1. The disgusting pettiness - removing Milley’s photo at the Pentagon. 2. McConnell’s pearl clutching on how grossly unqualified Hegseth is. The reason we even got here was McConnell’s monstrous decision to not vote to impeach trump. Had he, enough would have followed to end this nightmare. When the history is written, I believe that will be seen as the linchpin event for all that followed. 3. I wonder what will happen when Hegseth takes his first drink, because I believe he will. 4. Will soldiers obey illegal orders? I worry about that. Generally speaking, military members are usually conservative. in the past, some military were willing to snatch nursing babies and toddlers from their mothers. I worked for the military as a civilian for 30 years. I have seen the pressure that can be brought to bear.
Hegseth can not be trusted with the keys to a car, forget about our national security. I have friends in recovery and all are adamant that statements like, "if I get hired I'll quit drinking" are a total red flag and sets off an obvious alarm. This is not the statement of a normal social drinker.
IMO, Hegs will be overwhelmed by the enormity, scope and difficulty of the job. To assuage his angst he’ll not only drinking at night, but during office hours. I was married to an alcoholic and know first hand what the disease does not only to the brain, but to social norms, ethical professional behavior and to their families. Hegs cannot run away from his demons and unless he gets professional help will fall back into his abusive behavior very soon after his swearing in.
As Trumpet doesn’t drink, I’m sure he’s seen plenty of drunks, starting with son# 1 and his former girlfriend Kimmy Guilfolly who’s now the Ambassador to Greece. Just wait till she gets her hands on Ouzo, she’ll be drunk 24/7.
It takes years. My ex died on his 67th birthday of pneumonia after a lifetime of drinking. His only child had to pick up the pieces of his failed life - 4 relationships, 3 bankruptcies, and a shortened career as an executive. It is sad to see someone self destruct.
(I wonder if your ex was self-medicating Bipolar Disorder with alcohol. Up to 25% of patients who are alcoholic have BPAD, and up to 50% of people with untreated BPAD are alcoholic. I saw this so often in the 30 years I practiced as a psychiatrist.)
I saw that personally with my ex who OD'd(purposely) 7 years ago. I believe alcoholism/drug addiction almost always has an underlying mental health disorder. Not good news for DoD.
I absolutely agree. That's why I feel very sure it is just a matter of time. And there have been so many reports of his drunkenness - he just blithely says, not true. there can't be that much smoke without a flame somewhere.
McConnell is a linchpin for sure, but his responsibility long precedes the impeachment hearings. He's the one primarily responsible for packing the Supreme Court with Federalist Society hacks.
Exactly. All of it was bad, but Barrett's was the worst. It was such an FU to RBG's memory. Not unlike the nomination and confirmation of Clarence Thomas to "replace" Thurgood Marshall in 1991. (I've been calling Barrett "Amy Coney Rabbit" since her confirmation hearings, partly because she looks like a rabbit caught in headlights.)
I've been interested to see how a couple (few?) times she's broken with the guys, and gone with the "girls" (liberals) on the Court. I'm wondering if, with time, she may find it easier and easier to become her own person. So far that "person" looks nominally better than those other 5 (all Catholic).
I'll go further. McC is THE person responsible for the orange sadist returning to the White House. He held in his hand the magic key for impeachment, following the attempted coup. He did nothing.
Yes - reported a couple days ago, in several media outlets - but not on Fox, at least I couldn’t find it. And yes absolutely he told us what he was going to do, and people voted for him and politicians endorsed him. I have zero sympathy for all the people/groups/pols now saying oh, gee, should not have let all the Jan6 criminals go.
The military is made up of ordinary people. There are always some who don’t care about pesky things like common decency and laws. It’s been known for years that certain armed criminally inclined groups encourage their members to join and get free military training.
But what I’m more concerned about is the way “missions” & orders will be described & justified to make that it will be easier to believe they should comply.
Aside from the things he has said that imply we must use the methods of our enemies; or the Geneva Convention is outdated because in WWII we faced (kindler gentler?) a different type of enemy …
I could see the approach his attorney used working:
— “He is not in any way advocating that anybody not follow the Law of Armed Conflict. He is saying that the way that has been interpreted at the local level is overly restrictive.”
Yes. That is the information I found. It is approximately 25% of all of the deaths in WW II. I wouldn't call that "only"! Between 60,000,000 and 80,000,000 people died during WW II, but not all directly at the hands of the Nazis. The Nazis CAUSED WW II, and therefore indirectly CAUSED all of these deaths, if you want to look at it from that angle.
I have absolutely no idea how anyone came up with that absurd number. You may want to get a better source and recalculate.
It is true the Nazis had “collaborators” and “allies” in the effort. It is true that there were many casualties from the fighting. It is true that with war comes death from disease and harsh conditions.
It is not true that the Nazi government directly killed fewer than 20,000 people.
We know for a fact that number isn’t true because they kept meticulous records & a great many of the records survived. One death camp in one year: Hartheim, Austria, US soldiers found records that show 35,000 people were killed there in 1940.
The Nazi government engaged in a targeted organized mass murder scheme that went on for years. This site has information from Hartheim and other locations. It separates deaths at killing centers from other deaths involving “collaborators” and “allies.” I would say it is a distinction without much of a difference considering all these actions were instigated & or done in coordination with the Nazis. Their goal was ethnic cleansing - through extermination.
@kdsherpa, is it possible you left a few zeroes out of your original number? That's the only way I can make sense out of what you say above. 25% of 60,000,000 is 15,000,000, not 17,000.
Someone needs to find pictures of all those convicted after making this plea, put them together, and create a poster or simply a handout of each one and the sentence. Then you could send that to every soldier you know in the military by, y'know, snail mail and hope they pass it around. Include to a website that details the crimes it didn't work for and the sentences.
I think this kind of an order would form a huge rift in the military, particularly among the upper ranks, and I do think that there are a large number of service members that would follow such an order. I also think the non-compliant leadership would be forced out rather quickly, or resign on their own. Unfortunately, I think a mob mentality would result in many who would like to think they would refuse such an order following the crowd. - former CPT, IL ARNG
The officers & soldiers who refuse to comply with an unlawful order will be removed from command by Hegseth, so sycophants will carry them out. Don’t think for a minute that he won’t purge the JAG corps to ensure the desired outcomes of any military justice proceedings. THIS IS FASCISM!
My impression is that Hegseth’s radical beliefs are shared by many in the military. They WANT to kill fellow Americans because they don’t see them as fellow Americans. And with FoxNews playing 24/7 on military bases, they will be hyped up and raring to go when Trump gives the signal.
By confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, the Republican Party has just sacrificed our national security simply to please FOTUS. This is treason, not in the technical, legal definition of the word, but in a practical sense, it's indeed treason.
I was recently told that a second vote for Trump didn’t mean that person was political.
If your vote is an endorsement of a candidate and you know that candidate is an actual criminal, but votes your way then his way IS your way.
For those that knew better and voted for Trump anyway, they are at the “I sure hope he knows what he is doing stage.” This is the stage just before the Find Out.
I will be wearing this "A convicted felon will NEVER be my president" shirt the next four years! 👇
My brother and his wife were literally assaulted last summer eating outside at Chompie's Bagels by an older man and his crazy screaming wife. Why? They were wearing "Harris/Walz" t-shirts.
And sadly, to Steven's question, there are probably many twisted broken people in the military who support Trump's incompetence and lies, and would be willing to follow illegal orders. The MAGA cult is literally a neo-Nazi movement at this point.
"I did a study at a community mental health clinic in New York to evaluate the accuracy of therapists’ and caregivers’ evaluations who brought children in for treatment. I asked the children, their therapists, and their mothers to rate how they thought the children were feeling.
When I analyzed the data, I was amazed to discover that the therapists’ accuracy was about zero. And the mothers didn’t do any much better! There was pretty much no correlation between how the children felt and how their therapists (or mothers) thought they felt.
The errors were not trivial. For example, the mother of one little boy rated his depression and suicidal urges at zero. She was convinced that her son did not feel depressed, and the therapist agreed with this assessment.
How did the boy actually feel?
His depression and suicidal scores were at the top of the scale! In the margin of the assessment test, he wrote that he had borrowed a gun from a friend and had plans to kill himself on Friday. In this case, mind reading* almost resulted in the death of a little boy, but the assessment test alerted the mother and therapist to what was really going on and likely saved his life."
As I watch the GOP and the press completely capitulate to Trump, I don’t have much faith in the military. I suspect if Pete Hegseth gave the order to shoot civilians for no reason whatsoever most of these soldiers would obey Pete. That is why Trump put in there.
I watch the unfolding of the assault on our Federal system. While most look at the carnage, I see the impact on the Treasury. The Executive is making way for a tax cut for the wealthy and corporations. That is what I see. Money being laid up to be stolen.
The confirmation of Hegseth indicates the gamesmanship in the Senate is at a high level. The max number of no votes was 3 to get Hegseth confirmed. It is magic. Drama. Clearly there is a lack of empathy and caring that is so prevalent with Republican Senators. Focused on our service members, their lack of empathy and caring shows they suffer psychopathy. Their support of their neo-fascist leader makes them all neo-fascists.
Do you need any other proof that we face an army of psychopathic neo-fascists (PNFs)? I appreciate those that do not like the name and will not support it; however, the name is deadly accurate. Odd words like misogyny and xenophobia are fine, but psychopathic neo-fascist is not fine? Fine! But I beg to differ. Psychopathic neo-fascist is their specific medical malady and political ideology! So give me a break. Enough with inaccurate labels. Knowing exactly who and what they are is critical to knowing their tactics and how to fight them. “Know thy enemy” is a phrase that comes from the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu's The Art of War. The full quote is, “Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” I suggest we learn the term, psychopathic neo-fascist, because that is exactly who we fight. We must raise, rouse, and rile our army to fight ONE demon, not ONE HUNDRED.
I have no idea what our fighting men and women will do. I can't even contemplate that Hegseth was approved: he's employing magical thinking when he says he won't take another drink. This is a man who ordered three gin and tonics at breakfast with a reporter. His history of violence and abuse of women is horrifying. The worst possible pick! I am horrified.
As a behaviorist one of the terms. I recall mentioning raise the alarm years ago was “ empathy” cautioned people this is seriously dangerous in a society If others follow your understanding of “Psychopathic neo-fascist is their specific medical malady and political ideology!” In deed educating is the key We aren’t dealing with a people that are behave under the normal conditions. As an Early Head Start Teacher big concern for those children leaving with these parents. Maladaptive learning behaviors can be and are a major contributing factor to see a raise of teens with all kind of psychological issues that will affect them and others in society. It is a vicious cycle.
Normalized abuse, bullying and so on
We as teachers had seen many issues in school grounds this is going to get worse. My opinion not an expert but life experiences and reading reliable sources. Once upon a time people care if someone plagiarized. There
I wish I had confidence that officers and members of the military would refuse to obey illegal orders, but sadly, I do not. I remember during tRump Season 1, I had confidence that the sane members of the Republican Party would keep him in check. They did not. Why should the rank and file of the military be expected to do anything else?
One most days (Murkowski), rarely 2, yesterday for some reason Mitch decided to have a flicker of common sense. Won't hold my breath waiting for that to occur again in what's left of his lifetime.
My father was a Naval radioman assigned to a LST in WW2. They were chasing U Boats with the British Merchant Marine convoy in the Berents Sea. They were sunk by the Nazis. Dad and the Captain made it to a lifeboat. The rest of the crew did not. Captain changed his clothes to hide his rank. Nazis questioned them, but let them go to die of exposure.
Russians rescued them after two days and gave them a Medal of Valor I still have.
Hopefully there will be enough leaders in the military who are willing to disobey unlawful orders and advise the men under their command to follow their lead. This will be the test to see if our democracy can hold against the impending tyranny of a fascist dictatorship that appears to be blowing in the wind. Wake up America, as the fox is back in the hen house and the lunatics are running the asylum!
If the Joint Chiefs don't act soon, it's all over. A couple generals and a couple Republican senators can put an end to Trump instantly. But how likely is that? The Fuehrer is getting stronger every day. Republicans are not going to come to their senses and become Democrats. Every day lost is a descent further into hell.
Steven, your question goes right to the heart of the current crisis.
From where I stand in Germany, this moment is like watching history attempting to repeat itself, with the stakes as high as they can be.
The appointment of Pete Hegseth, who openly aligns himself with Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, signals not just a threat to democracy but a direct challenge to the very principles of humanity and rule of law.
Trump’s demands for absolute loyalty mirror the methods of past regimes that dismantled democratic institutions from within.
Leaders like Hegseth aren’t being chosen for their competence or ability to lead—they are chosen for their willingness to obey. Their loyalty isn’t to the Constitution or the nation’s values but to the man who seeks to rewrite both in his image.
The question of whether soldiers will refuse illegal orders is critical.
It will depend on whether their loyalty is to the Constitution they swore to defend or to a leader demanding unthinking obedience. That is why President Joe Biden in his farewell address to the Forces reminded them of exactly this oath.
Which by the way is true for every government employed and or elected official. When the constitution is threaten to be dismantled, then civil disobedience becomes a civic duty.
Trump, like other authoritarian figures before him, will test those boundaries.
He will attempt to blur the lines between legal and illegal, moral and immoral, creating a culture where dissent feels impossible and obedience becomes the norm.
History shows us what happens when loyalty to a person overtakes loyalty to a nation’s principles.
In the end, the decision lies with individuals—those soldiers and leaders who must choose between complicity and courage. And yet, from here, I see a growing silence in the face of Trump’s actions.
The checks and balances that should protect against this are eroding quickly, with those in power either complicit or paralyzed by fear.
If this path isn’t stopped, the consequences will be catastrophic.
America’s democracy, the oldest in the world, will be reduced to a memory. Its institutions will be hollowed out, its citizens caught in a system where dissent is punished, and its place on the global stage irreparably diminished.
The time for action is now.
Loyalty to the Constitution must be demanded, not assumed. If the military and its leaders fail to uphold their oaths, the consequences will go far beyond one presidency—they will shape the future of the nation and the world.
You read my mind, Steven. I think you should poll all military contacts you have to find out whether there is a majority in the armed services who support Trump. The fate of the world may come down to the Pentagon or the Joint Chiefs of Staff going full coup -- one way or the other. We need to know which way they are likely to go: end fascism, or fulfull fascism. So far, everything Trump has done is following Hitler's playbook to perfection. Are there enough General Milleys to turn this around?
I agree and historically it’s interesting to see that when a despot becomes too extreme or unravels, a military coup often takes place, military takes government over and then after certain number of months/years, civil government and democracy returns. Which is why safeguarding our Constitution is so important for now and for future .
1. The disgusting pettiness - removing Milley’s photo at the Pentagon. 2. McConnell’s pearl clutching on how grossly unqualified Hegseth is. The reason we even got here was McConnell’s monstrous decision to not vote to impeach trump. Had he, enough would have followed to end this nightmare. When the history is written, I believe that will be seen as the linchpin event for all that followed. 3. I wonder what will happen when Hegseth takes his first drink, because I believe he will. 4. Will soldiers obey illegal orders? I worry about that. Generally speaking, military members are usually conservative. in the past, some military were willing to snatch nursing babies and toddlers from their mothers. I worked for the military as a civilian for 30 years. I have seen the pressure that can be brought to bear.
Hegseth can not be trusted with the keys to a car, forget about our national security. I have friends in recovery and all are adamant that statements like, "if I get hired I'll quit drinking" are a total red flag and sets off an obvious alarm. This is not the statement of a normal social drinker.
IMO, Hegs will be overwhelmed by the enormity, scope and difficulty of the job. To assuage his angst he’ll not only drinking at night, but during office hours. I was married to an alcoholic and know first hand what the disease does not only to the brain, but to social norms, ethical professional behavior and to their families. Hegs cannot run away from his demons and unless he gets professional help will fall back into his abusive behavior very soon after his swearing in.
Indeed. Starting a new job of such importance will likely be a recipe for more alcohol use, not “quitting.”
True. If he could stop drinking after confirmation, why did he not do so beforehand to prove he could do it?
And why is it something he even has to mention? Non-alcoholics don't do that.
Because it was public knowledge.
That is absolutely correct!
Who would have the nerve to report him if he is drinking?
As Trumpet doesn’t drink, I’m sure he’s seen plenty of drunks, starting with son# 1 and his former girlfriend Kimmy Guilfolly who’s now the Ambassador to Greece. Just wait till she gets her hands on Ouzo, she’ll be drunk 24/7.
I'm hoping for liver failure.
It takes years. My ex died on his 67th birthday of pneumonia after a lifetime of drinking. His only child had to pick up the pieces of his failed life - 4 relationships, 3 bankruptcies, and a shortened career as an executive. It is sad to see someone self destruct.
(I wonder if your ex was self-medicating Bipolar Disorder with alcohol. Up to 25% of patients who are alcoholic have BPAD, and up to 50% of people with untreated BPAD are alcoholic. I saw this so often in the 30 years I practiced as a psychiatrist.)
No, he was a happy drunk, and when he’d had enough, he’d fall asleep regardless of where he was.
I saw that personally with my ex who OD'd(purposely) 7 years ago. I believe alcoholism/drug addiction almost always has an underlying mental health disorder. Not good news for DoD.
I absolutely agree. That's why I feel very sure it is just a matter of time. And there have been so many reports of his drunkenness - he just blithely says, not true. there can't be that much smoke without a flame somewhere.
I totally agree. It’s only a matter of time.
McConnell is a linchpin for sure, but his responsibility long precedes the impeachment hearings. He's the one primarily responsible for packing the Supreme Court with Federalist Society hacks.
You are absolutely right. And also for how he manipulated the process, holding Garland up for over a year, and getting Barrett in 46 days.
Exactly. All of it was bad, but Barrett's was the worst. It was such an FU to RBG's memory. Not unlike the nomination and confirmation of Clarence Thomas to "replace" Thurgood Marshall in 1991. (I've been calling Barrett "Amy Coney Rabbit" since her confirmation hearings, partly because she looks like a rabbit caught in headlights.)
I've been interested to see how a couple (few?) times she's broken with the guys, and gone with the "girls" (liberals) on the Court. I'm wondering if, with time, she may find it easier and easier to become her own person. So far that "person" looks nominally better than those other 5 (all Catholic).
Same here. As far as support goes, I can't imagine better than Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson. The women united . . .
I'll go further. McC is THE person responsible for the orange sadist returning to the White House. He held in his hand the magic key for impeachment, following the attempted coup. He did nothing.
Did they take Miley's photo off the wall? Fascism. People voted for Fascism. He didn't hide it. He told us what he was going to do.
Yes - reported a couple days ago, in several media outlets - but not on Fox, at least I couldn’t find it. And yes absolutely he told us what he was going to do, and people voted for him and politicians endorsed him. I have zero sympathy for all the people/groups/pols now saying oh, gee, should not have let all the Jan6 criminals go.
The military is made up of ordinary people. There are always some who don’t care about pesky things like common decency and laws. It’s been known for years that certain armed criminally inclined groups encourage their members to join and get free military training.
But what I’m more concerned about is the way “missions” & orders will be described & justified to make that it will be easier to believe they should comply.
Aside from the things he has said that imply we must use the methods of our enemies; or the Geneva Convention is outdated because in WWII we faced (kindler gentler?) a different type of enemy …
I could see the approach his attorney used working:
— “He is not in any way advocating that anybody not follow the Law of Armed Conflict. He is saying that the way that has been interpreted at the local level is overly restrictive.”
I wrote this well before Trump was sworn in.
https://diogenescandle.substack.com/p/the-maga-brigade
"WE WERE ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS."
Where have we heard that before?
It did not shield the defendants at the Nuremberg Trials.
Yes, but only after millions were murdered.
Yes, 17,000,000 directly by the Nazis. (80,000,000 dead in WW II, overall.)
Are you implying that the nazis only killed 17,000??
I very much appreciate your comment today!
Yes. That is the information I found. It is approximately 25% of all of the deaths in WW II. I wouldn't call that "only"! Between 60,000,000 and 80,000,000 people died during WW II, but not all directly at the hands of the Nazis. The Nazis CAUSED WW II, and therefore indirectly CAUSED all of these deaths, if you want to look at it from that angle.
I have absolutely no idea how anyone came up with that absurd number. You may want to get a better source and recalculate.
It is true the Nazis had “collaborators” and “allies” in the effort. It is true that there were many casualties from the fighting. It is true that with war comes death from disease and harsh conditions.
It is not true that the Nazi government directly killed fewer than 20,000 people.
We know for a fact that number isn’t true because they kept meticulous records & a great many of the records survived. One death camp in one year: Hartheim, Austria, US soldiers found records that show 35,000 people were killed there in 1940.
The Nazi government engaged in a targeted organized mass murder scheme that went on for years. This site has information from Hartheim and other locations. It separates deaths at killing centers from other deaths involving “collaborators” and “allies.” I would say it is a distinction without much of a difference considering all these actions were instigated & or done in coordination with the Nazis. Their goal was ethnic cleansing - through extermination.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/documenting-numbers-of-victims-of-the-holocaust-and-nazi-persecution
@kdsherpa, is it possible you left a few zeroes out of your original number? That's the only way I can make sense out of what you say above. 25% of 60,000,000 is 15,000,000, not 17,000.
199 defendants at the Nuremberg Trials
Yes, a mere 199 out of thousands.
Someone needs to find pictures of all those convicted after making this plea, put them together, and create a poster or simply a handout of each one and the sentence. Then you could send that to every soldier you know in the military by, y'know, snail mail and hope they pass it around. Include to a website that details the crimes it didn't work for and the sentences.
Thank you Susan Linehan !!!!!
Please with many many volunteers do it. JUST DO IT !!!!! Please Do It. Our first amendment rights. ??!!
I think this kind of an order would form a huge rift in the military, particularly among the upper ranks, and I do think that there are a large number of service members that would follow such an order. I also think the non-compliant leadership would be forced out rather quickly, or resign on their own. Unfortunately, I think a mob mentality would result in many who would like to think they would refuse such an order following the crowd. - former CPT, IL ARNG
The officers & soldiers who refuse to comply with an unlawful order will be removed from command by Hegseth, so sycophants will carry them out. Don’t think for a minute that he won’t purge the JAG corps to ensure the desired outcomes of any military justice proceedings. THIS IS FASCISM!
They won't just be removed, they'll be locked up for a long time and their families will pay for it too.
From what I've read FOX is played non stop on military bases in Europe. If that's true we can expect brain-washing of military as well as civilians.
In the U.S. as well.
I agree completely! The divisions in our country do not stop at the gates of our military bases!
Totally agree
My impression is that Hegseth’s radical beliefs are shared by many in the military. They WANT to kill fellow Americans because they don’t see them as fellow Americans. And with FoxNews playing 24/7 on military bases, they will be hyped up and raring to go when Trump gives the signal.
Gd help us all.
They should be the first to come to our defense!!! They should be surrounding the DC area and taking these traitors out. Right fucking now!!!!
By confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, the Republican Party has just sacrificed our national security simply to please FOTUS. This is treason, not in the technical, legal definition of the word, but in a practical sense, it's indeed treason.
I was recently told that a second vote for Trump didn’t mean that person was political.
If your vote is an endorsement of a candidate and you know that candidate is an actual criminal, but votes your way then his way IS your way.
For those that knew better and voted for Trump anyway, they are at the “I sure hope he knows what he is doing stage.” This is the stage just before the Find Out.
I will be wearing this "A convicted felon will NEVER be my president" shirt the next four years! 👇
https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/cfelon
I need that shirt in Spanish. I’m in the country with the canal.
Woah. I never thought I'd have to support Panamanian.
I love your shirt, but I would be afraid to wear one in Arizona where I live.
My brother and his wife were literally assaulted last summer eating outside at Chompie's Bagels by an older man and his crazy screaming wife. Why? They were wearing "Harris/Walz" t-shirts.
And sadly, to Steven's question, there are probably many twisted broken people in the military who support Trump's incompetence and lies, and would be willing to follow illegal orders. The MAGA cult is literally a neo-Nazi movement at this point.
THIS. LAST. SENTENCE. RIGHT. HERE.
I live in AZ too. We can resist together!
Or Tennessee!
Why? Why beafraid of a fear? Fear can’t hurt you unless you allow it!
Is someone thinking Trump is NOT intentionally sabotaging America !!???
My Way or the Highway has made a loud return, Republicans rejoice! The need to make one’s own decisions rendered unnecessary.
Great shirt!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️Steven❤️:"Will American Soldiers Refuse to Obey Illegal Orders?"
Me:"Obey the Law, Stop the Killing."
Me:"Will American Psychologists Refuse to Obey Legal Orders?"(in and out of service)
...the law requires ...
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=5150
"At a minimum, assessment... shall be conducted and provided on an ongoing basis."
...but a Congressional Study found...
Congressman Kennedy:
https://www.patrickjkennedy.net/agenda#Quality
"...only about 18 percent of psychiatrists and 11 percent of psychologists in the U.S. routinely administer symptom rating scales..."
...the difference between the assessments required by law and the lack of routinely administered symptom rating scales may explain:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/200901/seven-questions-david-d-burns
"...one of the most common causes of suicide-the therapist..."
"Feeling Great" by Dr Burns
page238
"I did a study at a community mental health clinic in New York to evaluate the accuracy of therapists’ and caregivers’ evaluations who brought children in for treatment. I asked the children, their therapists, and their mothers to rate how they thought the children were feeling.
When I analyzed the data, I was amazed to discover that the therapists’ accuracy was about zero. And the mothers didn’t do any much better! There was pretty much no correlation between how the children felt and how their therapists (or mothers) thought they felt.
The errors were not trivial. For example, the mother of one little boy rated his depression and suicidal urges at zero. She was convinced that her son did not feel depressed, and the therapist agreed with this assessment.
How did the boy actually feel?
His depression and suicidal scores were at the top of the scale! In the margin of the assessment test, he wrote that he had borrowed a gun from a friend and had plans to kill himself on Friday. In this case, mind reading* almost resulted in the death of a little boy, but the assessment test alerted the mother and therapist to what was really going on and likely saved his life."
*
https://www.google.com/search?q=cbt+%22mind+reading%22
(Who are "they"?)
Our military. They took an oath to the constitution, not a king.
Thanks. I can only hope that enough will take that oath seriously. Obviously their Commander in Chief does not.
I agree.
So did the felon and the Republican members of Congress who aided and abetted the January 6 insurrectionists.
Yes!
As I watch the GOP and the press completely capitulate to Trump, I don’t have much faith in the military. I suspect if Pete Hegseth gave the order to shoot civilians for no reason whatsoever most of these soldiers would obey Pete. That is why Trump put in there.
Two words: Kent State.
I just said the same to my husband!
Exactly
I'm not sure they will know what's legal and what's not. Hegseth certainly doesn't know and doesn't care
I watch the unfolding of the assault on our Federal system. While most look at the carnage, I see the impact on the Treasury. The Executive is making way for a tax cut for the wealthy and corporations. That is what I see. Money being laid up to be stolen.
The confirmation of Hegseth indicates the gamesmanship in the Senate is at a high level. The max number of no votes was 3 to get Hegseth confirmed. It is magic. Drama. Clearly there is a lack of empathy and caring that is so prevalent with Republican Senators. Focused on our service members, their lack of empathy and caring shows they suffer psychopathy. Their support of their neo-fascist leader makes them all neo-fascists.
Do you need any other proof that we face an army of psychopathic neo-fascists (PNFs)? I appreciate those that do not like the name and will not support it; however, the name is deadly accurate. Odd words like misogyny and xenophobia are fine, but psychopathic neo-fascist is not fine? Fine! But I beg to differ. Psychopathic neo-fascist is their specific medical malady and political ideology! So give me a break. Enough with inaccurate labels. Knowing exactly who and what they are is critical to knowing their tactics and how to fight them. “Know thy enemy” is a phrase that comes from the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu's The Art of War. The full quote is, “Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” I suggest we learn the term, psychopathic neo-fascist, because that is exactly who we fight. We must raise, rouse, and rile our army to fight ONE demon, not ONE HUNDRED.
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/fight-psychopathic-neo-fascists?r=3m1bs
I have no idea what our fighting men and women will do. I can't even contemplate that Hegseth was approved: he's employing magical thinking when he says he won't take another drink. This is a man who ordered three gin and tonics at breakfast with a reporter. His history of violence and abuse of women is horrifying. The worst possible pick! I am horrified.
Which may be his downfall. Not that his replacement will be any good but we'll have to wait and see.
Psychopathic neo-fascists (or PNFs) Love it.
As a behaviorist one of the terms. I recall mentioning raise the alarm years ago was “ empathy” cautioned people this is seriously dangerous in a society If others follow your understanding of “Psychopathic neo-fascist is their specific medical malady and political ideology!” In deed educating is the key We aren’t dealing with a people that are behave under the normal conditions. As an Early Head Start Teacher big concern for those children leaving with these parents. Maladaptive learning behaviors can be and are a major contributing factor to see a raise of teens with all kind of psychological issues that will affect them and others in society. It is a vicious cycle.
Normalized abuse, bullying and so on
We as teachers had seen many issues in school grounds this is going to get worse. My opinion not an expert but life experiences and reading reliable sources. Once upon a time people care if someone plagiarized. There
Please plagiarize me.
This plan is indicative of the worst this president has ever stated out loud.
Pete Hegseth is a weak , addled individual who needs treatment and perhaps jail time , according to his record of misdeeds.
Of course he’s the perfect follower of Trumps seditious orders.
If they can confirm this guy they can confirm anyone .
What a blatantly corrupt regime , Trump is embarking on .
Not a big surprise, but devastating just the same .
I'm really afraid they're not going protect us. From the orange monster
I wish I had confidence that officers and members of the military would refuse to obey illegal orders, but sadly, I do not. I remember during tRump Season 1, I had confidence that the sane members of the Republican Party would keep him in check. They did not. Why should the rank and file of the military be expected to do anything else?
We’ve seen the sane republicans in the Senate. There are only 3.
One most days (Murkowski), rarely 2, yesterday for some reason Mitch decided to have a flicker of common sense. Won't hold my breath waiting for that to occur again in what's left of his lifetime.
July 1942
My father was a Naval radioman assigned to a LST in WW2. They were chasing U Boats with the British Merchant Marine convoy in the Berents Sea. They were sunk by the Nazis. Dad and the Captain made it to a lifeboat. The rest of the crew did not. Captain changed his clothes to hide his rank. Nazis questioned them, but let them go to die of exposure.
Russians rescued them after two days and gave them a Medal of Valor I still have.
I cannot abide what is happening today.
I speak out often.
Hopefully there will be enough leaders in the military who are willing to disobey unlawful orders and advise the men under their command to follow their lead. This will be the test to see if our democracy can hold against the impending tyranny of a fascist dictatorship that appears to be blowing in the wind. Wake up America, as the fox is back in the hen house and the lunatics are running the asylum!
If the Joint Chiefs don't act soon, it's all over. A couple generals and a couple Republican senators can put an end to Trump instantly. But how likely is that? The Fuehrer is getting stronger every day. Republicans are not going to come to their senses and become Democrats. Every day lost is a descent further into hell.
Steven, your question goes right to the heart of the current crisis.
From where I stand in Germany, this moment is like watching history attempting to repeat itself, with the stakes as high as they can be.
The appointment of Pete Hegseth, who openly aligns himself with Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, signals not just a threat to democracy but a direct challenge to the very principles of humanity and rule of law.
Trump’s demands for absolute loyalty mirror the methods of past regimes that dismantled democratic institutions from within.
Leaders like Hegseth aren’t being chosen for their competence or ability to lead—they are chosen for their willingness to obey. Their loyalty isn’t to the Constitution or the nation’s values but to the man who seeks to rewrite both in his image.
The question of whether soldiers will refuse illegal orders is critical.
It will depend on whether their loyalty is to the Constitution they swore to defend or to a leader demanding unthinking obedience. That is why President Joe Biden in his farewell address to the Forces reminded them of exactly this oath.
Which by the way is true for every government employed and or elected official. When the constitution is threaten to be dismantled, then civil disobedience becomes a civic duty.
Trump, like other authoritarian figures before him, will test those boundaries.
He will attempt to blur the lines between legal and illegal, moral and immoral, creating a culture where dissent feels impossible and obedience becomes the norm.
History shows us what happens when loyalty to a person overtakes loyalty to a nation’s principles.
In the end, the decision lies with individuals—those soldiers and leaders who must choose between complicity and courage. And yet, from here, I see a growing silence in the face of Trump’s actions.
The checks and balances that should protect against this are eroding quickly, with those in power either complicit or paralyzed by fear.
If this path isn’t stopped, the consequences will be catastrophic.
America’s democracy, the oldest in the world, will be reduced to a memory. Its institutions will be hollowed out, its citizens caught in a system where dissent is punished, and its place on the global stage irreparably diminished.
The time for action is now.
Loyalty to the Constitution must be demanded, not assumed. If the military and its leaders fail to uphold their oaths, the consequences will go far beyond one presidency—they will shape the future of the nation and the world.
—Jay
You read my mind, Steven. I think you should poll all military contacts you have to find out whether there is a majority in the armed services who support Trump. The fate of the world may come down to the Pentagon or the Joint Chiefs of Staff going full coup -- one way or the other. We need to know which way they are likely to go: end fascism, or fulfull fascism. So far, everything Trump has done is following Hitler's playbook to perfection. Are there enough General Milleys to turn this around?
I agree and historically it’s interesting to see that when a despot becomes too extreme or unravels, a military coup often takes place, military takes government over and then after certain number of months/years, civil government and democracy returns. Which is why safeguarding our Constitution is so important for now and for future .
> civil government and democracy returns — except when they don’t ….
I no longer belong to FB. I think your question should posted on social media.
I will post your article on Bluesky and encourage anyone still on FB to post as well.
Perhaps member out armed forces will read it and respond.