TBR's Traitor of the Week
Quisling
I'm of an age that still remembers Vidkun Quisling. He was not simply a traitor to the Norwegian state. He betrayed the people. He betrayed their honor.
That's why Borowitz's weekly prize is a "good" idea. MAGA is betraying America in the deeper ways, as Quisling betrayed his people.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Shown here at his trial in Oslo, he was convicted and executed.
(Fox Photos/Getty Images)
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "quisling" as a traitor. The Britannica dictionary offers a somewhat more specific definition: "a person who helps an enemy that has taken control of his or her country."
You'd have to be pretty heinous to have a word like that named after you, but Vidkun Quisling, the Nazi collaborator who led Norway during Hitler's occupation, deserved it. Tried in Oslo for treason and a shitload of other crimes, he was executed in 1945.
Norwegians might hate me for saying this, but I think it's time to give "quisling" an update—because, right here in the United States of America, we have an embarrassment of traitors crying out for such enshrinement.
Today, I'm introducing a new TBR Sunday Read feature: Traitor of the Week. In addition to finding a replacement for "quisling" in the dictionary, I hope to provide an important public service.
When the current fascist regime ruling the US comes to an end—as all things do—there will be tribunals in which the worst traitors will be held to account, much as Vidkun Quisling was in Oslo. Winnowing the list of Trump's many enablers will be arduous, time-consuming work. By shining a light on the most egregious of the lot, I hope to assist whoever is ultimately assigned that daunting task.
But first, a ground rule: a Traitor of the Week must be endowed with not just duplicitousness, but selfishness bordering on sociopathy. As the journalist Rosetta Miller Perry wrote in a 2023 opinion piece, a quisling is "someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force for personal gain." (FYI, Perry's piece was entitled, "Vivek Ramasamy is the Ultimate Quisling.") And so, as I choose candidates for Traitor of the Week, I will narrow my focus to people who are enabling this lawless regime out of ambition and/or greed—and not out of a sincere belief that what Trump is doing is good for the nation.
For that reason, someone like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will not be a Traitor of the Week. You can hurl a lot of insults at Marge, but one thing you can't say is that she's pretending to be dumb to suck up to Trump. In October of last year, for example, she claimed that Democrats were using technology to make hurricanes hit red states. "Yes they can control the weather," she posted on X. "It's ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done." You can't fake that kind of stupid.
So, according to my ground rule, "greene" could never replace "quisling" in the dictionary. To make Traitor of the Week, you have to be someone who knows better—but has chosen to betray the United States anyway.
Over the coming weeks, I'll be rolling out Traitors of the Week for your consideration. It would be physically debilitating to attempt to profile all of Trump's enablers, but I will do my best to highlight the worst of the worst. Once I've shared a number of these candidates, I'll invite you to vote for America's Top Traitor.
Whatever
It took me seventy years to understand just how deeply I had been bamboozled by American propaganda. I had been taught to believe that America is a better place. That America holds to higher standards.
Maybe all that was true, once. Several times, I have visited the military cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, just above the cliffs of Omaha Beach, where thousands of young Americans gave their lives to stop fascism. It's hard to breath, gazing out over the thousands of crosses, stars of David, and - yes - crescents.
And now we have Trump and Musk.
All is not lost yet. We have a 'remainder' of the good people still here in the country. For example, we have good people being fired around the country and their extended families and friends who will remember their abuse, humiliation, and mistreatment at the hand of a cruel president and his billionaire of billionaires friend. Good people will remember, or learn the lesson for the first time, sadly, that you can not trust. . . billionaires. . . with political power over rank and file folks, because they can not relate to ordinary standards of living down 'here' where our living takes place realistically. And yes, there are good billionaire people, and so they must push back against their fellow bad billionaires. . . (sigh) as it has always been the case for them.
Our billionaires are the good billionaires.
"The love of money is the root of all evil."
So true.
When are you headed back to/from France again?
Must not be cheap.
These so-called, "evangelicals" have forgotten the ministry to which they ascribe: Jesus did not ask for wealth or gifts in return for his healings, restoration, ministering, and taking away the sins of the world- though it could have been ASKED and PAID. Jesus gave and continues to give FREELY. That is what Jesus taught whomsoever has spiritual ears to hear (and are not spiritually DEAF).
Jesus could easily have OBJECTIFIED the world and told it to shape up or 'get lost' literally, but did not do it. He treated the world HUMANELY. These 'evangelicals' idolize a nation-instead of God ("the true REPLACEMENT theory activity), and it is to the shame of the Shameless!
Actually... we discovered Yuma because my dad had a condo here. We were visiting him about fifteen years ago, at a moment when the euro was high, over $1.30, and Yuma real estate was very low. We bought a condo in the same complex for $ 79 000 (€ 61 000). The market value today is about $ 120 000, with the euro at $1.05, that's € 126 000, or a gain of € 65 000. That's a lot of airplane...
But hey! You just imagine whatever makes you happy...
I agree. It is sinful to demean good people and take away their HONEST and HEARTFELT positive work done in good faith for all our GOOD, by lying on them and turning them into demons in order to get one's way with them. "Evangelicals" should know God is not pleased by their attitudes and their activities of expediency. These people should know and REMEMBER the Bible also states: 'God is not Mocked!' And, God will not stand by idly while God's Glory is abused on account of lying 'men.'
Christ would be deported. Brown skin. Small.
Worst of all... preached a totally woke message.
Maybe He wouldn't be deported. Crucified.
So-called, "evangelicals' (Jerks mostly) should be concerned that they (and they are bringing up their children after the 'fashion') are making this country an Idol. It is not that. Shame on the Shameless! Giving God's glory to 'another' is morally wrong!
There are many working in our government who would not be 'wanted' or 'desirable' by the private sector either because they are: a Minority; gender LGBTQ; Trans-people; Disabled; A Senior (with experience in a particular field); and yet we have so-called, "evangelical" demonizing them and casting them out into the surrounding darkness of no-hire despair. . . and they PROFESS to love God. . . WHAT KIND OF GOD IS IT? An evil and Jealous God who passes judgement on GOOD PEOPLE and does them great harm.
(These so-called, "evangelicals" won't discuss it, because they can't defend this evil they are doing.)
God is a DEI employer.
If you think that is true, why should we bloat the size of government just to appease a very small part of the population?
Maybe they should learn code.
Wrong...God allows anyone in his fold no matter who you are or claim to be.
Of course. If God is God then giving/providing/caring for the 'whole' world means, community, divvying up and inclusion for everybody. Thus it means the GOP party and MAGAs and other Exclusioners are hatemongers, jealous (of God), unloving, dividers, and morally wrong!
The use of the word, "appease" shows contempt for a "small part of the population."
Well "Bugsy" the answer is obvious: Minorities, LGBTQ, Transpeople, Disabled persons, Seniors (with specific skills left); need to eat, work, survive and like the collective "you" have a love for COUNTRY and want to see it succeed. They also wish for themselves to be self-reliant.
But they can't help society or 'do' anything from the back "woods" wilderness of despair - that shadow-"Hell" conservatives want them to recede to and stay out of the way of the chosen Majority - White Christian Conservative Heterosexual (WCCH and "Selected others").
The government's role is to protect and serve its citizens - all of them impartially: Thus, It it is morally wrong to ignore thousands or millions of good citizens whose only problem is they are neither (WCCH and "Selected others") since those people are desirous of participating and servicing this country too. And, through participation and service add to the wealth and 'volume' of life here.
Now oblige me with MAGA's definition of what a 'GOOD' person is, please proceed. . . .
Yup
Kudos to you for gracefully weathering the proselytizing.
Buzz, which one of the above do you consider happening here; why is any appeal to a higher 'cause/calling' a problem/issue?
After all, it is Evangelical conservatives who are being appealed to in 1.1.2 in this thread. We have to reach them (speak their "language" back to them) where their cause has established its foundation/'home.' Yes?
Pssssstt.
That is what the statement meant.
Thanks for the correction. I should have said "preaching" instead of "proselytizing".
I Timothy 16:10: That's 'bible,' talk. So when it is spoken, it invokes meaning and context of itself from those who are ' receivers .'
Moreover, I recently read that Elon Musk did an interview where he labels himself a "Cultural Christian" meaning that he approximates certain concepts of the Christian ideology (calendar) unto himself. Only he would know how superficial or deep that it amounts to being. If there is a conscience there, 'somebody' would do well to attempt to ' prick ' it.
I would disagree.
Yes--in many cases that's true. an obsession with money is the major driving force in the lives of many.
In fact I have often heard many people, when asked if they could magically have one wish that would come ask for...yup.. their wish would be "winning the lottery".
And in some cases money is so important to them that they'd do anything to get it.
But....
So what's the "but"?
Simply this-- there are people for whom money is not that important. There are people for whom other things are really important.
And while some of them might do really evil things attempting to achieve those (non-monetary) goals, their "root of their evil" is not money.
So I think it more accurate to say:
The love of money is the root of much evil.
Perhaps even:
The love of money is the root of most evil.
What makes you think that its "a very small part" of the population?
There is such a thing as a psychopath, someone who commits evil for no apparent reason. Something like 1% of all Americans.
I think there are FAR more whose evil is easily observed as greed-based.
I agree.
But IMO there are people who commit evil-- but they do it for a reason. And there are reasons other than greed.
For example, in "romantic" relationships. Jealosy of another person's relationship (and in a situation where's money is irrelevant).
I have seen many situations where there's something someone really wants, and commits "evil deeds" in an attempt to get it. (Or they already have it and are afraid of losing it).
Yes, often that "thing" is money. But often its something else.
Yes, and in the words of Gordon Gecko, "Greed is good". I'd venture to say it could be the Americans' most popular of the Seven Deadly Sins.
I agree with the implication of your statement, i.e. that in addition to greed-- there are indeed six others!
(If, indeed, greed is the most popular . . .that in no way negates the possibility that there are six others!)
And no- I did not play one on TV!
In what way are they "good billionaires"?
I read something interesting on Face Book this morning. The post was about the "new" Christians today who don't have a bad word to say about trmp. You can't even engage them in conversation and if you did they would spout the Prosperity Gospel. Poor people are poor because they don't believe in God or they don't believe in him enough
They'd crucify Christ for being too woke.
In-general, those Christians are fundamentalists, Southern Baptists, and the catch-all: Largely White Evangelicals (the noisiest of all) .
Interesting chart
Hm mm. Why do you think so, specifically?
Mormons and Catholics, mainly.
White evangelical protestant: Dem: 14 Repub: 85. If that is what you mean, it is hard to tell from the comment.
Those numbers don't surprise me. The Catholic and Mormon numbers do.
I understand now.
It's the volume of conservative propaganda that is put out on a cyclic basis. It really takes a quality spirit of discernment (the deeper things) to withstand such onslaughts of misinformation, disinformation, and as the bible calls them: "lying spirits" in this world which (mis)informs believers that it is necessary and okay to judge and deny others their 'place' free from religious persecution.
Really? I'm not surprised that Catholics and Mormons are disproportionately republican
The size surprises me, not the direction.
"And now we have Trump and Musk."
And not a moment too soon!
Left wing crackpottery.
Any comparison of what is happening in the US today, with what was going on in Europe in the thirties and forties, is simply nonsensical.
It’s shameless. Absolutely shameless ……
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The issue is not actually what is wrong with Donald Trump. He is mentally ill, and has been the entire time he has been in politics. The issue is what is wrong with the American people, who promote him and his insanity.
The issue is what is wrong with PEOPLE, period. Those who have studied history see the same bushtit over and over again. From the Sumerians to the Chinese throughout written history, nothing but warfare broken by periods of subterfuge and planning revenge.
City State vs City State based on lies and deceptions and jealousies but the Greeks did give us a vague definition of democracy circa 500AD.
Warfare has simply increased exponentially with human populations with over two hundred long term wars in the last two centuries alone exacerbated by the use of gunpowder for destructive purposes.
The more good things we build, the more someone sees the need to destroy them.
I am shocked at Elon Musk's 'truth.' That is, what he is showing us about himself: being merciless and sadistic towards otherwise innocent people seeking to deserve their nation in some capacity-which can turn out to be a career/way of life.
After-all, Mr. Musk is profiting from his time in DOGE to leave space for back-filling with his financial self-interests while stifling and ending ("canceling"?) the rights and privileges of those employees who serve everyone even-handedly. Rule 1: Demonize what you wish to eradicate from society.
Federal workers have been demonized by a label (for removal): The "Deep state."
It's convenient and easier on the conscience to delete what you demonize.
As I've said many times here already, it's the failure of the American educational system to prepare its students with critical thinking skills, and the American propensity to be more impressed by wealth and celebrity than by merit and creativity.
As I've said many times here already, it's the failure of the American educational system to prepare its students with critical thinking skills,
In my experience. that's generally true. (I'm sure there are a few-- very few--local school districts and even some universities that are an exception--but its generally true).
and the American propensity to be more impressed by wealth and celebrity than by merit and creativity.
Also true, more often then not. But there are exceptions.
My father had a little sign tacked up in his work area. It said:
At this point in discussions of this sort I usually post one of my two all time favourite videos. So-- IMO this one seems relevant:
Apple "Think Different" (Steve Jobs narrated)
#thinkdifferent #stevejobs #apple
Excellent!
I know that video well.
IMO that video really captures the essence of the Astrological sign of Aquarius.
It's a sign to follow.
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The gop has been freaking out about creeping socialism for 100 yrs!
Absolutely?
Most definitely …..
That form of crackpottery is Japanese actually:
Its called "Kintsugi":
Kintsugi ('golden repair') is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, embracing flaws and imperfections rather than disguising them.
Buddha would be proud
To out a spin on Robert Bolt, Trump is a traitor for ALL seasons.
That's one opinion. Unfounded, but an opinion nonetheless.
Well, as William Jenning Bryan once said:
You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold"