I hate to even think of waiting till November (or really January) to curtail this madness because the daily harm keeps growing and making it harder to undo/rebuild our own nation’s infrastructure and the damage to our world. But the upcoming election does give us hope!
This is such an important essay. Framing the entire crew as “careless” and well as characterizing them as ‘Gatsby-esque’ is brilliant. I don’t know where we go from here, but one thing is certain…they cannot gaslight us into treating this like any other war. True to form, the steak salesman is trying to convince a country of hypothetical vegetarians that we needed this war by using the logic that cows eat grass so we should buy the steaks. He then throws the “P” word around: Patriotism…and anything else that ‘kinda-sorta’ sounds like he knows what he is doing.
It is clear that he does not. After experiencing heartburn from his latest Oval Office interview with the Japanese Prime Minister, it is clear to me that this boor is out of his element and thinks that a deeply insulting ‘gotcha’ about WWII is the way to win friends and influence people. So much for “The Art of the Deal”. What I witnessed during that press conference was again, a man who is deeply ignorant and purposely so, which is what the MAGA faithful seem to love about him. The more ignorance he spews, the better. We’re American, so we get to call the shots. Everyone should accede to our cultural norms and Trump’s whims…except that those whims have terrible terrible consequences. He has the nuclear codes and there is no one to stop him.
It is worth rereading “On the Psychology of Military Incompetence” by Norman F Dixon to understand the deeply flawed nature of President Thunder Thug and his malevolent minion Peter Popgun. Our competent and constitutionally committed military establishment is now going to be smeared in the excrement of massive war crimes by two men that can be described as having a blood lust for war. I agree with the comment that we will need to consider massive public action well beyond the No Kings demonstrations scheduled this month.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss. Lots of thoughts. Mostly dark. Mostly accusatory. Wondering where the $200 billion is going to come from. Admiring the ability create the chaos that covers djt activities. Feeling humiliated to be living in a country where sociopathy is so admired and abetted. Wondering where djt’s private funds are located. Did an internet search about adolph hitler’s private wealth. Very interesting. Wondering who is calling the shots in the administration. djt’s homunculus popped his head up on fox noise in the last day or so. Hard to keep a sociopathic homunculus down. Thoughts returning to the most important thing missing in this administration - not one member of the administration and very few members of the maga caucus have shown even a flicker of morality.
I’m sure the felon thinks of his having to ask Congress for the $200 billion akin to him asking daddy for an advance on his allowance. To him, the national treasury is his piggy bank. No pun intended.
We have a spineless, immoral Speaker who just does what he is told. He should be saying no to all the demands of Donny Demento. Instead he just stands in front of cameras and spouts lies. When the tribunals are held he absolutely has to be brought to one. The Democratic leadership is rather lame as well.
I know they are in a difficult position, you don’t want to appear anti military as it’s perceived as anti American when we are engaged in a war. However there is no justification for this war. The regime and MAGA’s can’t even come together.
Perhaps instead of March 28 being a No Kings protest it should be an anti war protest.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”
I'm not feeling very generous with Hegseth & Company given his not-so-long-ago $93.4 billion spending spree on lobster, luxury furniture, ice cream machines, grand piano and miscellaneous other "use it or lose it" expenditures.
Thanks to The New Republic for this spot-on observation: "Imagine if the dumbest person in the world and humanity’s biggest asshole were the same person, and that guy was president. Then imagine he started a war with Iran. Now check the news. One look, and here’s what you should be thinking: “Yep, that tracks.”
He’s not a committee witness so I figure it would be a waste of their time. At a minimum:
A. He doesn’t care who likes or doesn’t like how he votes unless they vote in PA.
B. He’s in a swing state and winning the GOP voters over even though he’s lost a lot of ground with Dems.
C. He doesn’t have to run until 2028.
I don’t know why he doesn’t declare he’s an Independent like Angus King (who votes more often with the Dems). I’d call him the new Manchin of the Senate but everyone knew what Manchin was doing — leveraging the narrow voting margin for to put money in his pocket from oil & coal, big pharma while adding to his resume for his next job.
Thank you for this. It is a great overview - particularly the quote from The Great Gatsby. Very apt.
Pete and Donnie have gone back to the old playbook, blaming Biden & Ukraine. They greatly exaggerate amount and value of what was sent to Ukraine. Also fail to say most of the military supples Ukraine received was nearing its replacement date. IOW, would have been destroyed and needed to be replaced.
The ever shifting clash of messaging is stunning for its stupidity. Israel made Donnie do it while Donnie claims to tell Bibi what to do or not do. Bibi says the US is ‘leading”. No wonder there’s no rally ‘round the flag effect here.
Bibi is not an ally; we should not be yoked to him. Neither Bibi nor Donnie have a plan to end the war. Donnie needs it to end soon; Bibi needs it to continue. Meanwhile, aside from the human & economic cost, the loss of trust in the US & Israel is past repair, the destruction of oil and civilian infrastructure ensures massive refugees. Likely an increase in terrorism as in the past. It will take years of rebuilding to restore civilian infrastructure, the ME economy, oil and gas production. Generations to restore some sort of stability in the Middle East.
The frightening prospect of the US occupying the island in the Strait of Hormuz feels more like a military metaphor for a global debacle than a solution.
I am praying this "excursion " results in $8 per gallon prices at the pump. Perhaps that is needed to ignite a flame of resistance to this idiotic barbarism. I have to believe some of those 77 million who voted for this "thing" might turn on him. Will they?
I hate to even think of waiting till November (or really January) to curtail this madness because the daily harm keeps growing and making it harder to undo/rebuild our own nation’s infrastructure and the damage to our world. But the upcoming election does give us hope!
Thank you I needed this to feel sane.
Glad to hear, Mary.
This is such an important essay. Framing the entire crew as “careless” and well as characterizing them as ‘Gatsby-esque’ is brilliant. I don’t know where we go from here, but one thing is certain…they cannot gaslight us into treating this like any other war. True to form, the steak salesman is trying to convince a country of hypothetical vegetarians that we needed this war by using the logic that cows eat grass so we should buy the steaks. He then throws the “P” word around: Patriotism…and anything else that ‘kinda-sorta’ sounds like he knows what he is doing.
It is clear that he does not. After experiencing heartburn from his latest Oval Office interview with the Japanese Prime Minister, it is clear to me that this boor is out of his element and thinks that a deeply insulting ‘gotcha’ about WWII is the way to win friends and influence people. So much for “The Art of the Deal”. What I witnessed during that press conference was again, a man who is deeply ignorant and purposely so, which is what the MAGA faithful seem to love about him. The more ignorance he spews, the better. We’re American, so we get to call the shots. Everyone should accede to our cultural norms and Trump’s whims…except that those whims have terrible terrible consequences. He has the nuclear codes and there is no one to stop him.
Yes, brilliant & YOU hit all the notes. Perfect Pitch. 😊
Aww…thank you, Ann. You’re my biggest cheerleader!
😊
We need a general strike! No Kings protests are inspiring and uplifting but far more is demanded at this point to put out the conflagration.
100%. These intermittent protests make nice television and pictures, but it isn’t slowing them down. More is required.
It is worth rereading “On the Psychology of Military Incompetence” by Norman F Dixon to understand the deeply flawed nature of President Thunder Thug and his malevolent minion Peter Popgun. Our competent and constitutionally committed military establishment is now going to be smeared in the excrement of massive war crimes by two men that can be described as having a blood lust for war. I agree with the comment that we will need to consider massive public action well beyond the No Kings demonstrations scheduled this month.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss. Lots of thoughts. Mostly dark. Mostly accusatory. Wondering where the $200 billion is going to come from. Admiring the ability create the chaos that covers djt activities. Feeling humiliated to be living in a country where sociopathy is so admired and abetted. Wondering where djt’s private funds are located. Did an internet search about adolph hitler’s private wealth. Very interesting. Wondering who is calling the shots in the administration. djt’s homunculus popped his head up on fox noise in the last day or so. Hard to keep a sociopathic homunculus down. Thoughts returning to the most important thing missing in this administration - not one member of the administration and very few members of the maga caucus have shown even a flicker of morality.
We can’t have “nice” things (that so much of the world already has) because we choose poorly. If we make better choices, we will have better options.
I’m sure the felon thinks of his having to ask Congress for the $200 billion akin to him asking daddy for an advance on his allowance. To him, the national treasury is his piggy bank. No pun intended.
We have a spineless, immoral Speaker who just does what he is told. He should be saying no to all the demands of Donny Demento. Instead he just stands in front of cameras and spouts lies. When the tribunals are held he absolutely has to be brought to one. The Democratic leadership is rather lame as well.
I know they are in a difficult position, you don’t want to appear anti military as it’s perceived as anti American when we are engaged in a war. However there is no justification for this war. The regime and MAGA’s can’t even come together.
Perhaps instead of March 28 being a No Kings protest it should be an anti war protest.
The protest will include protesting the war.
People choose their own messages at the protests & make their own signs.
Fair enough but I am suggesting that a overall focus should be on the war.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”
—Theodore Roosevelt
One of TR's enduring contributions, this quote.
I'm not feeling very generous with Hegseth & Company given his not-so-long-ago $93.4 billion spending spree on lobster, luxury furniture, ice cream machines, grand piano and miscellaneous other "use it or lose it" expenditures.
That too...
Stirring again
💙🇺🇸💙😢
Thanks to The New Republic for this spot-on observation: "Imagine if the dumbest person in the world and humanity’s biggest asshole were the same person, and that guy was president. Then imagine he started a war with Iran. Now check the news. One look, and here’s what you should be thinking: “Yep, that tracks.”
On a side comment
What the heck is with Jon Fetterman being the vote that advanced Mark Wayne Mullin to be confirmed?
His behavior as of late needs to be highly questioned by the Democrats and independents.
People on that committee should’ve questioned him on his knowledge of the constitution
His knowledge about real laws
His knowledge about the rights and the freedoms afforded in the constitution to every single American and others in this country.
It would have shown very little knowledge on his part.
He’s not a committee witness so I figure it would be a waste of their time. At a minimum:
A. He doesn’t care who likes or doesn’t like how he votes unless they vote in PA.
B. He’s in a swing state and winning the GOP voters over even though he’s lost a lot of ground with Dems.
C. He doesn’t have to run until 2028.
I don’t know why he doesn’t declare he’s an Independent like Angus King (who votes more often with the Dems). I’d call him the new Manchin of the Senate but everyone knew what Manchin was doing — leveraging the narrow voting margin for to put money in his pocket from oil & coal, big pharma while adding to his resume for his next job.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5547989-fetterman-party-shift-right/
Thank you for this. It is a great overview - particularly the quote from The Great Gatsby. Very apt.
Pete and Donnie have gone back to the old playbook, blaming Biden & Ukraine. They greatly exaggerate amount and value of what was sent to Ukraine. Also fail to say most of the military supples Ukraine received was nearing its replacement date. IOW, would have been destroyed and needed to be replaced.
The ever shifting clash of messaging is stunning for its stupidity. Israel made Donnie do it while Donnie claims to tell Bibi what to do or not do. Bibi says the US is ‘leading”. No wonder there’s no rally ‘round the flag effect here.
Bibi is not an ally; we should not be yoked to him. Neither Bibi nor Donnie have a plan to end the war. Donnie needs it to end soon; Bibi needs it to continue. Meanwhile, aside from the human & economic cost, the loss of trust in the US & Israel is past repair, the destruction of oil and civilian infrastructure ensures massive refugees. Likely an increase in terrorism as in the past. It will take years of rebuilding to restore civilian infrastructure, the ME economy, oil and gas production. Generations to restore some sort of stability in the Middle East.
The frightening prospect of the US occupying the island in the Strait of Hormuz feels more like a military metaphor for a global debacle than a solution.
Thank you Steven for highlighting the foolishness , greed, lawlessness of Trump, his administration, the GOP in Congress and his cult followers…
I am praying this "excursion " results in $8 per gallon prices at the pump. Perhaps that is needed to ignite a flame of resistance to this idiotic barbarism. I have to believe some of those 77 million who voted for this "thing" might turn on him. Will they?