and not the presidency as well. It's gonna take years to fix this.

Gotta admit I’m afraid we’ll eff that up and there will be no third chances.

it took generations of knowledge building upon knowledge to create the standards and procedures by which our government operates. unfortunately the mass firings have gutted those lifetimes of knowledge. We basically have to almost start over. And who is going to put themselves up for a career in government service when they know their employment is only as steady as the next maniac the country deems fit to put in power? it is going to take a few generations to rebuild those things and that is assuming America ever votes to not only put Democrats in power but keep them in power long enough to do that work (which they won't.)

We'll always be a global superpower but as a society, we have peaked.

Superpower??? Ah, yah……the United States of America is the laughing stock of the world. JMHO. and I hope I’m wrong.

as hard as Trump and his minions are. That means attacking corrupt politicians and judges, firing Trump installed lackeys and prosecuting officials who broke the law. And I'd add, making sure states and local entities run by Republicans don't get to drink at the well; you get close to what you paid into the system, not more for the sake of being "nice" and hoping people change their minds.

Looking out at the current state of the Democratic Party, I don't think there's anyone with the b-lls to play that game. Until folks are made to live with their politician's incompetence, there's little chance MAGA is going to learn anything.

You already are - you can envision a time when Trump is gone. Many people can’t. JMHO, but I really don’t think that he will survive his term - physically, mentally, or politically. Physically and mentally, he’s a mess. We’re in Weekend at Bernie’s territory now, and it’s only going to get worse.

At some point, Trump will either do something so egregious that even the Republicans can’t stand it (full-scale war, invading Canada, shooting protestors, crapping on stage, etc.) or something in the past will come to light that is a simply bridge too far and that can be proven (murder, child trafficking, giving national secrets to Russia and other foreign powers, etc.). Then he might be removed politically, especially if we win the midterms. He’s so decrepit and corrupt that there are literally a million things that could bring him down. It could even be the Epstein saga and his own base.

Of course, then we get Vance. But even that’s not guaranteed. The Republican Party is divided, with each wackadoodle faction absolutely convinced that they’re right. Vance does not have the spine or the exquisite ability to strong-arm like Trump does. And he has zero charisma, so even the base doesn’t like him. If we’re incredibly lucky and Trump is proven to be a traitor, then Vance and the whole house of cards would go down with him.

Of course, whatever happens it will take a long time to get back to normal - although I suspect that ‘normal’ will be refined - in a good way. If we can reduce or eliminate the influence of big money on the political system, we might be able to move towards universal healthcare, restoration and expansion of individual rights, meaningful gun reform, elimination of the electoral college.- stuff that should have been done a long time ago. I suspect that a lot of Federal workers could be enticed back to public service by the appeal of what they had before - rock solid job security, good pay, great benefits, significant time off, etc. - especially if they are now working in the private sector.

There is still hope, as long as you don’t give in to apathy and despair. The midterms are not as far away as they seem right now. We will almost invariably take the House, at least, which should put a major crimp in Republican plans. In the meantime, ‘tend to your own garden’ and try to refocus on what makes you happy.

We are not going to be able to restore the government to the same state it was when Trump took over. Too many people gone, too much knowledge lost, too many buildings lost. Even if we had the trifecta of Democratic rule for several terms, we will not have the funds available to quickly restore the old status quo.

However, we might get there more quickly and cheaply if we are willing to look at things with fresh eyes. Maybe we don’t need as many employees as we thought. Maybe modern technology can be a force multiplier. Perhaps embracing “work from home” will allow both a quicker ramp up but also encourage people back to civil service.

I’m angry that it’s all burned down, but perhaps a fresh start will be beneficial in the long run…

that republicans always overreach because they believe the lies the spew. They, like their followers, act on impulse. The ones that worry me are Peter Thiel along with his allies the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, and the billionaire friends. They do not act on impulse.

Break up the monopolies, especially those in the media.
Tax the billionaires.

As I see it those are the big three.
Voter suppression makes this a minority ruled country.
Mega corporate power and big media are corrupting the body politic.
Billionaires the "morbidly wealthy" are a cancer in our nation.