus, their electability.
Project 2025 may not have seen what a failure their policies (and their pet orange troll) would be. And yet, clearly, their goal was not to improve the U.S. economy, but to 1) create a plutocracy that would favor the wealthy and 2) an autocracy that would lock out opponents.
We must remember, Trump is not in this alone. He is surrounded and protected by his MAGA faithful, his administration, by a Republican Congress, and at the voting booths. Pointing the finger at one man is easy, but deceptive. The sickness is much deeper; therefore, the surgery to rid ourselves of this cancer must be more significant. Democracy has been threatened to the core, and therefore, core changes must be made. Just like the fix to restore trust after these tariffs may be decades in coming—so will the fix to restore our democracy. It must involve concretizing protections for democracy’s future, for freedom of the press, for the protection of Americans when a hostile administration creates its own police force, and for the public’s ability to demand change when a president goes rogue and takes a Congress and Supreme Court with him (or, hopefully, in the future, her). Make no doubt about it, this is regime change. The depth of this evil is deep, its depravity widespread. The roots lie in millions of banal minions who prefer authority to democracy. The solution lies in laying bare the cost of giving up freedom for the comfort of an authoritarian to take over decision-making.
27.07.2026 | Source: Huffington Post
‘Vertical Morality’ Might Describe Why MAGA Christians Seem So Unchristian
I have a very hard time understanding why anyone would vote for Donald Trump and an even harder time understanding why so many “Christians” support him—to the point that some have said that he was “sent by God” to lead the United States. This article by Caroline Bologna is very helpful in that understanding. She describes what author Tia Levings calls “Vertical Morality.” A deep-seated belief that being a good Christian comes from the top-down (authority figure to earthly recipient) as opposed to “Horizontal Morality” where goodness comes from the way we treat each other.
Vertical Morality not only describes how these people view their religion, but also their politics. In essence, it is better to be compliant than it is to be moral and morality is based upon doing what the authority says instead of how we treat the people and the world around us. It goes farther than that; even defining those who seek social justice as immoral because they distract from compliance with authority. Thus, “those people” are woke, they are communists, they are evil.
This helps me understand a little more (not accept, but understand) how some people around me can profess a faith in Christ, who said in Matthew 25:35-40:
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'"
"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
They can justify the inhumane treatment of human beings in ICE prisons, the bombing of children in Iran, and the shooting of people in the U.S., because the authority figure (Donald—Appointed-by-God—Trump) commanded it.
While this theory aids in my understanding of such lunacy, it doesn’t lead me to be more lenient. Their beliefs have allowed an authoritarian to break the law, to steal from the globe, rob the nation, and even to rape children. Forgiveness of beliefs does not extend to excusing behavioral consequences.
Our hope right now lies in enough Republicans listening to Donald Trump and staying home from the election (because “why vote?”) and enough Democrats showing up to resoundingly defeat Republicans across the nation.
24.07.2026 | Source: Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American
Once again, Heather Cox Richardson gives us an important historical viewpoint; this time into funding wars. She begins by reflecting on a speech given by Dwight Eisenhower, shortly after he took office in 1953. Eisenhower reminded people of the real costs of war to the citizens of the country: “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.”
This is a preamble for Cox Richardson, who goes on to discuss the request this week by Pete Hegseth to approve an additional $67 billion to fund the President’s war in Iran. There still is no congressional support for this war. This is primarily on Trump, but now also supported by a Republican-led Senate that refuses to vote to stop it.
It is quite obvious this administration is lying both about the casualties and the costs of the war. As the historian points out: “While Hegseth told Congress the war has cost $37.5 billion so far, Gordon Lubold, Mosheh Gains, and Courtney Kube of NBC News reported on July 14 that the internal Pentagon estimate of the cost is about $100 billion.”
But Cox Richardson also looks at the wider cost of this administration’s budgeting to the people of the USA, quoting Steve Rattner of MSNOW who said, “[u]nder Trump, the debt held by the federal government has surpassed 100% of GDP. By 2030, it’ll shoot past its all-time record from WWII.”
Are we nearing an end to this incursion (or whatever it is called)? According to the author, we can’t be sure. We surely can’t rely on the president to clarify what is occurring in this war of choice. Some inside sources say he is preparing to commit troops to a ground war (where costs and body counts will escalate exponentially). The blogger quotes Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who said, “Iranian policy is ‘an eye for an eye’ and added: ‘The president’s policy is a head for an eye. I mean, honestly, that’s what it’s going to be. I mean, they will pay a very heavy price for the things they do.’” (This administration likes to riff on Bible quotes with their own take thrown in—as if that somehow justifies their current criminal policy of attacking civilian targets.)
Cox Richardson closes by quoting Representative Jason Crow (D-CO), a former paratrooper and Army Ranger who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee: “The impulse to resort to war as the only answer to threats led to ‘twenty-plus years’ of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, trillions of dollars, and thousands of American lives lost for wars that ended poorly. Americans are done with an endless cycle of conflict in the Middle East. When I was in Afghanistan, our adversaries, the enemies that we fought, would often say, ‘Americans have all the clocks, but we have all the time.’ They simply want to wait us out, knowing that we’ll just spend more money, have more combat deployments, and will just continue to do it, year after year, until we wear out.’”
Senate Republicans still refuse to pass a joint resolution to oppose this undeclared war by a margin of 47 - 49. That’s right, two votes! One of which was turncoat John Fetterman, who seems comfortably ensconced in Trump’s back pocket.
Are you tired of watching our debt skyrocket under this administration while gas and grocery prices become unsustainable? Then, vote them out! Come November, tell this Republican, Trump-led party goodbye. Show up and vote; it could well be our last opportunity to freely decide if we will have a democracy in 2027 and beyond.
23.07.2026 | Source: NPR
'New York Times' alleges White House abuses legal system to intimidate reporters
This article by NPR reporter, David Fokenflik, highlights this administration’s attempt to harass journalists who write reports that Trump and his cronies find unfavorable (essentially any article reporting the truth). It has been the tendency since the beginning of Trump’s second term to subpoena (or sue) any journalist (or media outlet) that writes an article that might highlight this regime in a negative light. But now, this regime has gone a step further, and the FBI (personally overseen by minion-in-chief, Kash Patel) is sending agents to the homes of reporters and serving subpoenas not just to journalists, but to their family members as well.
Fokenflik points to a filing by David A. O'Neil of Debevoise & Plimpton, in which they stated: “The Government's actions violate the most basic First Amendment protections for newsgathering activity. They represent the latest salvo in an escalating series of attacks on journalists to intimidate them from engaging in reporting that the Trump Administration openly detests."
The cases will be heard by U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian, and the attorneys representing journalists hope to “quash the subpoenas at the hearing, which will be in his Manhattan federal courthouse.”
Freedom of the press is a key to democracy, and one of the first things authoritarian regimes seek is to silence the press.
It is not unusual for the press to have an adversarial relationship with politicians; one might even say it is necessary. But silencing the press is different than disagreeing with the press. We need a press that is relentless in seeking the truth; even when that upsets or inconveniences an administration.
There has been no doubt that the press’s freedom has been a target of the Trump regime since Project 2025 began creating its plans to undermine democracy in the United States. We can stop these endeavors by voting overwhelmingly to end this regime in November.
22.07.2026 | Source: The Guardian
Opinion | Three speeches on a single day signaled a dying American democracy
https://apple.news/A28oPGnMgQsKnrPCwFlwpMg
This article by Robert B. Shpiner looks at the prognosis for a cancer currently eating the United States. He is uniquely qualified to diagnose it as he is a clinical professor of medicine in pulmonary and critical care at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Geffen’s major point is that we’re being distracted. The major news outlets focused on the degrading, rambling speech of the president on July 16th, 2026. But that wasn’t the real warning about the death of constitutional democracy. While Trump used that speech to discuss anything but his war in Iran or the economy. The real nails in democracy’s coffin were the speeches of underlings: Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller.
Shpiner’s family left Russia in 1917 (and other relatives left Germany) when they heard similar rhetoric spouted by their governments at the time, giving him additional gravitas in his diagnosis.
Shpiner’s diagnosis is dramatic: “I have watched teams run to the dramatic patient while the quiet one, the one not crying out, exsanguinates behind a curtain. The most dangerous words spoken in Washington on Thursday were not spoken in primetime. They were spoken before lunch, to more than 60 countries. The official transcript records the applause.”
Both Rubio and Miller seek to distract from the November election; they seek to “Pre-Distract.” They seek to undermine confidence in the election results before the election occurs. There’s only one reason why they would do that: they know they are going to be trounced. Eventually, both of these men may face criminal charges: Rubio for war crimes and Miller for his role in the death of U.S. citizens while acting as the driving force in Trump’s white, Christian, nationalistic cleansing of U.S. soil. Both of them have a lot to lose by letting democracy take its course. Here is how Dr. Shpiner puts it: “The move is old and reliable: discredit the second opinion in advance.”
Will you let this bait-and-switch stop you from showing up at the polls? It is apparent that this administration will pull out every stop to prevent you from 1) voting, and 2) trusting the vote once they’ve lost. Do not let them continue to undermine democracy; Vote Them Out!
21.07.2026 | Source: Common Dreams
In New Corruption Report, Senate Democrats Shine Light on ‘Eye-Popping’ Trump Profiteering
In this article, Common Dreams journalist Brad Reed examines a new report released by Democratic senators examining the corruption in the Trump administration. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sums up the report with this statement: “Trump is without question the most corrupt president in American history. Trump has betrayed the American people by using our highest office not for the good of the country, but to pad his own bank account, at the expense of working families.”
Reed points out that “The report is part of a broader initiative by Senate Democrats to hold the Trump White House accountable, which will include an anti-corruption working group composed of Schumer along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).”
These are the fundamental findings necessary to lay the groundwork for legal proceedings against Trump and his family. It is my hope that he lives long enough to be subjected to these hearings and to see everything—everything—that he has created be dismantled. That he is able to see his supporters jailed and that he spends time in jail himself. This report is a necessary foundation required for those legal proceedings.
In a previous administration, President Gerald Ford was deeply wrong in pardoning Richard Nixon; consequences are a necessary part of healing. To allow this administration to experience no ramifications for their illegal and immoral behavior would be to support and encourage it in the future. When Ford pardoned Nixon (September 8, 1974), he said it was to “heal the nation.” Every child should learn that part of seeking forgiveness is accepting the consequences of your behavior. I doubt that we will ever see regret from anyone in this administration and will continue their behavior if there are no punishments for their crimes. But they are no doubt too steeped in their ideology to see the damage they have done. Our national healing can begin at the upcoming November elections when we tell congressional supporters of this administration they are no longer trusted. Let’s replace them with public servants, not Trump vassals. Let’s demand Congress begin the prosecutions that these findings inevitably lead to.
Youth Advocacy
"Hands Off Our Votes" is a direct grassroots rally against authoritarian overreach. From executive threats aimed at silencing independent journalism to the systemic intimidation of election officials, this briefing exposes the modern mechanics of voter suppression—and how we must organize to protect the upcoming midterms. Features the new protest anthem video, "Hands Off Our Vote."
Blogs 14.07.2026-21.07.2026
📣 Review and Announcements
Welcome to this week's briefing. As we march closer to the high-stakes mid-term elections, the cracks in the current administration are turning into craters. From frantic threats against independent journalists to desperate attempts to intimidate election officials, a terrified executive branch is pulling out every authoritarian trick in the book to suppress your voice.
But we are not backing down. This week, we launch a unified front against this systemic intimidation. Our theme is loud, clear, and unyielding: "Hands Off Our Votes!"
Now Live on YouTube: The official video presentation for my new protest anthem, "Hands Off Our Vote," is officially live. It is a raw, gritty, front-porch rock rally against the rise of authoritarianism. Watch the video, absorb the lyrics, and share it with your local activist networks: 📺 Watch "Hands Off Our Vote" on YouTube
Take the Anthem With You: Want to blast this track at your local rallies or upcoming march? You can download the high-quality single directly from my store right now: 🎵 Get the Track on My Website
Join the Resistance Hub: Access all our latest organizing tools, articles, and quick-action links in one single place: 🔗 Visit the Linktree Hub
Substack Deep-Dive: For a breakdown of how this administration is trying to use DHS oversight to scare voters of color, read my latest newsletter analysis: ✍️ Subscribe to Substack
Daily Mobilization Updates: Follow my daily commentary on the fight for fair elections and the oversight of weaponized AI tech: 🦋 Follow on Bluesky | 👥 Connect on Facebook
🎬 Visual Stories: The Countdown to the Midterms
Here is your essential reading and viewing map for the week, tracking the systemic threats to our democracy and economy—and how we fight back.
⚖️ Story 1: The Cornered Narcissist and the Threat to Free Press
The Focus: An unprecedented, authoritarian push by the administration to strip broadcasting licenses from independent news organizations that refuse to air the President's propaganda. Harvard political scientist Ryan Enos warns that a panicked administration is trying to manipulate the election course by weaponizing federal agencies [1.1].
The Reality: The President is running scared because losing the House and Senate means certain impeachment. Scared narcissists resort to bullying and fear [1.1].
The Action: Don't let them isolate independent journalism. Share this analysis directly from The New Republic.
📉 Story 2: The "Broligarchy" Crushing the US Economy
The Focus: Journalist Idrees Kahloon exposes how the administration's anti-immigration, anti-science, and anti-education stances are causing a massive decline in American economic growth [1.2].
The Reality: The economy is being treated like a personal piggy bank—handing tax breaks, contracts, and pardons to sycophants who fund executive pet projects [1.2].
The Action: Read the full economic breakdown at The Atlantic and demand a rollback of these disastrous Executive Orders.
🗳️ Story 3: Desperation Speeches and Voter Intimidation Tactics
The Focus: The Department of Homeland Security is actively threatening election officials with fines and prison time if they do not participate in voter suppression tactics [1.4].
The Reality: Analysts Jonathan Capehart and David Brooks note that the administration is terrified of impending midterm losses [1.3]. They are attempting to sow social media chaos by claiming the country is under a "communist attack" to panic their base [1.5].
The Action: Turn this rhetoric against them. Let their conspiracy theories convince their own followers to stay home, while we overwhelm the ballot boxes in a historic landslide victory [1.3]. Review the source reports at The Hill, WhoWhatWhy, and PBS Newshour.
🕯️ Story 4: A War Without Reason
The Focus: American lives are being lost globally and domestically in a chaotic, unprovoked "war-of-choice" with Iran [1.2]. Former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols highlights that the President has refused to give a single address to Congress explaining why young Americans are being put in harm's way [1.2].
The Reality: There is no strategy. The administration is guided entirely by age-incapacitated impulses and sycophants terrified of losing their status [1.2].
The Action: Stand up for our youth and our troops. Read the scathing commentary at The Atlantic.
21.07.2026 | Source: TNR (The New Republic)
Transcript: Trump’s Rage at Journos Boils Over—and Even Fox Is Rattled
This commentary is from an interview of Harvard Political Scientist, Ryan Enos, by TNR host, Greg Sargent. Together they look at the unprecedented statements of President Trump and DHS Director Markwayne Mullin about taking away the licenses of news organizations that don’t cover the president’s speeches. Here’s how Enos puts it: “And it’s important to emphasize just how unprecedented this is, right? I mean, this is a clearly authoritarian move, and there’s never been a president in American history that’s done this—has said, if you don’t broadcast what I want, I’m going to essentially put you out of business. And that’s the reason we have things like an independent licensing commission, which at least we did until Trump came along and the Supreme Court sided with his unilateral authority to take away its independence.”
What Sargent and Enos warn us about is that Trump is willing to use the full power of the U.S. government to both alter the course of the upcoming election and to sow doubt in the results of that election before they occur.
This president does not want to lose this election; he knows what it would cost him. Losing the House would mean the blockage of many of his pet projects; losing the House and the Senate would mean certain impeachment. The president is running scared, and scared narcissists don’t respond well to fear. They fight. Trump is fighting. Not just to alter the election, but to undermine the election system. This has been his desire ever since he lost the 2020 election to Joseph Biden. His life is a reflection of failures, failed businesses, and failed marriages; his only wins have come from his mafioso-type behavior: bullying and fear tactics. Now he wants to move from bullying the Republicans to bullying the U.S. electorate. Enos extrapolates on that fear by pointing out: “And so here you have an agency where it’s threatening news organizations, threatening the independence of elections—if you listen to more of what was said in that news conference about how they’re going to examine the voter rolls and things like that. And people have this real fear, which is probably still low probability, but there’s a real fear that you’re going to have things like ICE agents and these other sorts of shock troops of Donald Trump showing up at polling places trying to intimidate people from casting their ballots.”
This administration is counting on one thing: the ignorance of voters. He’s counting on the same ignorance and blind faithfulness that won him the election in 2024. Once again, Enos speaks to this point: “Trump thinks that the American people are a lot dumber than they actually are, which is sort of one of the tragedies of his whole administration: is how stupid he actually thinks the American people are. But the American people aren’t buying this. You can see this in the polls. Like, even only about half of Republicans actually say they believe this, right? And I’m not sure even that half actually believes what they’re saying they believe.”
This administration from top to bottom wants to steal this election and undermine the next, and the Republicans are on board. It is time that we all stand firmly and tell them “Hands off our elections!”
20.07.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Trump’s Anti-Growth Agenda
According to Idrees Kahloon—and many other economists—Trump’s policies are bringing about the demise of the U.S. economy. He compares this unraveling to the fall of Britain’s empire post-Industrial Age. The primary difference was that Britain was aware of its demise and worked to prevent it, while this administration remains stubbornly continuing the very policies that are undermining it.
When you read Kahloon’s article, you will see that our major roadblock to economic growth is this administration’s anti-immigration stance, preventing the very innovations that made the U.S. grow in the past. Of course, that’s not all; there is also the Trump attack on education, science, free trade, on our allies, and the internal graft as this administration tries to make the economy into his personal “broligarchy” (giving tax breaks and contracts, even pardons, to those who pay him or put money in his pet projects).
The very thin hope the author leaves us is that most of Trump’s idiotic policies are based
on Executive Orders and can be quickly undone, also that the lower courts are blocking a lot of his more dangerous policies. But the long-term damage caused by the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill will be much harder to undo.
We need to make sure the mid-terms tell this administration that the MAGA era is done and those who supported it are going to face harsh consequences.
17.07.2026 | Source: The Hill
Five takeaways from Trump’s big elections speech
Despite the decision of many networks not to carry the meandering, self-serving, all-about-me speech of Donald J. Trump last night, we can only hope it has an impact. Anyone who thought they might tune in and hear the president address concerns about the broken economy, the Iran war, or the Epstein files, heard instead the president repeat his endless, baseless lies about losing the 2020 election. Blaming China for tampering with votes and undermining voter confidence, Trump went on to… undermine voter confidence. Hopefully, a lot of Trump’s followers listened to his speech and did what they did in Georgia in 2020, not show up to vote.
For those who remember, the Republicans were set to win the elections in Georgia until Trump began whining about the same issues as he whined about last night, and Georgia Republicans decided it was hopeless to show up because their vote wouldn’t be counted anyway. Trump told us last night that the same is going to happen at midterms.
Is this his way of reading current polls and pre-explaining the losses he is about to experience in midterms?
What can we do? Give him that trouncing. Encourage Republicans to stay home because of Trump’s “rigged system” but turn out to vote yourself. Make sure a landslide occurs so we can clean out this murderous, scandal-ridden, economy-destroying administration. Take back the House and take the Senate.
16.07.2026 | Source: WhoWhatWhy
Trump Admin Threatens Election Officials With Prison for Not Suppressing Votes
Journalist Klaus Marre unveils the truth behind Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin threats to fine or imprison election officials who refuse to help the Trump administration suppress votes. First, he reveals that if the administration had any evidence of such instances they should have already issued subpoenas. Secondly, he points out that this is obviously another scare tactic by this administration to frighten any voters who are not white from voting in the upcoming election.
Through efforts such as these and gerrymandering, Republicans are revealing that “if you are not white, we don’t want you to vote…”
I want to applaud those election officials (and states) that have bravely refused to comply with the racist agenda of the Republicans and this regime. Let’s all turn out and boldly tell this regime; “Hands Off Our Votes!”
15.07.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Trump Owes Americans a Better Explanation About Iran
American citizens are dying around the world. Iran, Jordan, and throughout the Middle East, yes; but also Texas, Maine, and Minneapolis. This article by former Naval War College professor, Tom Nichols, states that we deserve a reason for these deaths. But for the deaths related to the Trump war-of-choice, Nichols points out that we have none. As Nichols says: “But the president has not seen fit, in all this time, to give one address to the American people or to Congress about why he plunged the United States into war, the global economy into chaos, and young Americans into danger.”
What we have is a buffet of reasons that changes as rapidly as Trump’s mood. But for the deaths on U.S. soil, we are similarly left without a viable reason. That’s what I would call the modus operandi of this regime; it is “without reason.” None of us know. The terrifying truth is that if we did a deep dive into the cavernous darkness that should be Trump’s soul, we would still not know. Because… well, he doesn’t know. And his aides don’t know. And the Republicans who continue to faithfully (blindly) support him do not know. Nope, no one knows. We can’t know because Trump doesn’t know. He is a man without reason. He has no guiding value except to enrich himself and his ability to reason is incapacitated by age and guided by sycophants who are afraid of losing their positions if they tell him he is wrong.
How many more people will senselessly die under this unreasonable man? Under this unable-to-reason man?
14.07.2026 | Source: PBS
Brooks and Capehart on what Trump is trying to accomplish with his election claims
“He’s very scared…” that’s Jonathon Capehart’s overview of Trump’s meandering speech to the nation (or the small group of MAGA faithful who actually listened to his meandering lies). As Capehart state: “He's very scared about what could happen if Democrats retake the House and retake the Senate. He has said as much on the record. If they take over, I will be investigated.”
David Brooks (and others) say this was a desperation speech by a president quickly running out of options. In her Substack, “Letters from an American,” Heather Cox Richardson tells us that last night, Trump gathered with his top sycophants (Rubio and Miller) to plan a course to sow chaos and doubt by spreading social media falsehoods that say the United States is under attack by communists. Hopefully, the results of his tirades will be (as we looked at yesterday) to send the MAGA hopeful home to the smartphone screens and Fox News, where they can grumble about how the election is already too fixed to vote anyway. Meanwhile, the rest of us need to turn out in droves. We need to overwhelm our voting booths; it could be the last opportunity we have to participate in actual elections (this is not hyperbole, with gerrymandering, the Republicans have shown they do not want fair elections in the future—or even in the upcoming cycle). Tell the Republicans soundly: “Keep your hands off our votes!”
Youth Advocacy
Good day, truth-seekers and advocates. This week, our deep dive into the political landscape exposes a recurring theme: an autocratic, corporate, and right-wing apparatus using fear, historical revisionism, and legal manipulation to hold our democracy hostage. From the weaponization of the judicial system to the scapegoating of progressive economic models, the "barbarians are inside the gates"—and they are driving the rise of authoritarianism in both government and corporate AI oversight.
Youth Advocacy
08.07.2026-14.07.2026
The Week in Review:
Unmasking the Rulers Who Refuse to Lead
By Dr. Jerry Goebel
Good day, truth-seekers and advocates. This week, our deep dive into the political landscape exposes a recurring theme: an autocratic, corporate, and right-wing apparatus using fear, historical revisionism, and legal manipulation to hold our democracy hostage. From the weaponization of the judicial system to the scapegoating of progressive economic models, the "barbarians are inside the gates"—and they are driving the rise of authoritarianism in both government and corporate AI oversight.
Here is what we analyzed this week on the frontline of youth advocacy and systemic reform:
The Red Scare Redux (13.07.2026): We dissected how Trump, Mike Johnson, and their allies are reviving McCarthy-era tactics, painting Democratic Socialists as "godless communists." As Eduardo Cuevas clarified in USA Today, Democratic Socialism is simply about a public-benefit economy, fair taxation, and basic human rights—not authoritarianism.
The War on Individual Rights (11.07.2026): Drawing insight from Heather Cox Richardson, we looked at the structural threat to the 14th Amendment posed by a right-wing SCOTUS supermajority. Originalism is being wielded as a tool to strip away equal protection under the law, echoing the dangerous dark ages of Robert Bork’s vision for America.
A Failure of Leadership (11.07.2026): Analyzing Tom Nichols’ insights in The Atlantic, we exposed Trump’s war of choice with Iran. Trapped in a cycle of wartime grief and transactional ego, this administration is depleting resources while leaving Congress to pick up the pieces of an incoherent foreign policy.
Theology vs. Transaction (10.07.2026): We contrasted the transactional, white nationalist "religion" of Donald Trump with the genuine gospel scholarship of Pope Leo XIV, who starkly reminded the nation that a flourishing society must protect the marginalized and reject the "globalization of indifference."
The True Villains of Society (09.07.2026):Data for Progress polling via Common Dreams revealed that voters rank billionaires, corporate landlords, and unchecked AI companies as the true bad actors destroying our economic fabric. We must demand that candidates present actual strategies to dismantle this corporate-monarchy alliance.
The History of Christian Nationalism (08.07.2026): David Mislin’s piece in Salon reminded us that evangelical drives to claim the state always peak during times of public fear and confusion. Today's Republican platform relies on this exact playbook: gerrymandering, name-calling, and manufactured terror.
✊ The Call to Action: Rulers, Not Leaders
When leaders run out of ideas, they turn to fear-mongering and authoritarian control. This is the exact cultural landscape that inspired my song, "Rulers, Not Leaders." It serves as an auditory anthem against the very autocracy we are fighting today. Listen to the track, absorb the message, and let it fuel your determination as we march toward the midterms.
Watch the Presentation on YouTube: "Rulers, Not Leaders" Video Essay
Support the Movement & Purchase the Track: Communities of Trust Music Store
Join the Daily Fight: Connect on Bluesky at @docjerr.bsky.social, Substack at @drjerrygoebel, and Facebook at Doc Jerr Profile. Find all access points on my Linktree.
For inquiries regarding youth advocacy workshops, juvenile justice consultations, or keynote speaking arrangements, reach out directly at goebeljerry@me.com.
Weekly Blogs
13.07.2026 | USA Today
GOP calls them 'communists.' Here's what democratic socialists believe
Eduardo Cuevas assists in clearing the air for those who do not understand what defines Democratic Socialism. Here’s his brief description: “Democratic socialists and academic experts say the ideology isn't communism, but rather a belief that the economy should be run for the public’s benefit through democratic decision-making. The government should have an active role in expanding public services to address certain basic needs such as housing or health care, they say.”
Trump, Mike Johnson and their Republican friends are trying to paint Democratic Socialists as communists. With Trump saying, ““These are hardcore, godless communists. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence.” And Johnson expounding, “Now the barbarians are inside the gate. So this election is for all the marbles."
Yes, the barbarians are inside the gate, the traitors are within, but they don’t look like AOC, Bernie Sanders, or Zohran Mamdani. They look like Donald Trump, John Roberts, and Mike Johnson. As typical for this administration, they are accusing others of the very tactics of which they are guilty. If this smells suspiciously of McCarthyism, that’s because it is. As Joseph Welch, chief legal counsel for the U.S. Army, said to McCarthy in 1954, “Have you no shame?” But isn’t that the point, haven’t these people already proved that “no,” they have no shame…”
Like McCarthy, these political hacks have to use fear to retain their power and there will be those who take the bait. There will be those who walk into the voting booth with enough doubt, to vote again for the people now holding our government hostage. And that is what makes Cuevas’ article all the more imperative. We need to get the word out. We need to help people understand the truth behind the lies that Trump and his minions are attempting to spread. Democratic Socialism is about giving tax payers the economy that they are paying for. Making the wealthiest of the wealthy pay their fair share. Providing health care to Americans, lowering the price of housing and groceries. Taking back the reins of government so demented megalomaniacs can’t wage war on anyone that happens to irk them at any particular moment or use U.S. funding and troops to attack (and kill) our own citizens.
11.07.2026 | Letters from An American, Heather Cox Richardson
July 9, 2026
Let me begin with what Ms. Cox Richardson ends her Substack with this morning: “And yet in 2026, here we are.”
If ever you are looking for articles that reveal the inner back story of some of the United States’ most important decisions, Heather Cox Richardson is the person you want to follow. In this segment, she looks at the back story of the 14th Amendment, contrasting it with the Dred Scott decision.
It is this very decision that Supreme Court jurists barely upheld recently, with Justices Alito and Thomas arguing against it. This is the amendment that the Trump administration is so keen to undermine. Originalists (Ms. Cox Richardson explains that term in her column) want to restrict the application of the 14th Amendment, and six of the current SCOTUS are originalists. Project 2025, Stephen Miller, and Donald Trump just want the 14th Amendment to be removed from the Constitution.
This brings us to the final phrase of this morning’s Substack review. When Reagan appointed Originalist Robert Bork to the court in 1987, Cox Richardson points out that then Senator Ted Kennedy made the following pronouncement: “Robert Bork’s America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, Blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens’ doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is—and is often the only—protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy….”
So, as Ms. Cox Richardson says, “And yet, here we are…”
What can you do? Make sure to turn out for the vote at midterms and make sure that those you elect have a platform for realigning the racist Supreme Court of John Roberts and the other Originalists.
11.07.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic, but he was also an instructor at the Naval War College. He has unique and time-tested insights into international military matters, which is why it is so important when he shares his reflections on Trump, Netanyahu, and Hegseth’s war with Iran. Nichols tells us that it is Iran, not Trump, who is dictating the terms of this war. To quote Nichols, “The Iranians have made clear that they don’t care about the MOU or, for that matter, what Trump thinks or wants. They are willing to inflict more damage on the Gulf states, and they’re willing to accept damage in return. These are signs of a state directing a war rather than reacting to one.”
This is Trump’s war of choice, but it is being fought with U.S. funds, U.S. lives, and global resources (as in access to fuel and fertilizer). This president has no clue how to end it. He has no power to end it. It is time for Congress to end it, because Trump won’t.
This president is perfectly content depleting all of the military’s weaponry, then giving out personal contracts to have them rebuilt.
Currently, this president is battling dementia and is gobsmacked by the situation in Iran; his comments become more incoherent daily. Here is how Nichols closes his commentary:
“Trump is now going through something like the stages of wartime grief: Denial that America failed; anger, which has led to renewed attacks; and then bargaining, as if the Iranians could somehow be bought off like a gang of recalcitrant construction workers in New York. None of it has worked.
Depression and acceptance await.”
10.07.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Pope Leo’s July 4 Message to America Was Unmistakable
Francis S. Rocca is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and the Vatican editor at EWTN News. Rocca juxtaposes two distinct theologies from two “sons of the U.S.” President Donald J. Trump and Pope Leo XIV. They couldn’t be more dissimilar. Trump is a convicted felon and rapist who has used his position to graft the United States out of more money than any president in history. His theology is one of transactional convenience; he wears his religion like the game show host that he is, it’s a veneer, a show, used only to capture votes and—even then—it is steeped in white racist nationalism. Pope Leo is a gospel scholar steeped in the Augustinian tradition, an order that crafted the Just War Doctrine that this administration so often quotes and then ignores. Leo builds on the insights of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who accused the world of the “globalization of indifference” regarding immigration. Leo goes a step further, saying, “…dead migrants were victims of economic inequality, political corruption, an ‘indifference to the common good,’ and the failure by countries in the region to coordinate their immigration policies.”
Pope Leo also tells people, “In order for a nation to flourish, it must be truly united; united not by goals bound to momentary endeavors, but by ideals that do not fade with the passing of time.”
I don’t think that anyone could find the “ideals that do not fade with the passing of time” in the murky communiques of this administration. If there is a goal, it is rarely beyond the enrichment of one man, Donald J. Trump. He operates on a whim, whatever feeds his narcissistic ego at the moment. He is a moral vacuum. If we want to know how Trump will act (based upon his belief), we need simply ask the question, “What’s in it for Donald?”
09.07.2026 | Source: Common Dreams
Voters Rank Billionaires, Then Corporate Landlords as Top Villains to US Society and Economy
https://www.commondreams.org/news/billionaires-in-the-us?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=other
This article by Jessica Corbett of Common Dreams looks at data from “Data for Progress” that specifically examines the primary dislikes of voters in the United States. This polling company says that those identified in this poll are named by voters as the “Bad Actors,” who are “most responsible for the country’s concerning conditions.” Here is a summary of the list laid out in Corbett’s article: “The top villains, according to respondents, are the nation’s nearly 1,000 billionaires, then corporate landlords. Rounding out the top 10 were sports gambling marketplaces, artificial intelligence companies, cryptocurrency firms, payday lenders, the Republican Party, social media giants, the Democratic Party, and for-profit universities.”
Common Dreams uses their research to also inform us as to whom voters are applauding as we enter the last few months before the midterms occur. The executive director of Common Dreams, Ryan O’Donnell, identifies AI Companies and Tech Billionaires as the next big villains on the U.S. voting landscape, and Corbett warns us with recent important events, saying: ‘Earlier this week, as the US Supreme Court’s right-wing supermajority “gave their blessing for billionaires to buy even more influence over the politicians who represent us,” the watchdog Public Citizen released a report about soaring corporate political spending since the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, including $517 million in this cycle so far.”
What is important for us is the voting trends that this information is likely to produce and how we can garner it in preventing an autocracy from further destroying our democracy. It is important to see that the Democratic Party doesn’t get a pass in this polling. We need to demand that those asking for our votes not only tell us what they are against, but also their strategies for addressing the growing powers of the “Bad Actors” named in the US Supreme Court’s right-wing supermajority’s infatuation with a monarchy.
08.07.2026 | Source: Salon
This isn’t the first time Christians have tried to claim the United States as their own
This article by David Mislin reminds us of the many times that Evangelical Christians have stepped forward to undermine the “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment. Mislin takes us on a historic journey of when this has occurred in the country’s past. He seems able to link this drive to when citizens feel weakest and most afraid. Here are a couple of Mislin’s examples:
“As the U.S. plunged into Civil War in 1861, both the Union and Confederacy sought to link their side to God. The preamble of the Confederate constitution noted a desire for “the favor and guidance of Almighty God” for their new government.
“In the North, the Pennsylvania clergyman M.R. Watkinson successfully lobbied for a reference to God to be added to coins. Watkinson believed the nation was guilty of “disowning God” and urged the treasury secretary to make declarations of religiosity. This would “place us openly under the divine protection,” he noted.”
It is interesting to note that fear and confusion are the ideal state of citizens for today’s Republicans, such as Mike Johnson. All of whom ply deeply in social media, along with Donald Trump, to purposefully try to concretize distrust and instill fear in the public in order to garner support and votes. It should come as no surprise that this is coming to the fore just prior to what could be a catastrophic mid-term for the Republican party. Rather than standing on a platform (which has largely been, “Do whatever Donald Trump tells us…”) they are demonizing those who don’t believe the same way they do. We looked, in yesterday’s blog, at how Trump is trying to call Democratic Socialism candidates, like Zohran Mamdani, “Commies.” As we move closer to this November’s mid-terms, we can expect more name-calling and fear-mongering. Sadly, many will fall for it, as they did in both of Trump’s previous elections and during Biden’s mid-terms. When you run out of feasible ideas for true political leadership, what do you turn to? Gerrymandering and fear-mongering. That is the true platform of the Republican party right now. Be aware of it and don’t fall for it. Expect it and talk about it.
Youth Advocacy
Whether it is an executive office steeped in malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
As advocates for youth, we cannot afford the luxury of exhaustion or the safety of moderation. Authoritarianism does not ask for permission; it builds its architecture quietly while the public is distracted. If we are to protect the next generation, we must confront the systems trying to commodify their attention, demonize their communities, and erode their democracy. Silence is the fuel of tyranny. It is time to speak, stand, and push back.de
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 15
Briefing Period: 01.07.2026—07.07.2026
By Dr. Jerry Goebel
Website: communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
Facebook: facebook.com
Bluesky: @docjerr.bsky.social
Substack: @drjerrygoebel
Linktree: linktr.ee/docjerr
REVIEW AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Whether it is an executive office steeped in malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
As advocates for youth, we cannot afford the luxury of exhaustion or the safety of moderation. Authoritarianism does not ask for permission; it builds its architecture quietly while the public is distracted. If we are to protect the next generation, we must confront the systems trying to commodify their attention, demonize their communities, and erode their democracy. Silence is the fuel of tyranny. It is time to speak, stand, and push back.
VISUAL STORIES
The Power of Creative Resistance
Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls. It punches through apathy and speaks direct truth straight to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political, economic, and systemic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno. Art is not merely decoration for the movement—it is a weapon for our collective survival.
Featured Single: "Take Our Country Back"
While we bear witness to the trauma of our current systems, we must also feed the spirit that allows us to fight back. This week, we are highlighting my featured single, "Take Our Country Back."
This track serves as a fierce musical rallying cry against the rise of authoritarianism and the erosion of our fundamental liberties. It is a reminder that the soul of this nation belongs to the people, not the autocrats or the bigoted systems they construct.
Watch the Visual Presentation on YouTube: youtu.be
Support Independent Artistry at my Squarespace Store: communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
All Media Platforms: linktr.ee/docjerr
Archive Spotlight: "The Trauma and the Terror"
If you missed last week's briefing, you can still catch our deep-dive single, "The Trauma and the Terror." This track serves as a chilling, visceral reflection on the everyday human costs of systemic state cruelty—from modern concentration camps to the calculated stripping of healthcare from our most vulnerable citizens.
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com
Explore the Archive Playlists: youtube.com
TOP LINKS OF THE WEEK
07.07.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
The Nicest Man in Economics
Article Link: theatlantic.com
Annie Lowrey takes us on a deep dive with Stanford Professor Erik Brynjolfsson, co-author of “Rage Against the Machine” (2012) and “The Second Machine Age” (2014). Brynjolfsson warns: “In time, AI will do to white-collar work what machines did to blue-collar work: make people more productive, and push millions of them into new roles.” Technological advances are combinatorial, digital, and exponential—meaning progress moves slowly until it suddenly explodes.
While Brynjolfsson leans toward moderation, he heavily warns against AI becoming an exclusive tool of the top 0.0001 percent. This is the critical point: we won’t notice the true creep of AI until it is pervasive and too late to reverse. No technocrat or autocrat will openly announce their intent to use AI to control us; they will simply weave a silken web until we are entirely caught within it.
We saw this playbook with Project 2025, which laid out blueprints for a White Christian Nationalist autocracy before the election, yet was widely ignored by voters seeking authoritarian leadership. Moderates will not define the direction of AI—the passionate will. My voice is not moderate. I may be moderate about the technology itself, but I am fiercely radical about who controls it. We must raise our voices and democratize this technology immediately, or watch it be weaponized to dismantle our democracy.
06.07.2026 | Source: The Hill
The Automation Safety Belt
John Mac Ghlionn presents a powerful metaphor drawn from an interview with Nvidia Chief Jensen Huang, who notes that AI demands rapidly updated social norms to prevent millions from being left behind. Huang points to the automobile: early cars were lethal, speeding into cities built for horses where children played in streets. The technology arrived instantly, but the rules for surviving it took decades to catch up. Eventually, society built sidewalks, traffic lights, and driving tests. Play moved off the asphalt because the cost of leaving it there was measured in body bags.
Preparing the next generation to survive and navigate AI is one of our primary obligations as youth advocates. We cannot allow technocrats—who are currently investing millions to buy the politicians shaping AI policies—to dictate our children's future.
To confront this, Communities of Trust is actively booking and offering workshops on “Navigating AI in Youth Advocacy & Education.” This presentation features our three-question values probe on AI to help educators and advocates take back control of the narrative. You can find more information or book an event by visiting our website at communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com or reaching out via email at goebeljerry@me.com. Will we accept our role in building this infrastructure, or cede it to corporations?
04.07.2026 | Source: The New Republic (TNR)
The Supreme Court Backs Gutter Racism
Article Link: newrepublic.com
It feels hollow to write this briefing on the Independence Day Semiquincentennial—a celebration of a country allegedly founded on “liberty and justice for all”—while an administration and a capture-court systematically undermine those values. Author Matt Ford reveals the depths of Justice Samuel Alito’s Trump-supporting, bigoted opinions. In a horrific betrayal, the conservative majority shrugged off overtly white nationalist rhetoric directed at Haitian immigrants.
In her opposing opinion, Justice Kagan laid bare the raw vitriol, quoting the administration's claims that Haitians are "poisoning the blood" of our country and immigration is "like a death wish." The majority casually replied that these remarks were not “overtly racial.” It is a transparent farce: Haitians are Black; the countries the administration prefers (Norway, Sweden) are white. Alito and the Roberts Court will continue their legal quest for a white, conservative Christian nation until they are outnumbered by non-racist Justices. Under this judicial autocracy, the law is being reshaped into a weapon of exclusion.
02.07.2026 | Source: Axios
Trump's America Gets Global Side-Eye
Article Link: axios.com
This Administration has made no bones about pursuing isolationist policies. It demands complete control over the Western Hemisphere from Greenland to Chile, treats European democracies as encumbrances, and aligns more with Russia than NATO. It views the entire Southern Hemisphere as a permanent threat to its white, Christian hegemony.
Josephine Walker of Axios translates this loss of global standing into hard data via the Pew Research Center. Confidence in the reliability of the United States has completely plummeted. Our allies do not trust us, and following the catastrophic Iran War, our adversaries neither fear nor respect us. The next administration will inherit a devastating plate, including a losing, domestic "Algae War-of-Choice" in our own backyard.
Trusting America means trusting the electorate that voted this incurious, narcissistic autocrat into office twice. Restoring global faith requires demolishing this administration and dismantling the system that birthed it. We must look deep into our 250-year-old constitutional heart. Does democracy still beat there? Can we build a progressive, human-rights coalition strong enough to replicate the historic resistance we saw earlier this year in Hungary?
01.07.2026 | Source: Letters from an American (Substack)
The Architecture of Engorgement
The release of a massive 927-page Personal Financial Disclosure (PFD) proves that no president in U.S. history has ever used the Oval Office to enrich themselves more aggressively than Donald J. Trump. This isn't due to cleverness; it is due to a profound lack of morality driven by malignant narcissism.
Professor Heather Cox Richardson examines the jaw-dropping details, starting with a Boeing 747 "gifted" to Trump by Qatar. While the Foreign Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9) strictly prohibits federal officials from accepting foreign gifts without congressional consent, this administration bypassed constitutional law by routing the jet through the Pentagon—with the explicitly corrupt caveat that it transfers to the Trump Presidential Library post-presidency.
From unapproved, no-bid contracts doled out to loyalists for massive capital projects to a family-run cryptocurrency that netted an estimated $600 million in his first few months (now valued at $1.4 billion), the corruption is systemic. As Senator Chris Murphy warned on the Senate floor: “He’s betting that the corruption will be so constant that we stop hearing it... once corruption becomes normal, it becomes permanent.” Backed by a Supreme Court that just broke a 90-year precedent to grant the executive unchecked power to fire government employees without cause, this oligarchy is attempting to entrench itself permanently while everyday Americans struggle to pay their bills. We cannot allow it.
01.07.2026 | Source: The New Republic (TNR)
Vandalism at the Reflecting Pool? Yes—It Was Committed by Donald Trump
Article Link: newrepublic.com
Michael Tomasky, editor of The New Republic, exposes the psychological rot at the center of this administration. You would think a leader who just lost a war would have structural crises on his mind. Instead, Trump’s focus remains locked onto the Reflecting Pool and the Kennedy Center—monuments to a porcelain-fragile ego. While a citizen faces a July 9th hearing for merely lifting a floating section of the pool's lining, the real vandal in Washington is Donald Trump.
Like an animal marking territory, this president is desperate to spray-paint his name onto the capital, transforming it into "Trumpland." This egocentric circus is a calculated distraction to keep the public from focusing on his catastrophic military loss in Iran and the impending release of the dreaded Epstein files.
While the ultimate litmus test for future progressive candidates is breaking the stranglehold of billionaires over our politics, how they respond to this literal and figurative vandalism of our public spaces is a vital test of character. The next administration must completely sanitize our capital from the institutional stench of this man and his lackeys.
Youth Advocacy
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Whether it is a quiet weaponization of the DOJ targeting the civil rights of disabled children, an administrative power grab illegally choking off foreign humanitarian aid, or a nation bowing to the spiteful whims of unaccountable billionaires—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
My blogs don’t focus on the immediacy of each day (which are often intentionally designed by this administration to be a distraction), but on longer-term trends that examine the direction of the U.S., the globe, and particularly our role as responsible adults in protecting our children’s future.
The erosion of institutional guardrails we are witnessing right now isn't just a political crisis; it is a direct theft of the stable democracy, safety net, and global reputation that belong to our youth. As responsible adults, we cannot look away from these trends. We must build Communities of Trust to insulate our children from this top-down cruelty.
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 14
Briefing Period: 24.06.2026—30.06.2026
By Dr. Jerry Goebel
📣 REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Whether it is a quiet weaponization of the DOJ targeting the civil rights of disabled children, an administrative power grab illegally choking off foreign humanitarian aid, or a nation bowing to the spiteful whims of unaccountable billionaires—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
My blogs don’t focus on the immediacy of each day (which are often intentionally designed by this administration to be a distraction), but on longer-term trends that examine the direction of the U.S., the globe, and particularly our role as responsible adults in protecting our children’s future.
The erosion of institutional guardrails we are witnessing right now isn't just a political crisis; it is a direct theft of the stable democracy, safety net, and global reputation that belong to our youth. As responsible adults, we cannot look away from these trends. We must build Communities of Trust to insulate our children from this top-down cruelty.
🖼️ Visual Stories
The Power of Creative Resistance
Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls and speaks direct truth to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political and economic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno.
✊ Featured Single: "Resistance, Resilience"
While we bear witness to the trauma of our current systems—from the threats of mass re-institutionalization to the systemic defunding of global health—we must also feed the spirit that allows us to fight back.
This week, we are highlighting "Resistance, Resilience." It serves as a powerful musical reminder that our survival depends on community, collective strength, and an absolute refusal to break under institutional pressure. It is available to watch, stream, and share right now on our main page. Please consider purchasing the track in our store to directly fund our ongoing youth advocacy work.
Listen & Support: Communities of Trust Music Store
📺 Archive Spotlight: "The Trauma and the Terror"
If you missed last week's briefing, you can still catch our deep-dive single, "The Trauma and the Terror."This track serves as a chilling, visceral reflection on the everyday human costs of systemic state cruelty—from the calculated stripping of healthcare from our most vulnerable citizens to the psychological warfare played out on the global stage.
Watch on YouTube: "The Trauma and the Terror" Music Video
Join my Official YouTube Channel to explore my fully categorized playlists, splitting my catalog into Social Justice & Reform and Relationships & Personal Growth.
Top Links of the Week
30.06.2026
Source: ProPublica
“A Huge Grab of Power”: Trump Is Defying Congress on Foreign Aid
In yet further proof that this administration, with direction from Project 2025, is determined to create a mudsill economy where people exist to serve a class of billionaires and trillionaires, or die of malnutrition or disease. It has cut, as Anna Maria Barry-Jester informs us, under Jeremy Lewin, a 29-year-old lawyer who came into government via Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with no prior humanitarian experience and who is in charge of foreign aid, “…upended the world’s largest foreign aid provider last year, terminating thousands of programs and firing nearly all of its staff. Its plan for the agency was clear: Eliminate it entirely.” But because USAID is a program under the purview of Congress, it had to seek congressional approval to cut the program. According to Barry-Jester, Congress refused their request and, “…detailed precisely how much the State Department should spend on foreign aid and for what, including $9.4 billion on global health to treat and prevent maladies like HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, and more than $5 billion on emergency humanitarian aid. They also insisted on regular, detailed reports about how the administration was spending the money.”
This administration has not even attempted to follow these directives in a manner similar to a petulant child refusing to share toys with others. It remains sequestered in the White House, screaming, “Mine, mine, mine!” According to David Super, a professor of law and economics at Georgetown University and a leading scholar on administrative and constitutional law, “this is a huge power grab by the Presidential Branch of the Government and expressly illegal.” To date, the Office of Management and Budget, run by Russell Vought, has refused to allocate money to be spent on foreign aid despite bipartisan support from seemingly every member of Congress, save for Trump boot-licker, Lindsay Graham. The damage being done to the U.S.’s reputation and respect globally is immeasurable, but that is nothing compared to the legacy of deaths that will occur from disease and malnutrition. Trillionaire Musk apparently can’t stomach that anyone else would receive money from U.S. taxpayers, and this administration is “all in.” In its effort to keep every dime for the extremely wealthy, people are dying, and the cycle of disease will remain in effect for generations.
29.06.2026
Source: Salon
America abdicates as global superpower — and it’s about time
The Executive Editor of Salon, Andrew O’Hiher, helps us reflect on some positive points to this administration’s multiple failed adventures abroad. These points are somewhat hard-to-find and only visible in a much larger context and with a much longer view. They certainly won’t be promoted by the MAGA/GOP cult surrounding this president, but let’s dive into some of O’Hiher’s important notes. Here’s how he opens: “Trump returned to the White House last year determined to wreak revenge on a long list of real or imagined enemies and to leave his mark on the world. He has undeniably done both, and has caused almost unimaginable damage in many directions. It seemed implausible (and still does) that such a small-minded, ignorant, and incurious person could become a world-historical figure, but at least in that respect, we have misjudged him. He has changed the world, but done so in exactly the opposite direction from his expressed intentions.”
This description of the president is one of the best I’ve seen; the word, “Incurious” certainly describes the approach an egotistical narcissist takes to the world around him. I think it is safe to say we have had incurious presidents before, but likely none as mentally stagnant as the current occupant of the UFC Circus/Algae Infested/White House.
O’Hiher points out the failure in Iran may have finally resulted in a long-term rupture of the U.S.’s relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu. It certainly has resulted in the U.S. being seen as weak by multiple nations around the globe, including European allies, Russia, and especially China. O’Hiher quotes China analyst Ryan Hass’ essay for Brookings: ‘The United States and Israel fought Iran, and China won.’ In his analysis, the U.S. once again squandered its resources and its global credibility in a counterproductive and pointless struggle for military hegemony, while the Chinese remained focused on this century’s ‘defining geopolitical contest: the battle for technological leadership.’”
China is painting the U.S. as a reckless aggressor in the world with itself as a “reliable steward of the international order.” Who would have thought that would be plausible before this president undermined this United States’ credibility worldwide?
In the long run, O’Hiher suggests we see this administration as helping the world become less reliant on fossil fuels and fossil fuel energy, less reliant on standard industrial military tactics, and certainly less reliant on the U.S. The most honorable thing this President could do at this time is resign. But the likelihood of T.R.U.M.P. doing something honorable is close to nil. Perhaps, given his growing dementia and physical decline, the fact that being the Bully of the World is not working, and being booed at nearly every venue where he shows his face, will begin to wear on him. Perhaps, if mid-terms reveal the depth of the GOP crises in the U.S., his avid supporters will begin to count the cost of supporting an incurious, malignant narcissist nearing his demise. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps… but we have to do more than hope and wish. We have to raise our voices, show up to vote, and keep calling out evil when it reveals itself.
26.06.2026
Source: NPR
DOJ memo stokes fear among disability advocates of a return to institutionalization
Thank you to both NPR and Cory Turner (editor for NPR’s Ed Team) for bringing attention to this easily overlooked, but critically important issue of the civil rights of those disabled in the United States. According to Turner, a new memo released this week by the Justice Department and prepared by Lanora Pettit, principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, “quietly calls into question decades of civil rights protections for Americans with disabilities and stirred fear and anger among advocates and families.”
One might question why, until we examine the devious direction of Project 2025 and this administration to ensure they are “unburdened” by those who are not contributing to the tax system funding the wealthy in this country. As Turner reports, Trump’s own campaign promises make this clear: In a 2023 campaign video, President Trump himself pledged: “For those who are severely mentally ill and deeply disturbed, we will bring them back to mental institutions, where they belong.”
If you voted for this president, you own this. If you stayed home, your silence allowed this to happen, and you better hope that no one you know—or you, yourself—ever has need of support (or even community) if you should become disabled. The question we should also ask at this time is, does this law apply to the President himself? He is quite obviously a danger to society and quite obviously mentally ill. Does this law allow us to step in and institutionalize him? We could only hope so.
25.06.2026
Source: Current Affairs
A Trillion Dollars Isn’t Worth It If You Have to Be Elon Musk
Alex Scopic and Nathan J. Robinson open this cautionary tale about Elon Musk with a quote from one they call “some homeless Palestinian.” “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? And, indeed, this is a cautionary tale about a man who has everything (at least more financial wealth than anyone else in the world) and yet, seems to feel like he has nothing. They divide the article into five important sections: You can’t buy human connection. You can’t buy cool. You can’t buy peace of mind. The money is kind of fake anyway. You’d feel sorry for him, if not for the body count. The authors compare Musk’s urges with another oligarch, Jeffrey Epstein, saying, “…like Musk, Epstein reportedly hoped to ‘seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women’ on a large scale, and had a compound of his own at Zorro Ranch in New Mexico for that purpose. Like Musk, much of his harassment took place on a private plane, where the women in question were a captive audience.” And, “The common denominator between the two men is treating women as things to acquire and collect, rather than people. It’s a form of perversity that’s really only available to the super-rich.”
Towards the end of the article, the authors identify why, despite being such a pitiable character, one can’t feel sorry for Musk. In their words, “…Musk isn’t just stingy with his own fortune. When he took a role in the federal government he deliberately used his position to take food and medicine from the world’s poorest people, gleefully destroying the agency that provided U.S. medical aid to needy countries, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Musk is a supporter of brutal imperialism (‘we will coup whoever we want’), and even flirts with outright neo-Nazism. He is a booster of some of the most hateful and dangerous politicians around the world, and even said that the serial sexual abuser Andrew Tate would make a good U.K. prime minister. Musk bears a significant responsibility for the second Trump presidency. He vowedthat even though “I can’t be President… I can help Trump defeat Biden and I will.” And he did, by spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the election. Every horror we are now experiencing, from killings by ICE agents and the building of huge immigrant concentration camps to the brazen attempts to loot the public treasury, are squarely the responsibility of Elon Musk. So there are about 8 billion people on Earth we should feel sorry for before we feel even an ounce of sympathy for Musk, as pathetic a figure as he may be.
Scopic and Robinson close with this insightful summary, “And yet his entire existence is a cautionary tale, a living moral fable. Yes, our primary focus should be on how capitalism affects the lives of the global poor and the working class, because they are the vast majority of humanity. But Musk shows us that capitalism isn’t good for the rich, either. Like a black hole or a neutron star, the gravitational pull of all that money warps their lives into shapes they would never otherwise have taken. It turns them grotesque, sucks away their joy and humanity, and kills their ability to relate normally to others. Removing Musk’s outlandish wealth and power is not just necessary for the preservation of democracy. It’s a favor to him, and offers the only hope for his redemption.”
Are those we will support in the next election up to the challenge ahead of all of us? Biden, who was an obvious enemy of Musk, was undermined largely by Musk’s money and social media machine. No one should underestimate the reach of his wealth accompanied by the internal void that makes him both dangerous and spiteful. The current president was made in Musk’s image and through Musk’s dollars. Establishing guardrails on billionaires—and trillionaires—must be a major priority of the 2027 congress. Will Musk, Bezos, and others have enough money to prevent this? They have in the past and no doubt will continue to make the U.S. into their personal oligarchy. This is a crucial time for our children and generations to come. Your vote and resistance was never more important.
24.06.2026
Source: The Atlantic
The Price of Defeat in Iran
There is no other way to describe the proposed conclusion to Trump’s war-of-choice with Iran as anything less than a surrender. Indeed, this president is high-tailing it back to battles he’s losing in the American hemisphere with his tail between his legs and egg upon his face; except the U.S. elected him, so it is egg upon the face of the United States. In this article, Thomas Wright of The Atlantic compares the settlement reached by this Administration to a Marshall Plan for the Middle East, only costing twice as much in real dollars as the original with no foreseeable benefits for the world. As most of you know, the Marshall Plan was vital for the political stabilization and psychological renewal of Western Europe. This “Memorandum of Understanding” or really, “document of surrender” will have the opposite effect in the Middle East than the Marshall Plan in Europe. Most likely, it will create a power vacuum that future U.S. administrations will fear filling. Israel will play heavily in determining the future of the Middle East, and its war with Iran will continue unabated. Israel will also be at odds with Turkey, and the Middle East leadership gap will be filled by China and Russia. Here’s how Wright summarizes the deal: “The deal is a bad one. But Washington has no good choices at this point. Judged by the administration’s own objectives, the outcome is difficult to describe as anything other than a defeat.” The United States entered the conflict seeking to eliminate Iran’s leverage, constrain its regional influence, and force it to accept strict limits on its nuclear program. Instead, Iran emerged with sanctions relief, a pathway to generous reconstruction financing, continuing ambiguity over key nuclear issues, and new leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran was contained by Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump’s plan rewards Iran for engaging in a war with the U.S., closing the Strait of Hormuz, and firing on its neighbors. Whether we will ever know the economic costs of this war is difficult to tell, but we do know the cost in human lives, in infrastructure, and we are watching the cost at our gas pumps around the world. The actions that Iran made post-Israel and the U.S.’s initial strikes were predicted, but this war was the “brainchild” of Bibi Netanyahu and Donald J. Trump, which is a scary thought by itself, given the dangerous brains that were involved.
Youth Advocacy
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
We are no longer just fighting a political party; we are fighting a fused system of unchecked wealth and state authority designed to protect the billionaire class at the expense of our youth. The T.R.U.M.P. administration's policies are not accidental missteps. They are a systemic transfer of public resources away from the vulnerable and into the hands of global oligarchs. To protect the future of our children, we must look past the daily media distractions, recognize these macro-trends, and actively build the infrastructure of resistance.
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 13
Briefing Period: 17.06.2026—23.06.2026
By Dr. Jerry Goebel
📣 REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink of Oligarchy
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink.
We are no longer just fighting a political party; we are fighting a fused system of unchecked wealth and state authority designed to protect the billionaire class at the expense of our youth. The T.R.U.M.P. administration's policies are not accidental missteps. They are a systemic transfer of public resources away from the vulnerable and into the hands of global oligarchs. To protect the future of our children, we must look past the daily media distractions, recognize these macro-trends, and actively build the infrastructure of resistance.
🖼️ Visual Stories
The Power of Creative Resistance
Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls and speaks direct truth to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political and economic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno.
✊ Featured Single: "Resistance, Resilience"
While we bear witness to the trauma of our current systems, we must also feed the spirit that allows us to fight back. This week, we are highlighting "Resistance, Resilience." It serves as a powerful musical reminder that our survival depends on community, collective strength, and refusing to break under institutional pressure. It is available to watch, stream, and share right now on the Communities of Trust Main Page.📺 Archive Spotlight: "The Trauma and the Terror"
If you missed last week's briefing, you can still catch our deep-dive single, "The Trauma and the Terror."This track serves as a chilling, visceral reflection on the everyday human costs of systemic state cruelty—from the modern concentration camps in Florida to the calculated stripping of healthcare from our most vulnerable citizens.🎥 Watch the Movement: Watch "The Trauma and the Terror" Music Video on YouTube. Join my Official YouTube Channel to explore fully categorized playlists splitting my catalog into Social Justice & Reform and Relationships & Personal Growth.
📰 Top Links of the Week
🗓️ 23.06.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Article: The Democratic Base Is Angry
The Trend: Elaine Godfrey has been listening to grassroots groups supporting Democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections. The pulse she is experiencing is impatience and anger. As Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, notes: “Impatience is growing among volunteers and donors ‘about the cultural sclerosis’ inside Democratic organizations... ‘What are Democrats doing differently than in 2024 to make sure we win?’”
The Blueprint: Victory is expected mainly because the alternative is worse, but that is not enough. This needs to be a generational win focusing on a long-term ground game. In a recent Radio Atlanticpodcast, Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi stated that the first action of a Democratic House under Hakeem Jeffries would be to "build consensus." That is a commitment to form a plan—not an actual plan. The base demands a concrete legislative platform that prevents another groundswell authoritarian response in eight years.
🗓️ 22.06.2026 | Source: ProPublica
Article: More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits After Trump Changes Federal Food Program
The Trend: They lied. Republicans claimed their "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) would "restore integrity" to the food stamp program. Instead, a ProPublica analysis reveals that the number of children receiving food assistance has plummeted by at least 776,000 across data-tracking states (representing 46% of total dropouts).
The Systemic Cost: This is a direct attack on children and the vulnerable to fund the military, enrich the wealthy, and finance the President's revenge agenda and egomaniacal building projects—all while the Epstein files remain hidden. The Republican government has accepted its "thirty pieces of silver" to sell out our country's future. We must trounce them at the midterms and destroy the backbone of this movement.
🗓️ 19.06.2026 | Source: Washington Monthly
Article: How to Contain the Oligarchs
The Trend: David Lingelbach and Valentina Rodríguez Guerra present an in-depth, historical look at how to confront the takeover of the U.S. government by oligarchs. They define an oligarch as “a person in whom substantial wealth and substantial power are fused, such that wealth helps make power possible and power helps protect, extend, or reorganize the position of wealth.”
The Resistance: Drawing lessons from Ancient Greece, the Colonial U.S., post-WWII Japan, and modern Hungary, the authors map out a localized defense. States can enforce their own antitrust laws, tax great fortunes aggressively, rewrite procurement rules to stop subsidizing oligarch-owned firms, and stop public pension funds from feeding the asset base of companies converting wealth into political power. Universities must also set harder rules for donations...
🗓️ 18.06.2026 | Source: Current Affairs
Article: You Can’t Have Both Democracy and Billionaires
The Trend: Nathan J. Robinson and Rob Larson dissect law professor John O. McGinnis’s book, “Why Democracy Needs the Rich.” The book reads like propaganda commissioned by the 0.1%, defending tax breaks and obscene fortune accumulation while the working class struggles to survive. McGinnis claims the rich are inherently independent and open-minded, completely ignoring the fact that about 300 billionaires made 19% of all federal political contributions in 2024—with a staggering 5/6th of those millions flowing directly to Republican candidates.
The Systemic Cost: As the reviewers brilliantly state: “The ruling class helps democracy like smoking helps your lungs.” A fair tax structure is just the first step. We must dismantle corporate giving and dark money that weaponize politics for the ultra-wealthy. Allowing a single trillionaire to exist while millions of children starve is a failure of democracy. "We the People" must vociferously dictate the next congressional agenda.
🗓️ 17.06.2026 | Source: Raw Story
Article: US 'in for a frightening two years' as expert flags what's making Trump 'more dangerous'
The Trend: While attending a recent Democrats Abroad rally here in Yucatan, I overheard a fellow advocate express a desire for the president's immediate demise. While I empathize with the underlying panic, history tells us his father Fred lived to 93 despite years of Alzheimer's and dementia. Following an egomaniacal 80th birthday display that desecrated the dignity of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, our focus must not be on his mortality, but on stripping away his power as Commander-in-Chief.
The Systemic Cost: Alexander Willis highlights the acute danger of a president in obvious mental and physical decline. Political expert Larry Jacobs warns: “The recklessness of decisions, the failure to think in a logical evidence-based way... losing track of reality versus talking points – all these things are being accelerated by Trump’s age.” We must completely trounce this administration and its GOP enablers in the midterms. The incoming Congress must take swift action to undo the damage of this MAGA cult.
Youth Advocacy
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink...
Youth Advocacy: Year 5, Week 11
Briefing Period: 10.06.2026 - 16.06.2026
By Dr. Jerry Goebel
📣 REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink...
🖼️ Visual Stories
The Power of Creative Resistance
Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls and speaks direct truth to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political and economic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno.
✊ Featured Category: Music for the Movement
While we bear witness to the trauma of our current systems, we must also feed the spirit that allows us to fight back. This weekend, I launched a brand-new song category on our storefront specifically dedicated to fueling this resistance.
We are highlighting our featured single, "Resistance, Resilience," sitting right at the top of the new section. It serves as a powerful musical reminder that our survival depends on community, collective strength, and refusing to break under institutional pressure. You can explore the full collection, watch, stream, and share right now on our main page.
📺 Archive Spotlight: "The Trauma and the Terror"
If you missed last week's briefing, you can still catch our deep-dive single, "The Trauma and the Terror." This track serves as a chilling, visceral reflection on the everyday human costs of systemic state cruelty—from the modern concentration camps in Florida to the calculated stripping of healthcare from our most vulnerable citizens.
📺 Watch on YouTube: "The Trauma and the Terror" Music Video
Join my Official YouTube Channel to explore my fully categorized playlists, splitting my catalog into Social Justice & Reform and Relationships & Personal Growth.
Top Links of the Week
16.06.2026
Source: The Atlantic
The Kennedy Center Is a Metaphor for De-Trumpification
[Insert Link]
It feels like a win, but David Graham of The Atlantic reminds us that there will be few easy fixes after this administration is finally gone. Of course, he is talking about the removal of Trump’s name from all things related to the Kennedy Center. As Graham succinctly points out, “You can remove Trump’s name, but not the damage he’s done.” Here’s a broader view that Graham reminds us about: “Even a hypothetical future president who has respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers will have a difficult time fixing what is broken... More important, that president will need to fix what happens inside the White House... That damage is less visible and less easily reversed.” The journalist goes on to talk about the long-term damage done to the military by cosplay imposter, Pete Hegseth. It feels satisfying to watch Trump’s name removed, but it is a short and shallow satisfaction. There is long and tedious work ahead, and the United States will remain in a precarious position while we sort out the extent of the damage. Removing this president will be far easier than repairing the damage his administration and his supporters have done. In many ways, it has only revealed a dark and terrible hole in the soul of the United States. A fearful and widespread racism that never healed after the Civil War.
15.06.2026
Source: Defender Network
Slavery 2.0 could be the next U.S. status quo
[Insert Link]
This is a very intriguing examination of civil rights by Pastor and Adjunct Professor, Aswad Walker. He looks beyond the facade of the human warehouses being built by this administration around the globe and invites us to ask if this is the introduction to Slavery 2.0 by a multi-billionaire class in conjunction with the government they own. Of prime importance to his query is this statement: “When chattel slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment, it deliberately left a loophole wide open: ‘except as a punishment for crime.’ The South immediately capitalized on this via the Black Codes and convict leasing, effectively re-enslaving Black people overnight by criminalizing everyday existence.” Given what we’ve seen of this administration and the billionaire class that has been at the heart of such travesties as revealed by the Epstein files, we know that this small group of extremely wealthy people see the rest of the world as their chattel... Are we ready for Slavery 2.0 or are we ready to start dismantling this rising system by taxing the rich and wealthy? The Musks, Zuckerberg, and Bezos of the world do not have our interests at heart... Walker is just asking us to peel the layers back on this evil and see where it inevitably leads. At the end of Pastor Walker’s column, he presents us with four action steps we could take to immediately fight back against this new ICE State. They are well worth examination and action.
11.06.2026
Source: The Guardian
US inflation jumped to 4.2% in May, the third consecutive increase since start of Iran war
[Insert Link]
If you had the sense that Donald T.R.U.M.P. doesn’t know what he is doing, you would be right. If you had a sense Donald doesn’t care what he was doing, you would also be right. According to this president, U.S. fuel prices “aren’t very high.” This is from a man who has probably not filled his tank with gas in decades... No one really knows what is going on with the war in Iran, certainly not the President, his staff, or the Republicans who seem all too willing to rubber-stamp anything this “Clueless Clown from Mar-a-Lago” says... If you, unlike these fat cats, actually fill your own tank and buy your own groceries, then you do care. You care where this economy is going. You care that people are being tortured in U.S.-funded concentration camps, you care that people are dying overseas in a war that has “no purpose,” under an administration that “doesn’t care.” You care…
10.06.2026
Source: Yahoo Health
You May Be Experiencing This 1 Type Of Trauma Because Of Trump
[Insert Link]
In this article by Jillian Wilson on Yahoo Health, we are invited to examine a type of trauma rapidly growing and being seen across the United States. Psychologists are calling it, “Betrayal Trauma.” In her article, Wilson quotes Sandra Maurer, a licensed professional clinical counselor in Minnesota, who says, "Betrayal trauma is a term that psychologists came up with for a particular kind of trauma when you have a reasonable expectation that you can trust someone, so a partner or a doctor or a person in a position of authority." Some also refer to this as “Institutional Betrayal” which results in a sense of feeling both betrayed and unsafe because of “chaos and unaccountability.” The reporter describes how this growing wave of trauma not only affects those who did not vote for this administration, but also a growing number of people who did vote for T.R.U.M.P. and now feel betrayed as he reveals the unimpeded depth of his malignant narcissism. Fortunately, Wilson goes on to discuss potential paths to healing for the many who are feeling betrayed. The development of a supportive community is always a top option for supporting mental health. And, of course, seeking counsel is always an intelligent choice... One of the fundamental pieces of advice that Psychologist Maurer suggests is, "I would say it is important to not gaslight yourself, so connecting with other people, and also reminding yourself, validating for yourself that it makes sense to feel this distressed." For those unfamiliar with the term, gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where a person manipulates someone into questioning their own sanity, memory, or perception of reality. In reference to this article, gaslighting yourself would imply doubting that you are experiencing verifiable trauma because of the betrayal of this administration. Betrayal is real and this administration is betraying their oath of office and commitment to democracy.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink. Drawing from 40 years on the frontlines of youth development and systemic justice reform, this briefing serves as an uncompromised audit of our current socio-political crisis. Inside, we confront Project 2025’s quiet war on Medicaid, the astronomical financial and moral graft of Florida's immigration camps, and the authoritarian effort to dismantle presidential accountability. We cannot afford the luxury of disengagement or neutrality. Read the reports, listen to the music of creative resistance below, and let’s dig deep to demand a just, accountable future. communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
Youth Advocacy
Welcome to Year 5, Week 10
09.06.2026 - 03.06.2026
📣 REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a presidency teetering on malignant narcissism, a rogue legislative agenda stripping healthcare from the dying, or a nation tolerating modern-day concentration camps on its soil—this week's news brings us straight to the brink. Drawing from 40 years on the frontlines of youth development and systemic justice reform, this briefing serves as an uncompromised audit of our current socio-political crisis. Inside, we confront Project 2025’s quiet war on Medicaid, the astronomical financial and moral graft of Florida's immigration camps, and the authoritarian effort to dismantle presidential accountability. We cannot afford the luxury of disengagement or neutrality. Read the reports, listen to the music of creative resistance below, and let’s dig deep to demand a just, accountable future. communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com
🖼️ Visual Stories
The Power of Creative Resistance: Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls and speaks direct truth to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political and economic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno.
✊ Featured Single: "The Trauma and the Terror"
This track serves as a chilling, visceral reflection on the everyday human costs of systemic state cruelty—from the modern concentration camps in Florida to the calculated stripping of healthcare from our most vulnerable citizens. It is a sonic witness to the emotional and physical warfare being waged on our democracy. Listen, reflect, and share it with someone who refuses to remain silent. https://youtu.be/H9wR4GoT2QA?si=tIzRBc5OQAvpe2Ws
📺 Subscribe on YouTube
Join my Official YouTube Channel to explore my fully categorized playlists, splitting my catalog into Social Justice & Reform and Relationships & Personal Growth.
🔗 Top Links of the Week
📅 09.06.2026 | The Alligator Alcatraz Boondoggle
Source: The Atlantic
If one wanted to examine the extent of the cruelty of the current white Christian nationalist administration and its lackeys, this report by Eric Schlosser of The Atlantic would be a good starting point. Schlosser examines the inhumane treatment taking place in one of this regime’s prison camps. OK, let’s just be honest and call it a Concentration Camp for people who are not white. The cruelties are too large to list, but covered deftly in this article. The cost is astronomical.
Here is one comparison by the journalist: “It would have been less expensive to buy each of the men detained at Alligator Alcatraz his own one-bedroom condo in Orlando and pay for a personal, full-time guard to keep an eye on him.” The accountability is completely absent from a human rights, financial, and environmental viewpoint. In short, Alligator Alley is a prime example of the way anything Donald Trump touches turns into a model of graft and bankruptcy. Apparently, a substantial percentage of U.S. citizens want concentration camps because they voted for these monsters—or stayed home and allowed these racists free rein over their government.
But we can still say, “NO!” We can still demand that the U.S. examine its moral and political groundings. Although deep damage has already been done to our international reputation—and certainly to the human beings whose rights this administration has trampled—that doesn’t mean we continue to shut our eyes and bury our heads while this inhuman travesty continues. As said by Bishop Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
📅 08.06.2026 | People with cancer or HIV could lose Medicaid
Source: NPR News
While the president pouts about losing congressional funding for his ballroom, builds a UFC arena in front of the White House, and continues funding a war in Iran and blockading Cuba. While Congress cuts taxes for the indecently wealthy and lines their own pockets on stock trades announced by this administration, the middle-income and poorer people of the United States are informed that they must continue working following a cancer diagnosis (or in the early stages of HIV) or risk losing their Medicaid coverage.
Changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill designed by Project 2025 and passed by a Republican Congress will deepen the mudsill intentions of this bought-and-paid-for white, Christian, conservative Congress. They seem intent on getting away with as much as they possibly can and then entrenching themselves with gerrymandering so they will not experience the consequences of turning against their own constituents. Vote them out! Tax the rich and wealthy. Create a just system that protects the vulnerable instead of the elite.
📅 05.06.2026 | Donald Trump’s Superficiality Is Bone-Deep
Source: The Atlantic
In examining this presidency, Jonathon Chait of The Atlantic tells us the primary word we should keep in mind is “Superficiality.” He describes his cabinet members, not based upon their character or ability, but upon their appeal to “Central Casting,” or how they would look on stage. Chait uses Pete Hegseth and RFK, Jr. as cases in point. Both often appear in their own taxpayer-funded semi-clad workout videos showing off their pectorals while their departments visibly deteriorate.
Chait also points to this president’s constant need for optics that resonate with his questionable taste. It appears much more important to him that he have a ballroom than the war in Iran ends. Superficiality is not uncommon among the malignant narcissist—and the White House has frequently been home to self-centered megalomaniacs. But, as Chait identifies, superficiality is a defining thread of this president’s raison d’être. His “reason for being.” Indeed, this reporter tells us, “Future historians looking for a set piece to embody the Trump era might linger on the forthcoming UFC cage fight at the White House.” This president is still living out his “glory days,” from “The Apprentice,” but the whole world is his audience. When we ask, “What will Donny do next?” The answer will inevitably be, “What looks good on the surface?”
📅 04.06.2026 | Another Chance for Trump to Cash Out
Source: The Atlantic
The Atlantic’s David Frum identifies an urgent issue that may lie beneath the radar of all but the most astute government observers. This administration is making every effort to disregard the Presidential Records Act, which was so fundamental in the resignation of Richard Nixon. As Frum illustrates, “A new Congress will ask questions about President Trump’s actions. The Trump administration will refuse to answer. The administration will argue that the Constitution grants Congress little power to order the executive to do much of anything. The executive, this administration insists, can do whatever isn’t explicitly forbidden; Congress can do only what is explicitly permitted.”
This administration is no doubt emboldened by a Supreme Court that seems intent on deferring to the president’s whims and wishes. That is, if it is a white, conservative, racist president that will hold authoritarian power without checks and balances. This should be alarming to every democratic voter, and Frum has done an outstanding job focusing our attention on this dilemma. This president (and his cultic supporters) know they have disregarded the law, undermined the Constitution, and stolen from the people of the United States. Now, it is doing all it can to make sure they cannot be held accountable for their high crimes and misdemeanors. They want to be impeachment-proof, they want to be trial-proof, they want to be consequence-proof.
📅 03.06.2026 | How Megalomaniac Leaders Establish Their Grip on a Group — and How They Lose It
Source: The Conversation
This article by Jean Poitras of “The Conversation” is as timely as it is informative. We are watching the real-time implosion of Donald Trump as the Republican faithful slowly begin to realize the cost they are about to pay for their cultic worship of this megalomaniac monster. He won’t be awarded his lawsuit against himself, his $1.776 billion revenge fund, his billion-dollar ballroom funding, his name and likeness must be taken down from the Kennedy Center, entertainers are not flocking to his birthday party, and the Iran War is not going as he planned.
This article describes both how megalomaniacs come to power as well as how they lose power. Donald is faltering, but he is not done. It is no time to lighten the pressure against him. As recent Republican primaries show, there are still many brainwashed worshippers willing to hide from the truth and do his bidding. As also evident from the ruling by the Roberts Court, there are still plenty of White Conservative Racists left in the halls of power, and with gerrymandering, apt to be more.
We have no opportunity to rest yet; if anything, we must intensify our pressure for complete change. This administration—and its supporters—must be left with no doubt that this is not the United States that we will accept. That this has been a shameful anomaly in history and that we won’t forget and repeat it.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a presidency teetering on insanity, an economy facing bankruptcy, or a nation dealing with systemic democratic erosion—this week's news brings us straight to the brink. Drawing from 40 years on the frontlines of youth development and alternative justice systems, this week's briefing serves as an uncompromised audit of our modern socio-political landscape. Inside, we confront the deliberate degradation of the Free Press, the corporate billionaire push for a predatory "mudsill economy," and the structural corruption of our military infrastructure. We cannot afford the luxury of disengagement. Read the reports, listen to the music of resistance below, and let’s dig deep to organize for a accountable future.
Youth Advocacy
Welcome to Year 5, Week 09. This weekly report is built on a simple premise: we cannot afford the luxury of disengagement while our democracy teetered on the brink. To ensure our community of resistance stays connected across all digital spaces, you can now join my daily advocacy conversations and political updates on social media.
🦋 Connect on Bluesky: Follow my micro-essays, breaking news threads, and real-time commentary Direct Link on Word or Phrase
📘 Connect on Facebook: Join our community page for deep-dive discussions, essays, and updates Direct Link on Word or Phrase
27.05.2026-02.06.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Review: Standing at the Brink
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a presidency teetering on insanity, an economy facing bankruptcy, or a nation dealing with systemic democratic erosion—this week's news brings us straight to the brink. Drawing from 40 years on the frontlines of youth development and alternative justice systems, this week's briefing serves as an uncompromised audit of our modern socio-political landscape. Inside, we confront the deliberate degradation of the Free Press, the corporate billionaire push for a predatory "mudsill economy," and the structural corruption of our military infrastructure. We cannot afford the luxury of disengagement. Read the reports, listen to the music of resistance below, and let’s dig deep to organize for a accountable future.
Visual Stories!
The Power of Creative Resistance: Music bypasses traditional cognitive walls and speaks direct truth to institutional power. In this section, I translate our weekly macro-political and economic critiques into original visual stories and lyrical compositions developed via Canva and Suno.
✊ Featured Single: "Tax the Rich and The Wealthy"
This track is a direct, uncompromising musical anthem demanding a structural rebalance of power against the corporate elite building a "mudsill economy." Listen, reflect, and share it with someone who refuses to look away. https://youtu.be/mV-Pnu7hfL0?si=3fb9JEMkVN7C8UCD
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: Join my channel to explore my fully categorized playlists, splitting my catalog into Social Justice & Reform and Relationships & Personal Growth Direct Link on Word or Phrase
Top Links of the Week
02.06.2026
Use It or Lose It
Adrienne LaFrance, of The Atlantic, gives us an important cautionary warning about our diminishing rights under this administration. Specifically, the right of Free Speech. Those kind few who have read my meanderings over time, might recall that I believe in two sides to any right; there is the right itself, but the flip side is the responsibility. LaFrance points to this when she says, “One requirement of self-governance is the relentless pursuit of truth, which necessarily involves questioning people in positions of power in order to prevent tyranny.” She points out this administration’s tendencies to evict or degrade those reporters that ask the “hard questions.” Turning press pools into herds of sycophants. LaFrance calls out responses from this president to those who have challenged him, she illustrates, “When one woman asked him when the Iran war would end, he called her a ‘disgrace.’ When another woman asked him why he’s focused on beautifying the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial during wartime, especially as gas prices soar, he snapped that it was a ‘stupid question.’ When a woman asked the president about his administration’s handling of Afghan refugees, he interrupted her, saying, ‘Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?’ To yet another woman, who’d asked him about Jeffrey Epstein, the president responded, ‘Quiet! Quiet, piggy.’ He has told other Americans that they are ‘horrible,’ ‘obnoxious,’ ‘terrible,’ ‘stupid and nasty,’ simply for asking him serious questions on behalf of the public.” In essence, LaFrance reminds us, “No truth, no freedom.” She also reminds us how important it is for citizens to bear the “responsibilities” of “rights.” Will we pursue truth? Will we listen to it? Will we stand up and even face intimidation for it? These are question each of us must ask to pass on the right of free speech to a new generation.
01.06.2026
How Elon Musk Killed Hundreds of Thousands of People
It was difficult this morning to decide which article was more disgusting; reviewing the work of Elon Musk while he officially worked for Donald T.R.U.M.P. in the White House, or the treatment of prisoners being held in I.C.E. Facilities sponsored by the United States. I’m going with Elon Musk, but they both point to the type of economy the Republicans want to create using the tax dollars of middle and low-income U.S. taxpayers. They want a “mudsill economy,” one in which the “authorized poor” support the billionaire class. If you are not part of the economy that supports them, the rich and wealthy don’t want to support you; they want you to die—and have no problem if you die a torturous death from treatable disease, starvation, or tortured and beaten in a detention center. Apparently, this is the type of United States that a significant portion of the United States wanted because they voted for it… TWICE! The cruelty was evident in the release of Project 2025’s workbook; “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.” Those who didn’t read the mandate or read it and voted for this Conservative Party anyway deserve the blame for these deaths and this treatment. This is your U.S.! This is your responsibility! The only way to change this is to shake off any sense of disengagement you might be selfishly feeling and to call attention to this cruelty so as to promote an overwhelming response at the mid-term elections. There is much you can do before that: keep aware of the news (though I know how depressing and disabling—even traumatic—it can be to continue reading about these acts of inhumanity). Share what you learn with others. Write about it, sing about it, talk about it. Support local endeavors to call attention to it. Be resilient, be resistant! The dark vision of the future the people have for your children and you is worse than even the most dystopian writers could have imagined—and this isn’t fiction. This is happening right now, this is happening right away, this is happening all around the world and all across the United States. Raise your voice. Speak your mind. Tell this story!
29.05.2026
Has Trump Corrupted the Military? (Part II)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/05/has-trump-corrupted-the-military/687329/
I didn’t have the room yesterday in my blog to cover the interview section of David Frum’s podcast, so I thought I would add that today. Frum interviews Jason Crow, who represents the Sixth District of Colorado in the United States House of Representatives. As Frum points out, “Crow was first elected in 2018. He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee. Also, “Crow is a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He fought with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment. He completed three tours of duty and rose to the rank of captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star.” Crow is often seen these days sparring with Pete Hegseth, the madman/sycophant that T.R.U.M.P. appointed to oversee the Department of Defense. This interview analyzes how deeply political and morally corrupt military leadership has become under Hegseth. Indeed, Crow says Hegseth is “M.I.A.” But one might think that it would actually be better if Hegseth were “missing.” Less damage would be done in his absence than in his presence. Like the presidency, this cabinet appointment no longer cares about defending the United States; it only cares about defending Donald J. T.R.U.M.P..
28.05.2026
Has Trump Corrupted the Military?
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/05/has-trump-corrupted-the-military/687329/
David Frum does it again. His commentaries are always a wealth of insight, leaving me often nodding my head in agreement and sometimes stopping his podcast midstream to consider what he articulated. But he always gives me plenty to talk about with those in my circle. This week, Frum looks at this administration’s murmurings of a peace plan in the Iranian War-of-Choice. He points out this is entirely Trump’s war. He decided he wanted to go it alone because he didn’t want to explain it, he didn’t want to be questioned about it, and he certainly didn’t want anyone to block it. Now, he owns it—entirely, and he’s losing it—miserably. But, as Frum leads us to analyze, he is responsible for the job. Not just the mess he started in Iran, but the mess he’s made of the United States (indeed, the world). T.R.U.M.P. was never presidential material. He never sought to serve the hopes of the citizens, only the support of his radical cultic followers. Now, in his second term, he cares even less about being a “President for the Country,” and even—apparently—a President of his party. Frum points out how the President—in responding to a recent CNN report—remarked (when questioned about his failing poll numbers) that he has, “100% support of the Republicans. Whoever told him that news (probably in one of his “Cabinet Adoration Gatherings”), was lying to him and the President—not amenable to checking his own sources once he has formed an opinion—latched on to it. No one in this President’s inner circle will tell him the truth, or perhaps they are all duped too. This administration is under attack on the left and the right. His grift and war have left him isolated, a laughing stock internationally and an embarrassment nationally. Thank you, David Frum, for your insights again and for “telling truth to power.”
27.05.2026
36 Republicans vote against law banning child marriages. Some cited the Bible as justification.https://apple.news/ACcvvlga8SROHq4thDAHsHQ
Oklahoma is a bellwether state for radical white conservative ideology. From her loins sprang the mandate forcing schools to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms. Now, its legislature is legalizing child marriage on Biblical and Constitutional grounds. According to journalist Daniel Villarreal of LGBTQ Nation, one of the rhetorical questions asked, in a recent legislative session where child marriage was sanctioned, was by Rep. Jim Olsen (R), “How old was Mary when she married Joseph?” Also, reported by Villarreal, was this doozy of a quote, by state Rep. Justin Humphrey (R) who asked, ‘This bill has nothing to do with pedophilia. Do you know what socialism looks like? It’s when the government comes in and tells you what you’re going to do.’” Clearly, underage sex is rape—even if President T.R.U.M.P. wants us to believe it is not. What Oklahoma legislators want us to embrace is aligned with the beliefs of the world’s greatest pedophiles, like Epstein, Maxwell, and the current president. If these Republicans have their way, the U.S. will become another country where sexual slavery is not only legal, but legally ratified.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
From Trump’s Iran blunders to the Pope’s warning on AI oligarchy, the U.S. is teetering on the brink. The world is moving on, and we cannot afford to look away. Read my full weekly advocacy briefing on why we must dig deep and fix our broken democracy for the next generation.
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 08 (310 total reports)
20.05.2026-26.05.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
From Trump’s Iran blunders to the Pope’s warning on AI oligarchy, the U.S. is teetering on the brink. The world is moving on, and we cannot afford to look away. Read my full weekly advocacy briefing on why we must dig deep and fix our broken democracy for the next generation:
Visual Stories!
Systemic injustice relies on quiet, everyday compliance. Drawing from 40 years in juvenile justice and social reform, I wrote "This Banality of Evil" to confront the bureaucratic systems that compromise our humanity. Watch the video, reflect, and refuse to look away: youtu.be/njQcZglwRmc?...
Top Links of the Week
26.05.2026
Do You Trust Trump to Make a Deal?
The diplomatic dance with Iran drags on.
https://apple.news/ASFkoeDdjQW2OsTL7GLKQeQ
The National Review is a pretty conservative magazine, and Jeffrey Blehar is a regular contributor with a podcast (Political Beats) under the magazine’s cover. Despite his conservative leanings, even he can’t figure out where the president is this week in reference to Iran. Here’s what Blehar has to say: “So what to make of the situation? Nothing, except to fall back on common sense and all prior experience with Trump: He blundered, he’s in a jam, and he is desperate to at least pretend that he has wriggled his way out of it.” In a separate article by another conservative-leaning magazine, Michael Doran of “The Free Press” quotes Lindsay Graham as saying the following about Trump’s negotiations with Iran: “If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism,” Graham warned on X over the weekend, “then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate [sic] force requiring a diplomatic solution.” Graham is a hawk whose opinions make one wonder if he is actually in the employ of Netanyahu. What Graham gets desperately wrong is a perception bias. Iran will not be perceived as a dominant force. Instead, the U.S. will be seen (is being seen) as a significantly subordinate force. Such is the way of Donald T.R.U.M.P.; his legacy is to break things: businesses, relationships, and now countries. Plus, we need to keep in mind that this president wants his armed forces in the Pacific blockading and threatening Cuba. He’s bored with Iran and wants the problem to go away. Or, as Blehar said, “He blundered, he’s in a jam, and he is desperate to at least pretend that he has wriggled his way out of it.” The Epstein Files and habitual blundering will be the legacy of this president. He wants to be remembered as “A Great Man”; he won’t be. He’ll be remembered as a blunderer who took his country to near ruin and left us all with the generational debt. He is a “bankruptor,” not a negotiator. He ruins what he touches; he is malignant. He is a living cancer.
25.05.2026
Pope calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto that ponders the future of humanity
Pope Leo XIV has called for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit.
https://apple.news/APVNbs5ZTRf-XYmA5_cPBpg
AP News’ Nicole Winfield, Kaitlyn Houmani, and Paolo Santalucia present us with an important and timely article about Pope Leo XIV’s first Encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity). The primary essence of my own blog has always been to advocate for young people, and my review today is at the top of that focus. Most of my time over the last three years has focused on the impact of losing the democracy in the United States to the T.R.U.M.P. administration. As Pope Leo points out in this encyclical, the humanities’ oversight of AI development will determine whether the future of our young people will be controlled by an oligarchical billionaire few focused on using the most powerful technology available in modern human history for increasing their wealth, power, and position, or whether that technology will be used for human development. The article also points out that the Vatican’s stance will undoubtedly put it at odds once again with the current U.S. Administration as it has fought to free AI and use it to unfetter capitalism and wage war against enemies, both abroad and internally. This is a timely missive our world needed, and I believe (along with the reporters) that it will become a framework for analyzing the use of AI well into the future.
22.05.2026
Your Neighbour Canada
https://open.substack.com/pub/americanpulse/p/special-report-your-neighbour-canada
A friend sent me this Substack by George Froehlich, Editor of the American Pulse, and it reminds all of us of a critical event in this world. It is the “World Outside of Donald.” It reminds me personally that I can’t afford to lose focus (or let you). The world is not moping about mourning the presidency of the U.S. and the loss of its democracy. The world is moving on, forging new ties, building new relationships! It’s not that Donald T.R.U.M.P. has betrayed the world; the people of the U.S. have. We voted this abomination into office… (twice!). He was the worst president in history, once! Then, we returned him to power. There may be all sorts of excuses for that (but not really). The MAGA cult may have been duped. But this doesn’t explain this loss completely. There are also those who stayed home. There are also those who said to their neighbors, family, and friends that they were voting for the Democrats, then, at the last moment, betrayed those sensibilities and pulled the lever for a heinous, malignant narcissist. The Democrats fell asleep while the Republicans plotted. We became the liberal elite and forgot the responsibilities incumbent upon our short-term victories. We empowered a pedophile and convicted rapist. We tolerated Mitch McConnell, John Roberts, Stephen Miller, Steven Bannon, and Project 2025. The world will not trust us again… and they are rightfully moving on. Meanwhile, in the U.S., we can’t afford to move on. Unlike Donald T.R.U.M.P., who focuses on breaking things (like the Strait of Hormuz) and then leaving others to fix them, it will be up to the U.S. to fix the system under Donald J. T.R.U.M.P., under the GOP, under Epstein, and under the billionaires. We can’t walk away. Walking away means leaving our children and their children to watch over the demise of a once-great democracy—not a perfect democracy—but at times a “light on the hill.” No, we must dig deeply into our resolution and ask how we became so broken. What fears and systems led to such a divided country, a distrusting, and angry population? The world does not trust that the U.S. won’t do this again. That we’ll elect another Obama, and then the pendulum will swing again, and the haters, the racists, and the Christian nationalists will use the minority protections of the Constitution to steal back the government.
21.05.2026
With Castro indictment, Trump bets his Venezuela playbook will work in Cuba
Washington is trying to pressure Havana into submission, but there are differences between that government and Caracas. https://apple.news/AB1UB4zCQSfWkCuOfXUuqbw
José de Córdoba and Santiago Pérez of “The Wall Street Journal” offer insights into the next war-of-choice this president is leading the United States into. Preparation for this invasion has been ongoing for months—even years. T.R.U.M.P. has wanted to invade Cuba since his first term, and Marco Rubio has wanted to take over Cuba apparently since he was a child. The murder indictment of Raúl Castro made by the U.S. Department of Justice (D.O.J.) pits two senile old men against each other with their civilians as economic weapons and military pawns. Here are the words this president is using to justify his attack: “The indictment and removal of Maduro sent a clear message to his socialist allies in Havana: this is our hemisphere, and those that destabilize it and threaten the United States will face consequences.” If the rhetoric sounds familiar, it’s because this is from the same playbook as the Venezuelan invasion. That, according to these reporters, is where the comparison ends. Does any of this make sense to sane people? Of course not, but how often are wars started by sane people? A number of weeks ago, we looked at an article from The Atlantic* examining the “Great Man Theory,” of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. This president has taken himself to be among the “Great Disrupters” of history; the “Great Men.” According to this theory, these men were all misunderstood in their time, with their greatness only becoming apparent in the centuries following their rule. In short, T.R.U.M.P. wants himself compared to Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon, rather than Caligula, Hitler, and Benito Mussolini (personally I’d throw in Marie Antoinette, not because she was a great ruler or male, but because she was so clueless of the people she ruled, as Melania’s coat said, “I don’t really care, do you?”). This is Donald’s fantasy, and the GOP is allowing him to play it out. We are the chess pieces. I have a suggestion for pursuing this invasion. Let’s have Donald and Raúl battle this out in an MMA ring on the front of the White House lawn to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
* 30.04.2026, The YOLO Presidency, The Atlantic, Ashley Parker and Mike Scherer
20.05.2026
Takeaways from primaries where Trump demonstrated power over GOP
It was a big night for the president as his favorites swept Republican foes in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
https://apple.news/A-SYwNachQaW3pgKe-W7TPg
Washington Post reporters, Hannah Knowles, Dan Merica, and Patrick Marley reveal that T.R.U.M.P. still rules the Republican party as his faithful won strong at primaries across the United States. In short, for the primaries, the Republicans are circling up their deck chairs on the T.R.U.M.P. Titanic. Sadly, perhaps the most tragic loss (for those hoping to keep the Pedophile Protector Party in check) was that of Thomas Massie in Kentucky. Perhaps the sliver of sunshine in this ominous cloud of derangement is that the ever-Trumpers are digging themselves deeper into the murky, nauseating pockets of a man who is a clear loser in popular polls. If you had any hopes of this MAGA disease decomposing like their demi-god prior to the midterms, let this be your warning bell. The Orange One is going to loom large among his constituents. All the more reason to turn up at the polls in record numbers and make sure your vote counts this year. If we want to impact the fascist direction of this nation, the clock is ticking. Make your voice irrepressible and your spirit unbreakable. On the wings of the Roberts Racist Supreme Court and fueled by gerrymander victories throughout the South, your stand has never been more imperative.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a president teetering on insanity, an economy teetering on bankruptcy, a nation teetering on all-out racism, or a country teetering on fascism; this week has brought us to the brink.
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 07 (309 total reports)
13.05.2026-19.05.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Whether it is a president teetering on insanity, an economy teetering on bankruptcy, a nation teetering on all-out racism, or a country teetering on fascism; this week has brought us to the brink.
Visual Stories!
The Robert’s court has revealed the Chrisitan white supremacist leanings of this administration for everyone to see. This decision does more than undermine the Voting Rights Act, it cripples fair elections for decades to come and draws battle lines that must be fought if the United States is going to be a representative government. This Techno-Rock ballad looks at the this court and says, “This Is What Evil Looks Like.”
Top Links of the Week
19.05.2026
A Different Kind of Fading President
Jonathon Lemire of The Atlantic is spot on in this article examining why T.R.U.M.P. seems to get a pass regarding his obvious senility while Joe Biden was constantly held to the fire (one could even argue that Biden was forced to resign because of his age and that Kamala Harris lost the election because of his delay in retiring). In this article, Lemire reminds us that Donald was the oldest president in history when he took the oath of office the second time. Many would also claim that he was unfit for president then (due to being a malignant narcissist, a convicted rapist, and a pedophile). Recently though, as Lemire points out, things have gone steeply downhill—both mentally and physically for the soon-to-be octogenarian. The signs of Trump’s physical frailty are constantly before us—despite attempts at make-up (not just for his hair and tan) but for the growing bruises on his hands and swelling edema on his “cankles” (meaning calves and ankles). This president cannot focus on a single topic in a sentence nor walk a straight line on a tarmac. He is the butt of jokes internationally and was literally a laughing stock in China where Xi Jinping verbally reprimanded the president while Donald sat with his made-up hands trembling in front of him. His sickly repeated attempts at playing “hardball” with Iran reveal him as the whipping boy of the Iranian leadership and would make him a laughingstock if he had not undermined the world economy through his demented war of choice. Is there anyone—Republican or Democrat—who does not wake each morning wondering if this will FINALLY be the day that the world is freed from this madman’s delusions? We can wish all we want to, but Donald is obviously a symptom of a problem of white Christian nationalism in the United States. When he is gone, it will be a relief, but it will not be a remedy—especially with recent Republican gerrymandering taking hold in the South. This president was not elected by a majority; indeed, no Republican president since Ronald “Supply Side” Reagan has been elected by a majority. They’ve been elected by fixed elections, and the racist Roberts’ court has made that situation worse. The only thing we can do is overwhelm them. Overwhelm them on the streets, overwhelm them with our voices, overwhelm them in the elections. We have to show up, folks! It is not just our civic duty, but our generational duty. Showing up at this election is as important as when service members showed up on Omaha Beach to fight Hitler (only not as dangerous). This is win-or-lose democracy.
18.05.2026
Supreme Court voting rights ruling fuels a new push to defend Black representation
This morning’s article is by Bill Barrow and Matt Brown of AP. They review responses immediately forming across the United States to respond to the racist decision by Chief Justice Roberts of the Supreme Court of Donald T.R.U.M.P. They quote Jared Evans of the Louisiana-based Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, motivating us to a “Second Reconstruction period.” The article discusses the potential of the new “John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” to replace the previous act the Supreme Court struck down. Barrow and Brown also warn us of future attempts by the Republicans to take the electoral fight to the states. Indeed, a major battle is being fought there now as Democrats across the nation are trying to encourage states to abandon the Electoral College and move to a system that is One Person / One Vote. Indeed, the fight is not just about the House and the Senate, but about Governors as well. Inevitably, one person/one vote is the only real long-term solution. Then, using those votes to restructure the racist Supreme Court that this president, the GOP, and Project 2025 have created. To do this, your vote is needed. It may feel useless, indeed, that is the desire of this administration. To undermine trust in every social institution possible. This pressure will only increase as Republicans realize how tenuous their Christian right, white-supremacist hold on the United States has become. They’re desperate, and desperate people will become bolder in their attempts to undermine your confidence—and your vote. Don’t be fooled! Remain resilient.
15.05.2026
What Happens if the U.S. Defaults?
David Frum begins his commentary (podcast) discussing how the new T.R.U.M.P. phone debacle adds another layer of distrust in U.S. institutions, this time in business and entrepreneurialism. For those unaware of this new level of graft, it is worth delving into, but this is not the central point of my review today. Later in his podcast, Frum interviews Lloyd Blankfein, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, to examine the solvency of the United States and to post a warning about the potential default on U.S. debt. When Congress passed its One Big Beautiful Bill, it added trillions in debt to the economy. This is not unusual; the tricky part comes from “who will pay” and at what point foreign investors see the U.S. as insolvent because it is not servicing its debt. Part of this, of course, is making sure the country pays on the servicing (interest) of that debt, and both sides of Congress have become pretty innovative (irresponsible) at helping their clientele dodge the tax bullet. Here’s how Frum puts it: “All right, so the current crop of politicians—Republicans, as you would expect; Democrats too—have decided that what the situation calls for is more tax relief—that is the big idea stalking both parties. But not the general kind of tax relief that Ronald Reagan proposed or George W. Bush or even Paul Ryan and Donald Trump in 2017, but highly targeted, highly specific forms of relief for very specific groups. And that’s obviously not very popular, but politically, that’s super efficient because it doesn’t cost so much fiscally to give a remit or a respite to a particular, targeted group of people. They really appreciate it. But you end up with a tax code that makes decreasing sense, and it makes it harder and harder to pay the bills.” Frum goes on to say that this affects trust in the U.S. as a smaller group of people (low to middle-income wage earners) truly pay taxes while the wealthy pay less or even make money servicing the debt. It also doesn’t help when you have a president that says, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody.” At least he is finally being honest! Let’s do a reboot of this government and demand that the next one establish a fair tax system as a condition of receiving the honor of your vote.
14.05.2026
Psst: What No One Will Tell You About the National Debt (But I Will)
I have a great deal of respect for Robert Reich, the writer of this commentary. He has been at the heights of political power and understands the inner workings of the global economy better than most of the economic gurus I also read. So, when he warns us about the nation’s debt, I take special interest. There are a lot of people warning us about the growing national debt. David Frum of The Atlantic is similarly concerned about the U.S. defaulting on its ever-burgeoning financial responsibilities. The only ones who seem not to worry are the people in this current administration and the GOP Congress that blindly supports them (One Big Irresponsible Bill). Reich’s major point in this article is that the structure of who owns the debt has dramatically shifted under this administration (and under Republicans in general). The richest of the rich used to pay taxes that would go towards servicing the debt. Now, they own the debt and receive income from loaning money to the country. In other words, the more that the U.S. borrows, the more these small groups of people earn, and the more that they earn, the less taxes that they pay. It is like giving themselves a free loan every time this country borrows. This is an economic feedback loop that benefits only the wealthiest of the wealthy, as many, like Elon Musk (who is in China today “representing” the United States with Donald T.R.U.M.P.), whose personal fortunes are greater than the national domestic income of many nations. These people (who literally own the T.R.U.M.P. administration) have a substantial personal interest in growing national debt. Reich (and others) are raising alarm bells because there are no internal monitors on this feeding frenzy of spiraling debt—especially now that this administration has installed its own patsy at the Federal Reserve. Will the Reserve remain its role as an independent agency or become another example of previous guardrails gone MAGA like the DOJ, the FBI, and SCOTUS? Like Reich, we should be alarmed. Alarmed enough to make our voices heard and get out an undeniable majority at the polls in November.
13.05.2026
What's a bored Donald Trump to do? Apparently, target Cuba.
Heather Digby Parton of Salon informs us that the President is bored of Iran and wants to move on to cause other chaos in the world. Not that the problem is resolved—if anything, it is much worse than it ever was prior to this administration’s involvement. But “solving” problems has never been a priority of this President; “causing” them is his bailiwick. In fact, he considers it one of his primary “negotiating strategies,” to be unpredictable. T.R.U.M.P. is not the first world “leader” to use that strategy; Nixon did it, as did Kruschev; they wanted to look crazy enough that others would not cross them. But, as The Atlantic writer, Vivian Salama states, T.R.U.M.P. has moved from “unpredictable to unreliable.” World leaders know they cannot rely on this President to keep his word and are choosing to move on without him. U.S. voters need to recognize the same thing. This President is unreliable; he is not sane; if he had marbles to lose, he’s lost the very last one. And, he has no cabinet members or GOP leaders to act as guardrails. Indeed, according to Parton, in-house discussions are that Trump would install Marco Rubio as the pseudo-president of Cuba after the regime change, which will occur, according to the White House, merely because they anchor an “aircraft carrier off their coast.” This President is the two-year-old that gets attention breaking things in the toy aisle and just when someone responsible moves in to clean up the mess, he’s moved on to smash another shiny object. This will continue as long as this madman is allowed by the GOP to run rampant in his current role. We need to overwhelmingly show the Republicans that we won’t take it anymore. Gerrymandering, wars, bullying, the attack on our own population; all of it must stop. And it will only stop if we show up and overwhelm them; we need to “Minneapolis” them, we need to “Hungary” them.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
The conservative Christian far-right MAGA cult has revealed the type of U.S. they want to enforce on everyone. It is deeply rooted in bullying, hatred, and racism. It’s time to “Minneapolis” and “Hungary” this administration!
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 06 (308 total reports)
06.05.2026-12.05.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
The conservative Christian far-right MAGA cult has revealed the type of U.S. they want to enforce on everyone. It is deeply rooted in bullying, hatred, and racism. It’s time to “Minneapolis” and “Hungary” this administration!
Visual Stories!
This acoustic rap song demands that it is time to “Tax the Rich and Wealthy.” Republicans like Eisenhower made sure that the wealthiest in the U.S. paid their fair share of taxes (91% in his administration). These extremely wealthy, extremely few no longer pay for their privilege. In fact, under this administration, they are the new bankers of the debt. https://youtu.be/mV-Pnu7hfL0?si=5nxERGL5-qNwXyjb
Top Links of the Week
12.05.2026
Trump Is ‘Bored’ With the War He Started
According to Jonathon Lemire of The Atlantic, Donald is bored with the Iran War (did I hear a collective sigh, “Poor Donnie?”). The great negotiator, deal-maker, game show host has gotten himself into quite a bind with what he calls his “detour, little excursion, and mini war.” That’s odd; I don’t think that any of those who have lost loved ones in this war-of-choice would identify it by any of those nom de plumes. This administration has continued to say it doesn’t need Congress’s approval because there is a cease-fire and all the daily incursions that happen are merely “love taps.” Disgustingly, the MAGA Cult GOP seems to accept this new Orwellian gobbledygook and won’t do anything to deter their beloved orange Demi-God. The problem is, the U.S. is running drastically low on global weapon stockpiles, while Iran supposedly still has half of its stockpiles still intact. According to Lemire, experts believe that Iran can continue this blockade for months, not days or weeks. This complicates a number of things for Poor Donnie (again a collective sigh). Midterms for one, but also rising global prices and U.S. gas prices; then there is a high-stakes meeting with China in this week, and well… Donny’s boredom and desire to attack Cuba. There are also any number of internal issues that this revenge-focused president is swamped by. Poor bored Donny (final collective sigh). He thought this non-war, war would last only a few days and a couple of weeks at the worst. Now, he’s mired in a Middle Eastern quagmire and unable to extract himself.
11.05.2026
Israel-Firsters Won’t Let Trump Get an Iran Deal
This article by Andrew Day of “The American Conservative” (yes, I do read conservative viewpoints frequently) examines—from a conservative perspective—why this president isn’t making a deal with Iran. It’s not that he doesn’t want to stop this fiasco; it’s that the people who control him won’t let him. According to Day, those people are “The Marks.” They are, according to Day, “Mark Levin of Fox News, Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post.” Again, according to Day, they “…are getting nervous that Trump might give peace a chance.” These three Marks are Netanyahu’s U.S. thumbscrews on this president and his administration, and every time Donald comes close to an agreement, the Israeli prime minister—and these three Marks—threw a wrench into the works. It is hard to tell what Netanyahu and Putin have on this president, but one can guess that it has to do with a master manipulator named, “Jeffrey Epstein.” What is Donald hiding that these people would release if he didn’t do as they bid? The bottom line is this: this president is controlled by foreign interests, malevolent foreign interests, and it is not in their interest to end this war. Their interest (and fortunes/political futures) lie in keeping Donald in line. If you don’t want Putin and Netanyahu to control the future of this country, then we need your vote at the upcoming election. Yes, T.R.U.M.P. is manipulating the election, and yes, the GOP and Supreme Court have revealed what evil looks like. But no, we still must resist. Stronger now than ever before. Make your plan, recruit others, spread the word, and do not be silent!
08.05.2026
A Dangerous New Attack on Press Freedom
David A. Graham of The Atlantic covers this ongoing story of the administration’s attacks on the free press. It is standard for T.R.U.M.P. and his lackeys to use lawsuits to attempt to intimidate and bankrupt opponents—or at least keep them tied up in court. Graham notes that the lawsuit filed by incompetent and dangerously alcoholic Kash Patel is a new low—even for an administration that has set the bar for “lowlessness.” It appears that Patel is not just trying to intimidate journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, but he is trying to use her personal files and research to identify internal leaks so Patel can hunt them down and prevent himself from being fired. Fitzpatrick cited two dozen sources in developing her story about Patel’s abuses of alcohol and his position. Once published, more sources came forward, some apparently “very high in the chain of command.” These are the people that Patel is after, along with intimidating reporters and anyone who dares honestly reveal the level of his incompetence. Using the bureau to intimidate reporters is—as Graham points out—a new level of positional abuse. Meanwhile, Rubio is traveling to Rome to meet with Pope Leo XIV, in what Rubio denies is an attempt to reset the relationship between this administration and the pontiff (after blistering responses from, even the MAGA right, to the President’s verbal abuse of the pope—and T.R.U.M.P. posting himself as Jesus Christ). Additionally, Hegseth, having fired almost all those competent on his staff, is now bringing his wife to classified briefings; does she have classified clearance? That doesn’t matter to someone who leaked highly sensitive military plans on a public social platform. The incompetence keeps compounding and putting the U.S. in danger. We can do something about this… continue to reveal it and resist. Make plans to be sure your vote counts in the midterms. This president is running the country like he’s run six of his businesses; into bankruptcy. Let’s make sure it stops!
07.05.2026
The Pope They Didn't Want You to Notice: Race, Moral Authority, and the Audacity of JD Vance
John Kendall Hawkins of Counterpunch does an excellent job of identifying the Dunning-Kruger Effect (a cognitive bias where people with low ability or knowledge in a specific area overestimate their competence) displayed by J.D. Vance in his attempt to sermonize to Pope Leo XIV. Kendall begins by pointing out that Pope Leo is a priest of the Augustinian order and a scholar of the theologian’s writings. J.D. Vance, on the other hand, is at best obviously an amateur reader of the subject who believes that consuming a few books on the topic qualifies him to lecture and “pontificate”—even to the pontiff himself. Not only is Pope Leo an Augustinian scholar, he is also Creole, which (according to the US’s “One Drop” standard) means he is African American. Here is how Hawkins puts it, “One drop of African blood — one ancestor, one grandparent, one great-grandparent removed from the plantation — and you were Black. Fully, legally, consequentially Black, with all the social and mortal weight that word carried.” The sentence in Hawkins’s writing that touched me most deeply was this analysis of that slave trade in the United States, “…this is not our house, and the people who built this house used our great-grandparents as the lumber.” Vance, arguing Just War theory with the pope is akin to a jackass arguing race track strategy with a thoroughbred. Hawkins points out the response of the U.S. Bishops to Vance’s lecture on Just War; “The US bishops, responding to Vance without naming him, put it plainly: just war requires defense against one who ‘actively wages war.’ Aggression disqualifies itself. Preemption disqualifies itself. Resource acquisition dressed in the language of freedom disqualifies itself.” The only way the sycophantic cretins of the current administration will finally shut up is when they are finally booted out. Let’s give them that final boot by voting them out in November. There is no room for doubt here—in fact, that is what this administration is hoping (they know they are going to lose and hope they can make us question the results). This election must resemble the mandate made evident in Hungary, when Viktor Orbán was resoundingly evicted by a 79% majority.
06.05.2026
Judicial Supremacy Has Arrived
Judicial Desecration, that’s what Duncan Hosie of The Atlantic calls the Supreme Court decision to undermine the VRA (Voting Rights Act). And, the way that “injustice” Alito wrote this decision will mean that not only will it enable racial voting discrimination in the present; it will also make it extremely difficult for Congress to change it in the future. Once again, we are reminded that the only way to defeat this White Christian Nationalist scourge upon the United States is an overwhelming defeat at the midterm election. If we want a nation that provides “liberty and justice for all,” we have to show up to vote and get others to do so as well. The stakes have never been higher in our lifetime. Hosie provides insights into how Congress can address this racist decision in the future, but only if a resounding Democratic majority is elected in the next election.
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
SCOTUS (The Supreme Court of TRUMP—US) undermined voting rights for minorities, making racism the political law of the land. To fix the country, we have to overwhelmingly vote for a new Congress that will stand up to billionaires, the GOP, and MAGA.
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 05 (307 total reports)
29.04.2026-05.05.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
SCOTUS (The Supreme Court of TRUMP—US) undermined voting rights for minorities, making racism the political law of the land. To fix the country, we have to overwhelmingly vote for a new Congress that will stand up to billionaires, the GOP, and MAGA.
Visual Stories!
This week, SCOTUS (The Supreme Court of TRUMP—U.S.) institutionalized racism by destroying the VRA (Voting Rights Act). All hail Mitch McConnell and John Roberts; this is on you. This 50’s Doo Wop style song focuses on the result of the Supreme Court’s racist decision, Gerrymander: https://youtu.be/hGLcLzZSIBo?si=iJ5LauwuOwdEtAqj
Top Links of the Week
05.05.2026
Pentagon Firings Have Nothing to Do With ‘Culture’
Today, I’m focusing on this article from The Bulwark, written by Mark Hertling, because it is not only timely but also telling. It reveals how deeply the cult of this president is affecting global relationships but also the damage being done by appointing incompetent sycophants to positions like the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the FBI, Justice, and well… just about every department around this decaying madman and mockery of a Commander in Chief (or Predator in Chief to be more accurate). Retired Lieutenant General Hertling is obviously uniquely well-positioned and trained to write this examination of Hegseth’s terrible betrayal of this country and the military. He is a traitor-by-incompetence, but also by intemperance. Hertling examines the word “culture” and how a culture is formed—both in the military, but also the private sector—and this article would be an important read for anyone who sees the importance and criticality of building a culture of trust, diversity, and competence; all of which Hegseth is undermining.
04.05.2026
The Venture-Capital Populist
Once again, The Atlantic nails a difficult issue directly on its head. With this insightful (and inciting) article by George Packer. This article chronicles the takeover of Washington, DC., by tech giants during this administration. It identifies and names the “PayPal Mafia,” run primarily by Peter Thiel and a small cadre of others (including David Sacks, Elon Musk, Chamath Palihapitiya, and Marc Andreessen) who consider themselves the demigods of this generation or, in their own words, “the aristocrats of a new gilded age.” If you want to understand the fortification of the Tech-Billionaire class and how it has solidified its hold on the government of the United States, this article is a watershed opportunity. The article examines the graft of this administration, the role of cryptocurrency, and how AI is becoming a factor in who will control the outcome of “who rules the world.” Packer tracks the mindset and growth of these elite-school wunderboys through private schools, into private colleges, then on to private parties and organizations that only billionaires have access to. Of course, the most elite of which is the cadre of T.R.U.M.P. sycophants and the GOP now controlling Congress and our courts. Freedom for our nation must not just focus on changing our government but on changing our tax structure and lobbying institutions (the kind of work that Senator Elizabeth Warren consistently pursues). Who gets to buy which politicians or justices is at the heart of this change; the dark money and dark dealings that lie behind the power of semi-elected (semi-appointed) officials. This article is essential for understanding the role of this administration’s emoluments and the current issue of appointing real estate developers (friends/relatives) to act as U.S. diplomats abroad. Only a fool would think that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are acting in the best interests of the United States and the world. I’m thankful for people like Mr. Packer who are faithfully tracking the detestable graft of this administration, its lackeys, and… its owners.
01.05.2026
The Best Way to Fix the Supreme Court’s Attack on Voting Rights
Matt Ford of The New Republic quotes Rick Hasen, a UCLA law professor, who described Wednesday’s court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais as “one of the most pernicious and damaging Supreme Court decisions of the last century.” Ford goes on to tell us what the next Congress (should we survive the midterms) must do when newly elected to both limit the destruction of rights by this court, but also to address right-wing gerrymandering. I admit to having a difficult time understanding the intentionally convoluted legalities behind this archaic practice of having representatives pick their voters rather than having voters pick their representatives. But Ford has an intimate knowledge which he shares in this article. The key is winning the midterms, and the key to winning the midterms is voter turnout akin to Hungary’s in their last election. We need everyone at the polls; no one can afford to give up and not show up. This is an election for our children’s children, and that’s not hyperbole.
31.04.2026
Voters Can Be Disenfranchised Now
John Roberts’ Supreme Court has just revealed their white nationalist, racist agenda for all to see. They are undermining the VRA (Voting Rights Act), established by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This article, by Adam Serwer of The Atlantic, traces the history of voting rights and the intentional dismantling of those rights by Roberts’ court. As said by Trump’s former campaign manager, Brad Parscale, “If states are aggressive, we could see a healthy majority in the House perpetually.” It would be hard for me to be alarmist about how deeply this ruling undermines the rights of minority voters in the United States. It is court-sanctioned Jim Crowism dressed up and looking like a petulant Clarence Thomas touring white voting districts in a $267,000 RV purchased by his benefactor, Anthony Welters. There’s only one possible solution to all this: a new administration and new rules for the Supreme Court that overwhelm these openly bigoted justices. Hungary has broken its authoritarian hold with a 79.5% voter turnout. We simply can’t do less in the midterms and the elections to come. Roberts’nationalist,Act),Roberts’manager,this:overwhelmmidtermsVoter indifference is unforgivable. It elected this administration twice! Meanwhile, we need to let Democratic representatives know that they must be bold in reform, bold in impeachment, and bold in restructuring the court. They can’t dally and hope to appease the Republicans who have proven themselves traitors to this nation and our democracy.
30.04.2026
The YOLO Presidency
The president doesn’t care anymore. He doesn’t care about mid-term elections. He doesn’t care about re-election. He doesn’t care what the media says about him. He doesn’t even seem to care what MAGA says about him. He’s left them all behind for something grander. In this insightful The Atlantic article, Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer explain to us the demented workings of the president’s narcissistic collapse. Someone in Trump’s inner circle put Hegel on his mind, the German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, that is. As the journalists point out, in his early 1800s treatise, “Lectures on the Philosophy of World History,” Hegel wrote about “world-historical individuals,” primarily Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Acknowledging that the president is not an adept reader, many insiders believe the president heard a speaker at one of his golf club gatherings who compared Donald to these three. Well, T.R.U.M.P. being T.R.U.M.P., he took a liking to it. He wants to be among (as Parker and Scherer say) the “heroes of an Epoch.” He wants a legacy, not as the greatest president, but as a world disruptor, the greatest world disruptor of all time… The journalists quote a White House source as saying, “He’s been talking recently about how he is the most powerful person to ever live,” the confidant told us. “He wants to be remembered as the one who did things that other people couldn’t do, because of his sheer power and force of will.” At the same time that we reflect on the horror that this realization presents, my son reminds me that we need to encourage each other to “communitize.” Our hope lies in encouraging each other. Remember Hungary, remember Minneapolis, grassroots and resilience. Let’s keep on standing firm.
29.04.2026
The American Pope vs. the American President
This excellent article by Peter Wehner of The Atlantic poses the national emergency in the United States in proportionate terms, not just a political crisis, but a moral one. The feud that this president has decided to start against Pope Leo XIV. Wehner’s point is summed up in this sentence, “But what has made the confrontation most electrifying is the way in which the pontiff is not just standing up to the president but transcending him.” Laughably, T.R.U.M.P. has called Leo, “…weak on crime.” (what next? “Weak on the economy?”). Wehner also points out the complicity of the Nationalist Christian Right, saying, “That so many people of the Christian faith, especially white evangelicals and prominent figures within that movement, have weaponized their faith to win the favor of an American president is among the most grievous things to have occurred during the Trump era. And they have sought the favor of not just any American president but one who is mendacious, lawless, cruel, and thoroughly corrupt. These courtiers have defamed Jesus while pretending they are acting in his name. The damage they have inflicted on the Christian faith is incalculable.” A moral battle for the U.S.’s future is being fought before our eyes, what will we tell our children about our involvement in this internal war of the utmost consequence?
Youth Advocacy
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Don’t be distracted; this president has dug himself a hole with Epstein and Iran, and the only way he can see his way out of it are distractions.
https://www.communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com/youthadvocacy
Youth Advocacy
Year 5, Week 04 (306 total reports)
22.04.2026-28.04.2026
REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Jerry Goebel
Don’t be distracted; this president has dug himself a hole with Epstein and Iran, and the only way he can see his way out of it are distractions.
https://www.communitiesoftrust-jerrygoebel.com/youthadvocacy
Visual Stories!
This acoustical reggae tune examines the qualities of a bully—particularly the one in the White House. He is manipulating his base (still) with a series of distractions, but stay the course. This song says, “Stand Up, Push Back, and Push Back Hard.” https://youtu.be/0DuvWGtK1x4?si=XhBUra1jPIt8A2Jb
Top Links of the Week
28.04.2026
Why Bullies Always Fail — as Trump Is Failing
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/why-bullies-always-fail-as-is-trump
Robert Reich is a prolific writer helping us gain a deeper understanding of the political and historical perspective into the T.R.U.M.P. administration. He points out, “Trump believes that might makes right — that the stronger are entitled to attack and exploit the weaker.” Reich points to Stephen Miller telling CNN correspondent, Jake Tapper, “We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” then Reich goes on to describe that this mindset is no longer true in our current world. This is how he puts it, “If the United States stays on this course, it will find itself bereft of allies and friends, a lonely superpower in a lawless international system it has helped to create.” This administration’s mindset is a self-defeating deception that will (according to Reich) bring this president down—and the country if we don’t continue to stand up to him. This president is a bully, and like other bullies, he is a coward at heart. In example after example, he backs down when people push back against him. Use your voice, use your creativity, gather your connections, and stand up to this bully. Our children’s future depends upon it.
27.04.2026
Proving the GOP is a Cult
This article by John B. Alexander of “Daily Kos” looks at all the GOP has done to become cult followers of a president with NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Alexander lays out a litany of decisions this body of congressional men and women have made that have undermined the nation they serve and instead serve the demigod of their cult. Here’s how Alexander puts it: “To prove that the GOP has become a cult, one has but to look at their unconscionable behavior. Knowingly, they function to the detriment of America and often in contravention to their oath of office. The examples of their cult behavior are legion.” The rest of his article goes on to identify examples of bills passed and appointments approved that have caused damage, not just to the U.S., but to the world. On Saturday, the 25th, there was an alleged assassination attempt on this president (again). It is difficult to believe this is not another staged event given that it has been done before, and this president is obviously willing to do anything to distract from his past behavior and gain back points in his rapidly sinking poll numbers. MAGA cult members are already using the event to say, “This is why the president needs his new ballroom.” It’s hard to believe that he would willingly attend the White House Correspondents Dinner in the first place, after refusing to do so throughout his entire presidency and having been humiliated by Obama at the same dinner on April 30, 2011. Whatever comes of this event, please do not let it distract you from the important resistance we must continue pursuing to prevent this administration from destroying democracy in the United States. RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!
24.04.2026
What Makes Bullies Like Trump Cave?
In this article by editor Win McCormack of The New Republic, we receive additional insight into the true nature of this president. McCormack says, “Trump is a bloated, pretentious, cowardly bully, and like all bullies, he can be made to stand down…” The journalist then presents case after case to verify his assertion. T.R.U.M.P. is not just a cowardly narcissist; he is also a sadist. A sadist gets pleasure from exploiting the pain of the weak. The weaker their prey, the more pleasure they feel. That is why this president was so enamored with Epstein’s exploitation of girls. There was a good meme today that stated, “Every single member of what is left of the GOP should be forced in front of the camera every single day and made to read Trump’s latest posts out loud and then look right down the barrel of the camera and say, ‘I still support this man as president.’”—Stephens_Ben of The Resistance. Thank you, Mr. Stephens_Ben, for articulating what so many of us feel. Let’s make sure that we can tell our children and children’s children that we did all we could to end this lunacy
23.04.2026
On the Brink of Global Recession
David Frum always provides an in-depth assessment of current political issues from a historical perspective. In this article (podcast), he interviews Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, for a conversation about the state of the world’s economy. They discuss the economic effect of the war in Iran, the United States’ reputational hit caused by Trump’s tariffs, and the chance of a global recession. There are multiple important points in this article, but the primary insights were how the U.S. (under this administration) has gone from a stable insurer of the world markets to a hated profiteering and racketeering piracy threatening the world market. Here is the observation that Frum makes while likening this administration to the Habsburgs of Spain and Austria from the late 1200s to the early 1900s. From states, “But the No. 1 power, while stronger than any other power, was never stronger than all the other powers. And what would happen was anyone who emerged as the strongest power, all the other powers would combine to tear down the strongest power because they perceived it as a threat to each of them in turn.” Project 2025, T.R.U.M.P., and the GOP have turned the US economy into that hated “strongest power.” The coalition being built against the U.S., because of their undependable behavior, strengthens daily. We are fast becoming “The Hated Economy,” if not the least dependable. And, it isn’t this administration, it’s the fickleness of the U.S. people swinging from liberalism to illiberalism. From Obama to T.R.U.M.P. From a system of fairly reliable laws to a system of elites raping (literally and figuratively) their people.
22.04.2026
April 21, 2026
Donald is losing on multiple fronts. In her commentary this morning, Heather Cox Richardson takes a deep dive into all sides of this story. There is no discernible strategy (or off-ramp) for his war of choice in Iran, and the president keeps undermining the peace process with his own midnight tweets and manic ravings. His cabinet continues to disintegrate with continued examples of chronic character flaws and public displays of incompetence. The president continues to start new wars of choice by posting pictures of himself as Jesus Christ and attacking Pope Leo XIV. Then, when you think it couldn’t get worse for him, he loses an important vote on gerrymandering in Virginia (although a judge could reverse that win in the near future). All told, this president has shot so many holes in his bone-spurred feet that one wonders if he has any shoe leather left to make the trek to golf courses this spring.
