"Despite our rebel reputations, Americans are often more than deferential to authority."
Americans typically are full of bluster and bombast. Typically those are symptomatic of cowardice at the core.
"Congress, of course, holds the purse strings."
"Congress, instead of opposing Trump, should get ahead of him."
You keep referring to Democrats, including so-called progressive ones, as "leftist." I do not consider them leftist because they are not anti-capitalist, which is an essential part of the definition as far as I am concerned.
Sure, I supported them in 2016 and 2020 because they were the best option at the time, but they cravenly collapsed …
"best builders made every effort to keep a crew working, and preserve it as a unit, even in conditions that were less than optimal."
True story:
The 90s and 00s were a bonanza for residential construction in my State. But as 2008 loomed (we actually saw it coming in 2006), he told his crew get ready we're all about to lose our shirts. He told his folks to stay in touch while he looked for new opportunities. He ended up keeping his people working by specializing in remodels of courthouse square pr…