Progressive Thinking

“Freedom” in America has become little more than a slogan. Other countries provide healthcare, education, and dignity without bragging about it. Meanwhile, the U.S. drowns in debt and calls it patriotism. We’re not the freest. We’re just the loudest.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - I want to be a proud American. I want to feel good about this country. But that gets harder every day—not because I’ve stopped loving what this place could be, but because the people running it, especially under Trump and the current GOP machine, have poisoned the well. They’ve turned the word “freedom” into a marketing gimmick—a smokescreen to distract from greed, cruelty, and decay.

We say we’re the “freest country in the world,” but what does that even mean anymore? We love to chant it, print it on shirts, and use it to justify every disaster we let unfold. But it sure doesn’t feel like freedom when your medical bill is larger than your mortgage. It doesn’t feel like freedom when your job offers no sick leave, your rent eats your paycheck, and your retirement plan is “don’t get old.”

Here’s the part that really burns: while we scream about how free we are, people in other countries are just… living. They’re not waving flags every five minutes. They don’t need to. Their governments treat them like citizens, not burdens. They don’t have to earn basic rights through bootstraps and bankruptcy courts.

Take Finland: their education system is ranked among the best in the world. No tuition. No standardized test mania. Teachers are respected, paid well, and given autonomy. Meanwhile, we’re giving teachers “DonorsChoose” accounts and asking them to crowdfund pencils.

In Germany, college is free even for foreigners. In America, you can graduate with $120,000 in student debt and a degree that gets you a job asking, “Do you want fries with that?”

In Australia, you can call an ambulance without panicking. You won’t get a $4,000 bill just for being unconscious. In the UK, you don’t pay a dime at the ER. Here? You get a financial death sentence for a broken leg or a trip to the ICU.

Norway guarantees parental leave—paid parental leave—for both parents. In America? You’re lucky if your employer lets you use two weeks of vacation, unpaid, while you try to survive on microwave dinners and three hours of sleep.

France gives you a month of vacation by law, and workers will literally shut the country down if their rights are threatened. Here, we clap for people working 70-hour weeks with no healthcare like they’re heroes—not victims.

And yet we still act like we're the best. We still equate "America" with "freedom," like the rest of the world is just waiting for us to rescue them from their scary socialist nightmare. Meanwhile, they’re sipping wine on paid leave, seeing doctors without bills, and not worrying that a random Tuesday at school might be their last.

And then there's Trump—because how could we forget? Under his reign, "freedom" became the right to be selfish. The right to ignore public health. The right to call immigrants animals. The right to keep a boot on the neck of anyone who's not white, straight, rich, and born within our borders.

It wasn’t about expanding freedom—it was about weaponizing it. Under Trump, freedom meant cruelty for everyone else and total impunity for the powerful. If you're rich, you were free to loot the system. If you're poor? You were free to suffer quietly—or get arrested trying to survive.

So yeah, I want to be a proud American. But it's hard when you live in a country that refuses to take care of its own, that mocks compassion as weakness, and that clings to this absurd myth that we’re number one just because we say so. We’re not. And unless we stop lying to ourselves, we never will be.

I don’t want a country that tells me I’m lucky to be here. I want a country that proves it. Because if this is what freedom looks like—crippling debt, mass shootings, poverty wages, zero safety nets—then what exactly are we so proud of?

Trump’s “big beautiful bill” isn’t policy—it’s punishment. With $3.3 trillion in giveaways to the rich and a scorched-earth campaign against the poor, sick, and working class, this is America 2025: where billionaires get tax breaks and hungry families get cut off.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - So here we are again—Donald Trump is back in the White House, and predictably, he’s wasting no time turning cruelty into policy. His latest monstrosity, the so-called “big beautiful bill,” is a $3.3 trillion Trojan horse: sold as a cure for the nation’s budget woes, but in reality, it’s just another grotesque cash grab for the ultra-wealthy. This isn’t policy—it’s class warfare, and Trump is leading the charge with a golden sledgehammer aimed squarely at the necks of the poor, sick, and working-class Americans.

Let’s cut through the bullshit. The bill enacts brutal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—two lifelines for millions of Americans—all while showering the rich with permanent tax cuts and flashy new loopholes. Since Trump took office again in 2025, at least 10.6 million people are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, not because they got richer, but because Republicans decided healthcare for the poor is just too damn expensive. Even worse, many are being purged due to paperwork technicalities. If you missed a deadline or couldn’t print your 12th form in time, too bad—you’re out. No insulin, no cancer treatment, no care for your disabled kid. Meanwhile, the only thing expanding is the IRS backlog of audits targeting working families for minor errors on child tax credits.

And if that weren’t vile enough, Trump’s bill also slashes SNAP—cutting off about 8 million people from food assistance. That’s nearly one in five current recipients. They want you to believe it's about “personal responsibility,” but the data is clear: most adults on SNAP already work—just not at jobs that provide basic security. Nearly 70% of SNAP households have children. But in Trump’s America, if you’re not clocking 40 hours at a dead-end job that still doesn’t pay rent, you can starve. Maybe your billionaire landlord will toss you some caviar from his yacht in the Maldives.

This is all part of a much bigger scam. While the poor get choked by red tape, the rich are handed golden parachutes. The bill makes Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, with even more goodies for the upper crust. That includes tax write-offs on tips and overtime (nice headline, but temporary), and juiced-up deductions for older taxpayers with six-figure incomes. There's even a temporary raise in the State and Local Tax (SALT) cap—from $10,000 to $40,000—so millionaires in blue states can keep more of their loot. These aren’t crumbs. They’re cakes for the rich. Yale’s Budget Lab confirms it: the poorest Americans see their incomes shrink by 2.5%, while the top earners get richer by 2.4%. Trump’s America is Robin Hood in reverse.

And let’s not forget the hypocrisy of “fiscal responsibility.” Trump’s gang loves to scream about the deficit, but this bill explodes it—adding $3.3 trillion in red ink by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Why? Because slashing benefits isn’t enough—they need to bankroll tax cuts for the already rich. It’s smoke, mirrors, and moral rot. Meanwhile, $45 billion goes to ICE for deportation crackdowns, and $50 billion is set aside for more walls and militarized border zones. They won’t pay to keep your grandma alive, but they’ll bankroll a wall no one asked for and no one needs.

Tax evasion? Still thriving. The top 1% dodge around $163 billion every single year, nearly double what the entire SNAP program costs. And let’s not even get started on the $200 billion in COVID relief fraud—much of it taken by corporations that didn’t need a dime. These scams are forgiven like a priest at confession, while poor people face jail time for misreporting a few hundred bucks in emergency relief.

So yes—entitlement has become a dirty word in Trump’s America. And that’s the damn disgrace.

Because here’s the truth: people are entitled to certain things. Healthcare when they’re sick. Food when they’re hungry. Safety when they’re old or disabled. These aren’t luxuries—they’re the bare minimum of a decent society. But we live in a country where the loudest voices scream “No fair!” if someone else gets help. As if we all start from the same line. As if empathy is some kind of weakness.

This isn’t just economic policy—it’s a reflection of who we are. Or maybe more accurately, who we’ve become. Trump struts onstage, bragging about how he’s “saving” America by gutting its most humane programs, all while Fox News calls it a victory for “working Americans.” Working Americans? They’re the ones being sacrificed.

And let’s settle something once and for all: these programs are called entitlements because people earned them. They exist because we, as a nation, supposedly believe in human dignity. But if we can’t afford to keep people fed and alive, then what the hell are we funding? This isn’t a civilized nation—it’s a banana republic with gold trim, where the king hoards while the peasants beg. Trump’s bill is a branding iron—searing his name onto every cut, every cancellation letter, every ER visit that ends in bankruptcy. It’s not just cruel. It’s criminal.

So let’s call this bill what it really is: a blood-soaked budget for billionaires, a death sentence for the vulnerable, and a celebration of systemic greed.

Welcome to America, where facts are optional, fear is currency, and everyone’s one meme away from a meltdown. I wrote this blog to drag the manipulation machine into the spotlight—where it belongs. If you’ve ever asked, how the hell did we get here?... pull up a chair. You’re not alone.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - I used to think I was pretty sharp. A thinker. A question-asker. A woman who couldn’t be duped by shiny objects or political tap dancing. And yet here I am, watching half the country fall face-first into the same manipulation trap over and over again like it’s a damn carnival game—except nobody’s winning a goldfish, just a warped sense of reality and maybe a tin foil hat.

Welcome to America, where the lies are slick, the truth is boring, and people treat Facebook memes like sacred scripture.

It starts with the news. Not the news as in “factual information,” but the multi-million-dollar circus of opinion, drama, and commercial breaks. Everyone’s got a narrative to sell. One channel tells you immigrants are crawling through your windows and stealing your lawn chairs, and the other acts like everything is fine except for the occasional democracy fire. You’re not being informed. You’re being marketed to. They’re not here to tell you what’s true—they’re here to sell you a story you’ll watch with your mouth open and remote in hand like it’s the last season of Succession.

Then comes repetition. Repeat a lie enough times and it gets shiny. Familiar. Comforting, even. Like that old pair of sweatpants you know you shouldn’t wear in public but somehow still do. Say something like “The election was stolen” or “Climate change is a hoax” enough times, and folks start defending it like it’s their firstborn. Doesn’t matter if it makes no sense. If it feels true, that’s close enough, right?

We’re also soaking in fear like it’s a bubble bath. And let me tell you, fear sells. It sells ads. It sells guns. It sells entire political careers. The more terrified you are, the easier you are to herd. And while we’re busy panicking about imaginary threats (like being forced to eat vegan meatloaf or share a bathroom with someone who doesn’t match our bathroom expectations), the real problems—corporate greed, dying ecosystems, a healthcare system held together with scotch tape and ductwork—go completely ignored.

Meanwhile, the social media overlords are sitting back with their feet up, watching us implode one “BREAKING NEWS” post at a time. Those algorithms know us better than we know ourselves. They feed us exactly what will keep us scrolling, arguing, and foaming at the mouth like caffeinated raccoons. If you believe Bigfoot is your spirit guide, congratulations—by dinner, your feed will be a conspiracy buffet with a side of QAnon fries.

And the tribalism? Oh boy. We’ve traded conversation for teams. Pick a side and stay loyal, no matter how dumb it gets. Your team can literally light their pants on fire, and you'll still find a way to blame the other guys for handing them the match.

Now let’s talk about the American obsession with “all opinions matter.” Look—I’m all for free speech, but just because you can say something doesn’t mean it deserves airtime. We’ve reached the point where “Well, that’s just my opinion” is used as a get-out-of-facts-free card. That guy on YouTube with the crazy eyes and unverified credentials? His “truth” apparently carries just as much weight as someone with three degrees and a lab coat. Brilliant.

And while we’re all screaming at each other over who can say what where and whether books should include gay penguins, guess who’s quietly robbing us blind? The rich. The powerful. The corporations with more tax breaks than employees. But sure, let’s blame the cashier at Walgreens or the guy who cleans hotel toilets for ruining America. Makes total sense.

Don’t overlook the rise of the Influencer Industrial Complex. Apparently, if you have a ring light, a half-smile, and a decent squat routine, people will trust you with everything from financial advice to holistic remedies made of fermented goat spit. Science? Who needs it? Credentials? So overrated. That girl with 200K followers who sells waist trainers and essential oils now has thoughts on international diplomacy and vaccines. And guess what? People are listening.

Then we’ve got the conspiracy crowd, where logic goes to die. These folks believe they’ve cracked the code while the rest of us are sleepwalking through life. They’ve connected the dots—from Hillary’s emails to lizard people running Target—and you can’t convince them otherwise. It’s like once you’ve bought the ticket to Crazytown, there are no refunds. Only more dots.

But the root of it all? We’ve never been taught to think. Really think. Question sources. Challenge assumptions. Ask, “Wait a minute, where the hell did that come from?” Instead, we were handed standardized tests and told to memorize stuff we forgot before the ink dried on our Scantron sheets. And so here we are. A nation with supercomputers in our pockets and brains full of bumper stickers.

So yeah—we’re being manipulated. Intentionally. Repeatedly. Expertly. But here’s the kicker: we’re active participants in our own bamboozling. We like being right more than we like being informed. We’d rather be outraged than curious. And as long as we keep taking the bait, the people reeling us in will never run out of line.

On June 14, Donald Trump will throw himself a $45-million military-themed birthday party, paid for by American taxpayers. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when a narcissist uses a government like a mirror, this parade is it.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - Well folks, get ready to wave your tiny plastic flags and clap like trained seals, because this Saturday, June 14, the former President — turned current self-appointed Emperor of All That is Golden and Grifty — is throwing himself a $45-million birthday bash.

No, not with his own money. Don’t be ridiculous. That cash is safely tucked away in off-shore accounts, crypto wallets, and the pockets of MAGA fanatics who bought his snake oil. This little shindig? You are paying for it. Every firework, every boot-polished soldier, every flyover that rattles the windows — that’s your tax dollars at work, baby.

The man who once called military service “a sucker’s game” now wants soldiers to march in formation to honor... his birth. I guess when you’ve turned the presidency into a reality show, the only logical next step is turning the national budget into your birthday fund.

This isn’t just a party. It’s a state-sponsored ego massage. A massive parade of pomp and delusion, where military might is misused not to defend our country, but to prop up a 78-year-old man who still throws tantrums when the spotlight shifts off him for five minutes.

And let’s talk about why this is so dangerous.

Authoritarians throughout history have used military parades to flex power and instill fear. Stalin did it. Kim Jong-un still does it. And now, Donald Trump — who once hugged the flag like it was a stripper on a pole — is staging his own star-spangled homage to himself. Not to America. Not to freedom. To himself.

All this while he continues to peddle lies, grift millions off his cult followers through shady crypto ventures, and publicly fantasize about imprisoning his political opponents like it’s a segment on Fox News’s “Wheel of Vengeance.”

And the cherry on top? He’ll call it patriotic.

He’ll wrap it in the flag, slap a bald eagle on it, and tell you it’s for the “real Americans.” You know, the ones who think democracy is a buffet and Trump gets to pick the menu.

Meanwhile, the national debt balloons. The VA is underfunded. Public schools are crumbling. Affordable housing? Healthcare? Clean water? Nah — let’s blow $45 million so a man with more indictments than accomplishments can feel like a king for a day.

It’s not just wasteful. It’s obscene. It’s not just un-American. It’s grotesquely, flamboyantly anti-American — a cult of personality funded by people who can’t afford groceries but still think this man gives a damn about them.

This isn’t a celebration of patriotism. It’s a funeral for common sense.

Governor Tony Evers did his job—and Trump’s goons threatened him with arrest. If that doesn’t chill you to the bone, you’re not paying attention.

LAKE GENEVA, WI - Let me say this as plainly as I can: What just happened to Governor Tony Evers is not only outrageous—it’s authoritarian rot, spreading from the Oval Office like mold in a condemned building.

Here we have a man—an elected governor, mind you—doing the bare minimum any responsible leader should do: advising his staff to seek legal counsel if federal agents show up with documents. You know, the same advice every lawyer in America would give. And for that? He gets threatened with arrest by a Trump administration official. Not for breaking the law. Not for obstructing justice. But for… telling people to call a lawyer.

Let that sink in.

What country are we living in? Because I don’t recognize this one anymore.

This isn’t just political bullying. It’s the kind of power grab you expect from dictators and strongmen, not from a so-called “president” of a democratic republic. Tom Homan—Trump’s latest lapdog—had the gall to say, “Wait ’til you see what’s coming,” like he’s the villain in some third-rate dystopian drama. And just like that, Republican lawmakers leapt to attention, parroting Trump’s tantrum-fueled threats like trained seals at a circus. Only this circus runs on fear, cruelty, and delusion.

This isn’t law and order. This is lawlessness disguised as authority.

Let’s be real—this is what Trump and his cult followers want: complete submission to their power, no matter how unlawful or unconstitutional their demands. Speak up? You’re a criminal. Defend your rights? You’re a traitor. Uphold the Constitution? You’re the enemy. That’s where we are now.

What Governor Evers did wasn’t radical. It was reasonable. It was responsible. It was legal. But that doesn’t matter in Trump’s America, where facts are inconvenient, lawyers are enemies, and loyalty to anything but Trump is punishable

This entire manufactured controversy is nothing but red-meat propaganda for the MAGA base—another chance to paint any opposition as lawless and dangerous while Trump’s goons play fast and loose with the truth. Elon Musk, who now spends more time stirring up political disinformation than launching rockets, threw gasoline on the fire like he always does—irresponsibly, recklessly, and with zero accountability.

And let’s not forget: Trump’s administration is doing this while screaming about freedom and tyranny. The irony could punch a hole through the Capitol dome.

Make no mistake—if they can threaten a governor for daring to suggest that staff know their rights, what’s to stop them from coming after you or me next? What’s to stop them from dragging someone out of their job or their home simply because they refuse to kneel before the orange king?

We are walking a dangerous line, and it’s not hyperbole to say this is how democracies die—not with a bang, but with a cowardly whisper of “Wait ’til you see what’s coming.”

Well, I see what’s coming, and it sure as hell isn’t freedom. It’s fascism, wrapped in a flag and carrying a Bible it never reads.

But here’s the good news: people like Governor Evers aren’t backing down. And neither am I. I will not be silent while Trump’s stormtroopers pretend the Constitution only applies to people who praise him.

This is not normal. This is not okay. And it’s on all of us to say so—loudly, clearly, and without apology.

Facebook Post:

They actually threatened to ARREST Governor Tony Evers for telling staff to call a lawyer. No crime, no wrongdoing—just a governor doing his job. Trump’s America is spiraling into something dark, and it’s time we all wake the hell up. Read my latest: Trump’s America: Where Loyalty to Law Is a Crime and Dissent Is Treason

https://laurakiefert.blog/2025/05/03/trumps-america-where-loyalty-to-law-is-a-crime-and-dissent-is-treason/my-politics/