Uncharted for us. The older Germans know a little more about what may be coming, no doubt. Why couldn't we stop this? Hey President Biden!!! : Throw the criminals who are engaging in a years long coup de 'tat in jail for god's sake! ask the Pope, he may agree. Not sure though, the Vatican may have helped the Nazis, long ago? We have enough jails, The "private sector" have been building them for awhile. LOCK THEM UP!
I couldn't agree more. I'm astounded at the number of people who think it's enough to be cynical, and that their cynicism will change anything. This is all far too reminiscent of Hitler's tactics. And why shouldn't it be? Trump reveres him, supposedly to the point of keeping a copy of Mein Kampf on his bedside table. Eric Metaxas put it so well in his 2020 book about Bonhoeffer: democracy is eating itself alive. A convicted felon found to have acted seditiously should never be given the reins of power. This is a huge failure of democracy.
Katalin you said: "I couldn't agree more. I'm astounded at the number of people who think it's enough to be cynical, and that their cynicism will change anything"
I ask then, "What is your proposal, what is the correct response to this deadly farce?"
That is all that it is. The irony being that the butt fucks who elected him are too fucking stupid to even see how fucked they are, until they try to get insurance to pay for that arm they broke making corned beef hash, and bathrtub gin.
Corral the lot of them at Mar-a-Lago. We could enlist the undocumented to build the wall around it, and many would likely pay for the privilege of participating in true justice.
The evidence is well documented as retired Justice Michael J. Luttig has pointed out a couple of years ago, that Trump engaged in an insurrection against our Capitol to interfere with the certification of the ballots in an election. If we were invaded by a foreign enemy, do you think we would have to go to friggin' court? I don't think so. It is happening now in full GORY, with the worst of the worst poised to take over! A Russian plant has the power to end the United States of America as it's Human Citizens will lose the right to have government Of, by and for the People (humans, not corporations). We will lose our rights. President Biden has the executive power and responsibility to defend US and our Constitution against all enemies Foreign and Domestic, as our Commander in Chief, He does not have the right to hand over in a transition of power, our government to a seditious convicted Felon , our country and government. whether in a peaceful transition, or not. It is an epic fail, and the biggest heist in history!
We’re not going into uncharted territories; we’re just revisiting them. History is not just a collection of words in books; it is meant as a proscription against repeating our mistakes. But men stubbornly remain fools as they engineer their own destruction.
"We are going into uncharted territories," you write. Consider the "ship of state" sailing and then consider the words of the old hymn often referred to as The Naval Hymn and other titles. The hymn was sung/performed many times during the services for U.S. Navy Officer and Naval Academy graduate President Jimmy Carter. It is a moving hymn whose words always bring me to tears and especially now as we, passengers on this "mighty ship of state" are in such a precarious position; the last lines, "O hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea" seem so apt for us now in the throes of the dark storm threatening our once peaceful waters.
We all might also revisit Leonard Cohen's song "Democracy" with its stirring words, "Sail on, oh mighty ship of state..... democracy is coming....to the U.S.A."
A time for our experienced seasoned 50 years in government President to Be Commander in chief and use his powers to jail and fight the insurrectionists who brazenly take over our country to do the bidding of Vladimir Putin, who helped to install him in the office of president twice. He has the power to use our military to Defend US against enemies, Foreign and Domestic. We need that defense now!
A time to stop the oligarchs from outsourcing 300,000 jobs a year to China and elsewhere so that they can cut costs and pay their CEOS 400 times more than their workers. This has been taking place for the last 40 plus years and has created a class of individuals who can’t get jobs because the jobs are no longer there. The disappearance of the middle class should be of great concern to all of us.
Maria, alas, they will not be shaking hands. The requirement will be smooching the a-hole's nether regions, and they will do it joyfully because they are all nuts.
They'll have to gently elbow aside Iowa's Governor who's lamprey-like attachment to Trump's whatever will be in the way. She traveled to Mar-a-Lago last week to beg forgiveness for her dissing Trump before the election in favor of Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of contention a few days after. Like too many Conservatives, Ron had praised her for making Iowa the "Florida of the North" as if that's a positive goal.
Chris, it seems Trump's nether regions will be getting a lot of attention this week before his inauguration. Even Dem. Senator Fetterman is heading in that direction. I never thought he would, but it seems a stroke, or just getting older or more interest in money, or nearly anything else can turn good people into something moving toward despicable. And so it goes!
Personally, I think Fetterman has always raised a lot of questions, and ever more so in the past year. He seems to be inching more and more towards the MAGA or tramp organization. Could be another case of "protect my own fortunes" over integrity, hard to say. I've long thought his "schtick" was more performance than principles, and we already have way too much of that stuff.
However, if Fetterman is taking up the foul mantle left by Manchin and Synema (Cinema, for her personal look-at-me shows), then he is a boil on the already troubled Democratic body.
Democrats gotta decide what they stand for and then, by god, stand for it - and communicate articulately and eloquently and consistently - and HONESTLY!! I suggest the ideas and policy values of Jimmy Carter and FDR for some fundamentals.
Annie, I do not believe it is the Democratic Party that is to blame for Manchin, Sinema, or Fetterman, should he follow their move. Sinema had a progressive stance as did Fetterman when running for office. I had no sense that either of them would turn into near MAGAs. I think Kamala Harris stated very clearly what Democrats stand for, but the truth is, with election funding as it is now, even people with a strong moral compass can end up leaving those values behind to court funds to run. That is thanks to Johnny Roberts and his Supreme Court conservatives or whatever one wants to call them. We now know that most of the conservatives for decades have had, let's say, side challenges that kept them from ruling for the benefit of the American people. I don't see that being fixed any time soon, though.
it is my opinion that Fetterman is an Israeli firster, as is Stephen Miller, and other Jews that hang around and support Trump, despite the anti semitism of his base.
The Muslims thought that voting for Trump, or not voting at all, would teach the Democrats a lesson and Trump would reward them by not supporting Israel.
They were not paying attention, except to his blather. Bibi and Trump are brothers from another mother. He has been financed and supported by rich and influential Jews since he first appeared on the scene, the Addelsons, the Mercers, Steve Wynn. And who can forget the Muslim ban, well the Muslim Imams who endorsed him sure did.
What I am saying is that for some people their loyalty is to their ethnicity, be it race, religion, language, culture, over the nation that provides them succor, safety, comfort and opportunity. Some people not all people.
William, what I don't understand is where anyone got the idea that Republicans cared more for Palestinians than Democrats. Republicans care for no one but rich white men. I don't know how they missed the truth. Now, with Trump and Kump in office, Palestinians will be more at risk than under any Democrat. I guess thinking was missing among Palestinian supporters in November as it was among much of the rest of America too.
Tribalism is a human default mode to which we tend to revert when we feel threatened. Trump has tapped into human nature with the instincts of a shark; and there have been, and still are, lots of remoras guiding him in the hope that they will have a feast.
Hegseth will only be the beginning. Trump is a form of reptile few have observed shedding its skin. The creature's final sloughing will take place on this coming Monday, 1/20/25. However, I fear what lies beneath will in no way resemble the snake we've all become accustomed to over the past 10 years. Evolution will have initiated a cruel joke that will result in the birth of a modern day naristic monster. Darwin would classify this new life form as an unrestricted social mutation that once resembled Donald J. Trump. Unencumbered by the laws of men, this incipient creature will roam freely throughout the land transforming whatever he sees into the perverted version of a reality normal people want nothing to do with. It's not just us who's at risk, the entire world stands at the edge of his abyss. Our people are like the Passenger Pigeon and Trump is now poised holding a shotgun aimed directly at our flock. Will it ease our pain if we regard his efforts as an antiquated mistake about to take shape here yet again, in our time. Man is the only life form that kills for sport and our season is about to open, with no bag limit.
Donald, I fear you are right because it is not only Toddler-Trump who will be running things. He has an entire force of ignorant whiny needy toddlers ready to do whatever he commands. He will make all kinds of ridiculous commands because he is in the throes of dementia, but the toddler patrol won't be able to distinguish among them and will do their best to carry out, at least the ones that will benefit themselves. These are not good people, but white America has proven racism and misogyny are more powerful than doing what is right and beneficial for the many. Yo Trumpers and Trumpettes, I hope you enjoy the chaos and destruction of our democracy. It will be your fault and you won't be able to honestly blame it on anyone else, though, of course, you will try.
Your description brings to mind the television series “V” (for “visitor”) where aliens were lizards wrapped in human form and they enslaved earthlings for energy and other purposes. There were ambassadors to win over the population while hiding their true agenda. Of course there were collaborators and the resistance. Let’s see if we can defeat “V” this time.
Tribalism, our default mode in times of danger, is thoughtless, authoritarian, and murderous. It served us well when we lived in small groups thousands of years ago; it is a genetic disorder today.
That was a great TV show. Thanks for reminding us about it LJ57. It only lasted a couple seasons as I remember. I wish one of the networks would bring it back. GH
They are oblivious to reality, which exists only in their fragile psyche.
Trump NEEDS this adoration .
My ex drank himself to death a couple months ago, at 65. His family believed his lies because they wanted to.
So do the new trump acolytes.
I do not understand what gives them the power to be believed.
And btw, people CAN stop drinking just like that. It's always a choice, to have that drink. It's not a compulsion, it's an inability to deal with one's own thoughts and emotions.
I wish to god (if only there was one) that trump drank.
As a licensed psychologist, I completely agree. Alcoholics are addicted at a biological level and must go through supervised withdrawal. If they successfully wean themselves off of alcohol, they must never take a drink again -- not even a very small one --or they will be right back where they were before they went through treatment.
I've known my share of drunks,they will lie about their drinking, repeatedly promise to stop,but they eventually go right back to the booze.The ones who try to keep it hid are the worst,usually it takes a drunken car wreck(hoping no one is killed,tho sadly this is frequently the case)and they land in jail.I also know that the judges who have to hear these drunks and their excuses are very hard on these people.They have heard some horrid stuff and they have no issue throwing the book at a drunk driver.
This convoluted moron has absolutely no business anywhere near our military,he should be swiftly shoved out the nearest door and told to go away and stay away.He will cause our service members to end up killed over some petty argument,and what will happen to those who refuse to attack their own fellow citizens?And we are ALL citizens,and this asshat needs to understand he can't just steal our rights and think his self righteousness qualifies him to do so.People like HIM are exactly what's wrong with our society.
He is the most UNAMERICAN person to ever be suggested to run anything in our government,let alone our armed forces,and for the love of God he can't be in this position.
Congress needs to tell him No Way,No How,Exit Stage Left and Don't Come Back!!
Melissa, the sad thing is that there is no courage among Republican senators. Their position in the Senate is far more important to them than doing what is right for the American people, that is if they ever cared about the American people. I suspect most of the Republicans now in office care only about themselves and what they can gain from being in the Senate, financial and otherwise. I would love for a bunch of them to stand up and say "enough, we're not going to keep pretending Trump knows anything. Hegseth is out!" That would be great but cowardice trumps integrity among Republicans these days.
Steve, it is so sad to think that our Senate would decide to put into office of any kind, a would-be insurrectionist who stands for turning our military on the American people that he or Baby Donnie or maybe Muskrat don't like. What is wrong with them? Are they so far gone from caring about their constituents that they can't help them or anyone else? How does this criminal have so much power over anyone? Why are we permitting that? Our Senate could curb a lot of Toddler-Trump and his toddler playmates' bad behavior, but I am guessing the Republican Senators want to be right there in the playground with Toddler-Trump even though he despises every single one of them. How is it people don't even care that they voted for toddlers to represent them in Congress, toddlers who for money would cut their Social Security, Medicare, privatize the Post Office their constituents depend on, and so forth? Free speech is not free when it puts people's lives at risk, lies on critical matters, and pretends those who are actually defending democracy are the "enemies of the state." That is what dictators do and dictators use people and hurt anyone who gets in their way, just as Baby Donnie and his playground plan to do here. Outrageous!
Alcoholics either sober up, get locked up or covered up. They are dangerous, destructive and sick. Cannot trust them without years of accountable sobriety.
One more point: Hegseth worked hard to have members of the Armed Forces convicted of war crimes pardoned by Donald Trump during his first presidency. This is very troubling because he has actively undermined the integrity of the military - such a person is morally unfit to lead the DoD. https://time.com/7176342/pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pardon-war-crimes-military/
Stephan, alas, I think this is an already-done deal. I don't know what Trump and Kump have on the Republican senators, but it is strong enough for them to ditch any integrity they might have once had. OK, it probably wasn't much, but maybe there was some. Now, there will be none among Republicans and any Democrats who cross the line and vote yes for such an appalling nominee.
It may be that they that they are just lemmings going over the cliff because that is what the tribe does. They have been propagandized for 28 years by Faux Snooze and this is the payoff.
Stephen, the whole Klan of Republican senators should be ashamed of themselves. They have worked tirelessly to undermine every positive effort anyone has made to help the people of this nation, and the world too for decades, perhaps a century. However, the propagandized hoards just keep electing them because they have an "R" in front of their name and "well, Mama always voted 'R' and I guess Iave to also. Besides those woke people are going to destroy this country." How do we break through to those people? And, they may be wrong about who "Mama" voted for. My mom was registered Republican, so we thought she voted straight Republican. We accused her of that once and she said, voting is personal, but what would make you think I would vote for a crook like Nixon, an actor like Reagan, or someone as ignorant as Bush Jr.? We were shocked. She voted deliberately for Obama twice, but dementia had set in so she didn't vote in the Clinton-Trump election. People, particularly red state white America needs to wake up to stop the crazy laws ignorant white men are pushing on everyone in the state even them, just because they are essentially unopposed. We all need to start or keep opposing for our own survival and the survival of the people of this nation and the world. It is Republicans who need to become woke or rather woke-up to see what is being done to them.
Stephan, thank you for this important reminder; this fact hardly ever is mentioned in the media, which appears to have surrendered to white tribalism. What people often ignore is that war crime laws protect our soldiers. Hegseth is an ignorant, incompetent bimbo, and yet he could become our president some day.
As a Vietnam era veteran, I am opposed to Hegseth’s nomination as Secretary of Defense. He does not represent the high standards that are expected of the position.
As someone who has been involved with alcohol issues, I can say VERY CLEARLY that someone who has problems with it CANNOT simply say they are going to quit if they are given an important job! It is NOT something you just quit. It is a lifelong problem that needs to be dealt with daily for every single day of your life. He is full of bullshit or total ignorance. Either one disqualifies him from the job in my opinion! And that is only the tip of the iceberg with him. :(
Professor Reich: you mentioned that Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst was threatened with being "primaried". is her seat so weak that she can easily be removed from office for DOING THE RIGHT THING? instead, she very well might stomp her unethical ring-kissing opponent into the dust -- IF she does the right thing. why don't these politicians ever think of THAT potential outcome? this just reminds me that the entire rethuglican party is a cesspool of greed, hatred and violence and anyone who votes for this shares in the shame and responsibility for their terrible behaviors. how can any rethuglican voter sleep at night knowing they supported a person who was fighting to HELP them?
There needs to be more coverage of this sort of thing which is the greatest danger to our Republic. Certainly the physical threat is always there implicitly. Maybe no explicit threats need to be made.
She hopefully will find the spine to do the right thing and should call out those who threaten her. Hoping against hope that a couple more women (no way any of the male a-hole GQP vote against him) will do the obvious right thing.
I have long thought that Trump and his cohort find vulnerabilities (such as children, spouses) that they threaten to force obedience among the Republicans.
Agree. Join Erbst needs to continue fighting what she has been fighting for. If they "primary" her (what does that mean??) She should bring the truth to those in her District!
It means they will find someone to run against her in the Republican primary election, and the GOP Party will slime her, support the other guy, and get her primary opponent elected who will run in the general election against the Democrat. This is what happened to Liz Cheney.
GrrlScientist - Very well said. I was waiting for one of the people asking him questions to bring up his time in college writing for a right wing publication where he said that a drunk female cannot claim rape if she was unconscious because she could not say that she was “under duress” because she was not awake when the rape happened. On top of all of his other disqualifications the Senators that have female children, especially if they are in ROTC or thinking about going into the military, should make him actually answer their questions instead of letting him deflect.
No I think it does matter. Public opinion is important. But I think the threat of physical harm is likely more "in the air" than anyone from the Party making an explicit threat. I'm not talking about threats that might come from the MAGAheads among the public, though more should be reported on this.
Professor Reich, I cried while reading your post. To feel this helplessness is so depressing! I wonder when we became the enemy because we value our Democracy? Why are we the bad guys because we want to follow the Constitution? For 200+ years we have operated as a Democratic Republic and now the powers that be are saying we are wrong? How can our calls for Democracy represent a rejection of our system? What are we then if we are not a Democracy? How can he claim we hate America because we use the word Democracy? We aren't the ones calling for the Constitution to be changed - the orange man has said he will pick and choose which parts to follow! They want to change it! Am I wrong? What the hell is happening?
The billionaire media promote this hatred for real patriots. Hegseth Raped a fellow Republican by drugging her. What does that say about his ethics? Any positive promotion of him shows who they are. A drugged victim is not "consensual". They eat their own. and destroy all others.
Their opposition to true democracy can be traced directly to their white supremacy and misogyny. They do not believe “minorities” should be able to vote or have a voice and they are prepared to do whatever they need to in order to make sure the white population does not lose it’s majority. They are despicable.
I remember that John Tower promised total abstinence from alcohol if confirmed. He was, as you pointed out, rejected. Hegseth’s views, as you report them, of using the military as a domestic police force would, in my opinion, disqualify him. Hegseth is a total sleaze. Using his mothe strikes me as stooping too low. All Trump’s Cabinet nominations ought to be rejected. I noted with unease the disconcertingly eerie counterpoint of final rites for Jimmy Carter and the imminent second coming of Trump. Virtue gives way to mediocrity. Principle gives way to self-indulgence. It’s a lousy time to be alive.
Hegseth is an embarrassment to all true U.S. warriors and so is the demented coward who thinks Hegseth is a warrior. What would Donnie know about who’s a warrior?
Indeed, what would Trump know abput the army? He thinks he knows everything. He could never get past basic training; he has never been in the military. (I have.)
Trump was shipped off to a military prep school at age 13 where the culture was to beat up on the weak. I think that’s where he developed his affection for bullying people. He never served on active duty in the real military (as I have) but he probably considers himself to be a veteran. Trump is a shameless tool.
47 has military school in his resume. Picture him as a freshman shoulders and head above the little shrimp cadets who haven’t gotten their burst of growth hormone yet. He no doubt bullied his way to fame in the barracks from hell. Look how well that training has served him. I apologize if the made you puke.
Trump warps, twists, and perverts the definition of “warrior”. To him, it means anyone with the”courage” to promote T’s agenda (and Skum’s agenda, and Putin’s, and Zhi’s!) to destroy true Democracy to make T a dictator who won’t limit himself to just “Day One” in his evil bucket list for revenge. And his allies: Hegseth, Patel, Gabbard, the Republicans that sold their souls toride T’s coattails to power, sexists, racists, fascists and other deplorables too numerous to list - I almost forgot the authors of Project 2025!- will make T’s. Vision a horrifying reality.
I have always wondered why not one, that I know of, fellow students from DT's military school have not spoken out about him. Are we all wrong and was he really a nice guy? Or was he a nobody that no one really remembers much about? Or are they all like him and agree with his lies and BS? Or have they been threatened if they speak out? Curious minds want to know! Just saying... GH
Trump and Hegseth will have the authority to order real soldiers to fight and die. Unlike other leaders who did so with care and professional experience it is impossible to believe that they will care about brave men dying. Many military leaders are stricken at knowing young, skilled and courageous men have died. How will wives, husbands, partners, mums and dads feel at hearing lives of those they love have been lost so carelessly.
I'm reminded about the Dam Busters raid in World War 2 when 50 men led by Guy Gibson who got a VC for his courage died. The man who planned the raid never recovered from his distress at their deaths.
What does Hegseth, all of an army private know about running the entire military? He couldn’t control his own wallet for his alcohol intake and were going to let him handle an $800 million or more budget? Only Donnie & his incredible genius skull would think that’s a good idea. And he criticizes guys like Governor Newsome? Yup if the U.S. ain’t broke now, it will be after Donnie sends the whole country off a cliff with his great management picks. Of course he has to find dudes worse than himself. No shortage of those brainless people in the RW. He’s letting 2 of them have access to my retirement money. I already cannot survive. Donnie appointed 12 people from Fox TV to manage our country. What could possibly go wrong?
Hesgeth will be appointed, exactly for the reasons Robert Reich has indicated that are all 'positives' as far as Trump (and many MAGAs) are concerned. Trump intends to use the military on American streets, so who better? Trumps intends to deport a million or 10 million migrants, so who better? Trump may well use the military to take back the Panama Canal zone, and maybe even attack Greenland, so who better?
But there is more. While everyone is discussing Hesgeth and all the other dipshits Trump has put forward, no one is discussing what Trump will say and do on the 20th. I have said before that Trump will give a 'shock and awe' inauguration speech, and what better way to keep the contents secret and avoid questions and speculations than to fill the news and politics with public arguments about potential appointees?
There is one last thing. Trump is politically aware and also insecure. The last thing he would do is appoint potential future competition for his job. As he is so crap at everything he does, he really has to scrape the bottom of the Republican barrel to find politicians shittier than he is!
Your post is chilling. I’m horrified to think about this outcome. So many experts know how wrong this scenario will be for the country. This first Senate hearing may give us an indication of how wrong he is for the position.
You have hit the mail on the head. How is it that the citizens were and are so easily manipulated? Take the Panama Canal and Greenland “possibly” by force. This sorry excuse for a human being is so drunk with power that he is shitting out of his mouth.
One would hope that the last remaining “moderates” in the Senate, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, would vote against Hegseth’s confirmation. But for Susan Collins, at least, temporizing on such appointments has become her signature response, “weighing all the facts” before falling meekly into line. Remember how she trusted Brett Kavanagh’s assertion that he considered Roe v. Wade settled law.
Sen. Susan Collins is a spineless wimp. She loves to be on the tube talking about bi-partisanship, coming together and how she will be an independent voice for the betterment of America! Bullshit!
The Maine DEM party has researched her record and she voted with DT 94% of the time. She also voted for everyone of his court picks. Even the ones that the American Bar Association rated "not qualified".
Sen. Lisa Murkowski may be a toss up but being from Alaska, a red state, that DT won with over 54% of the vote, she will probably fold too.
Good luck to our active duty military folks with this anti-American pervert in charge of the country and this anti-American drunk pervert at the Pentagon. They will get what they wished for. About 65% of them voted for DT. Just saying... GH
Hello Charles, and who could forget Susan Collins saying she thought Trump had learned his lesson from being impeached, so that conviction was not necessary?!
The history of the Confederate statues is well known and well documented. Their installation was a means to cleanse a war of traitors and turn it into something noble. But we live on a knife edge of ignorance, where few want to understand that our Civil War was an attempt to make King Cotton and chattel slavery the law of new lands during our westward expansion, as described in the documents of secession written by every seceding state.
Sadly, I live in a Northeast Texas' Lamar County, where the County Judge refuses to even schedule a community meeting to hear a large group of people who want a Confederate statue removed from the County Courthouse grounds and set up in the county history museum instead. Meanwhile, the "COLORED" sign that once pointed the way to the segregated bathroom in the courthouse now hangs on a wall as 'memorabilia' of history, still aggravating people of color many years after de-segregation, and this small county of 36k residents has six distinct school districts, which was their way of trying to get around the federally ordered desegregation of schools. So taxpayers are on the hook for the expense of redundant admin staff and buildings, redundant football mansions, coaches, and redundant sports, drumline, dance line, band and other student activities.
The Texans started their war of independence from Mexico in 1824 as that government became a more centralized power. Part of that goal was to abolish slavery and the Mexicans finally did that in 1829.
However, that handwriting was on the wall even before 1824. So the truth is, despite all the history we have learned about the brave Texas fighters for independence, they were really fighting to keep slavery alive in the state of Texas.
William B. Travis and Davy Crockett were both slave owners and died at the Alamo. Crockett was from Tennessee and joined the fight for the pay and the hopes of getting land in Texas for his family. You can look it up.
Seems like many things haven't changed in Texas in the last 200 years. There are millions of wonderful, kind folks in the state, just not enough of them to vote out all the GOPers who give the state a bad name. All the best to everyone in 2025.... GH
I was born in East Texas but raised primarily in Tennessee. My parents were born & raised there. We were the only ones that left. I was effectively shielded from that history and Tennessee history also. The town we moved to had so few blacks I never noticed segregation. The schools were zoned east and west of the RR tracks. Those few blacks lived on the west side & we lived on the east side. There was only one high school. When the few showed up in band & some classes I didn’t bat an eye. My watered down American history and lived experiences which were confined to white Christianity did not prepare me for racism. My husband was shielded as well. His dad was Canadian and his mother was born & raised in Baltimore. He was born & raised in Norfolk VA! Our stories are unbelievable similar and equally far fetched. Indoctrination into any ‘way of life’ is damning, but morality and conscience is innate.
The Confederate statues went up after the reconciliation stemming mainly from the Spanish-American War. For a more successful example of a similar reconciliation, check out the Glenfinnan Monument.
And Robert E. Lee and Jeff Davies were much more worthy human beings than Mahound, both a theoretician and practitioner of slavery, whose “example” still makes a major contribution, most recently to the grooming gangs in the UK.
If slavery is REALLY a disqualifier his death cult should be banished from the public square.
With hard work and dedication even Lamar County has the potential for change. It is difficult for people to leave their homes and families even if the area is populated by chump lemmings.
I knew gaetz wouldn't make it far so hope I'm right on this one ..if there's any spikes left in DC this ain't gonna happen.....btw while I refuse to acknowledge changing names of things and they can jail me before I'd do it I joked let's change names too then starting with mar a largo could be called the den of deuchebag
it does but no offense to the likely important process of actually deuching not to mention the French word for shower deuchebag is funnier lol..thieves is very true too
Yes. Absolutely. How is this guy better than Gaetz? But he fits the mold. Let me list the line up of sexual predators coming up thru the MAGA ranks: Clarence Thomas, Brett Cavanaugh, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump. I could go on but you get it. What can the generals be thinking?
An adderall addict, a ketamine addict and an alcoholic walk into a bar …….
...and shake hands with and hug the new asshole President and say THANK YOU for the new job!
What's old is new again , in the negative sense. going backward to our worst.
We are going into uncharted territories, I believe.
Uncharted for us. The older Germans know a little more about what may be coming, no doubt. Why couldn't we stop this? Hey President Biden!!! : Throw the criminals who are engaging in a years long coup de 'tat in jail for god's sake! ask the Pope, he may agree. Not sure though, the Vatican may have helped the Nazis, long ago? We have enough jails, The "private sector" have been building them for awhile. LOCK THEM UP!
I couldn't agree more. I'm astounded at the number of people who think it's enough to be cynical, and that their cynicism will change anything. This is all far too reminiscent of Hitler's tactics. And why shouldn't it be? Trump reveres him, supposedly to the point of keeping a copy of Mein Kampf on his bedside table. Eric Metaxas put it so well in his 2020 book about Bonhoeffer: democracy is eating itself alive. A convicted felon found to have acted seditiously should never be given the reins of power. This is a huge failure of democracy.
Katalin you said: "I couldn't agree more. I'm astounded at the number of people who think it's enough to be cynical, and that their cynicism will change anything"
I ask then, "What is your proposal, what is the correct response to this deadly farce?"
The concept of democracy has not failed; we, by our inane and horrificactions have failed it.
That is all that it is. The irony being that the butt fucks who elected him are too fucking stupid to even see how fucked they are, until they try to get insurance to pay for that arm they broke making corned beef hash, and bathrtub gin.
I used to think I would suffer from brain fog for the rest of my life..."𝐛𝐮𝐭" this changed everything.... https://t.co/g7h0bOndmB
A failure of corrupted democracy.
Cynicism is a kind of evasion. We should face the world realistically. There's a lot of unpleasant things.
Corral the lot of them at Mar-a-Lago. We could enlist the undocumented to build the wall around it, and many would likely pay for the privilege of participating in true justice.
How is Biden going to throw people in jail? Under what rationale and authority? It sounds great to say that, but where's the actual basis?
Denise, are you a lawyer?
The evidence is well documented as retired Justice Michael J. Luttig has pointed out a couple of years ago, that Trump engaged in an insurrection against our Capitol to interfere with the certification of the ballots in an election. If we were invaded by a foreign enemy, do you think we would have to go to friggin' court? I don't think so. It is happening now in full GORY, with the worst of the worst poised to take over! A Russian plant has the power to end the United States of America as it's Human Citizens will lose the right to have government Of, by and for the People (humans, not corporations). We will lose our rights. President Biden has the executive power and responsibility to defend US and our Constitution against all enemies Foreign and Domestic, as our Commander in Chief, He does not have the right to hand over in a transition of power, our government to a seditious convicted Felon , our country and government. whether in a peaceful transition, or not. It is an epic fail, and the biggest heist in history!
Denise, how about a national security crisis?
AGREE!
If Germany’s current political culture is anything to go by “older Germans” should NOT be used as a source, under ANY circumstances.
Cf. This nonsense:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/14/german-police-investigate-afd-flyers-resembling-plane-tickets-for-immigrants
We’re not going into uncharted territories; we’re just revisiting them. History is not just a collection of words in books; it is meant as a proscription against repeating our mistakes. But men stubbornly remain fools as they engineer their own destruction.
"We are going into uncharted territories," you write. Consider the "ship of state" sailing and then consider the words of the old hymn often referred to as The Naval Hymn and other titles. The hymn was sung/performed many times during the services for U.S. Navy Officer and Naval Academy graduate President Jimmy Carter. It is a moving hymn whose words always bring me to tears and especially now as we, passengers on this "mighty ship of state" are in such a precarious position; the last lines, "O hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea" seem so apt for us now in the throes of the dark storm threatening our once peaceful waters.
We all might also revisit Leonard Cohen's song "Democracy" with its stirring words, "Sail on, oh mighty ship of state..... democracy is coming....to the U.S.A."
Kris, we have seen this before. Does Mein Kampf ring a bell?
This time we are the ones taking fascism out for a spin. Remember how many people died? Not many left that do.
But plenty has been written about it. Most recently Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. Outstanding account. Heart wrenching story.
Have you read the Book of Ecclesiastes?
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9. A time to post the 10 commandments in Louisiana schools in Hebrew.
10. A time for Hamas to give up their hostages to find peace.
11. A time for Putin to stop killing Ukrainians.
12. A time for Trump to tell the truth.
13. A time to raise the tax rate on realized capital gains on equities.
14. A time for young people to learn marketable skills.
15. A time to avoid addictive drugs.
16. A time to observe the speed limit.
17. A time for a national ban on assault weapons of mass murder.
A time for our experienced seasoned 50 years in government President to Be Commander in chief and use his powers to jail and fight the insurrectionists who brazenly take over our country to do the bidding of Vladimir Putin, who helped to install him in the office of president twice. He has the power to use our military to Defend US against enemies, Foreign and Domestic. We need that defense now!
A time to stop the oligarchs from outsourcing 300,000 jobs a year to China and elsewhere so that they can cut costs and pay their CEOS 400 times more than their workers. This has been taking place for the last 40 plus years and has created a class of individuals who can’t get jobs because the jobs are no longer there. The disappearance of the middle class should be of great concern to all of us.
Robert🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😳🤔
Please expound on how your comment is relevant.
You're joking, right?
What has been will be again,
and what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a case where one can say,
“Look, this is new”?
It has already existed
in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance
of those who came before,
and those yet to come will not be remembered
by those who follow after.
Sorry, not joking. Not a Bible reader. Thanks for the explanation.
he is not nor can he be anything but Predator trump.... "President" is far above who he is...
I thought Leon Mush was President? Is Elon or Felon the crook in charge here?
Elonald Mump is fused at the collective ego. Until this dynamic is disrupted, the creature will remain in malignant mode.
Maria, alas, they will not be shaking hands. The requirement will be smooching the a-hole's nether regions, and they will do it joyfully because they are all nuts.
They'll have to gently elbow aside Iowa's Governor who's lamprey-like attachment to Trump's whatever will be in the way. She traveled to Mar-a-Lago last week to beg forgiveness for her dissing Trump before the election in favor of Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of contention a few days after. Like too many Conservatives, Ron had praised her for making Iowa the "Florida of the North" as if that's a positive goal.
Chris, it seems Trump's nether regions will be getting a lot of attention this week before his inauguration. Even Dem. Senator Fetterman is heading in that direction. I never thought he would, but it seems a stroke, or just getting older or more interest in money, or nearly anything else can turn good people into something moving toward despicable. And so it goes!
Personally, I think Fetterman has always raised a lot of questions, and ever more so in the past year. He seems to be inching more and more towards the MAGA or tramp organization. Could be another case of "protect my own fortunes" over integrity, hard to say. I've long thought his "schtick" was more performance than principles, and we already have way too much of that stuff.
However, if Fetterman is taking up the foul mantle left by Manchin and Synema (Cinema, for her personal look-at-me shows), then he is a boil on the already troubled Democratic body.
Democrats gotta decide what they stand for and then, by god, stand for it - and communicate articulately and eloquently and consistently - and HONESTLY!! I suggest the ideas and policy values of Jimmy Carter and FDR for some fundamentals.
Annie, I do not believe it is the Democratic Party that is to blame for Manchin, Sinema, or Fetterman, should he follow their move. Sinema had a progressive stance as did Fetterman when running for office. I had no sense that either of them would turn into near MAGAs. I think Kamala Harris stated very clearly what Democrats stand for, but the truth is, with election funding as it is now, even people with a strong moral compass can end up leaving those values behind to court funds to run. That is thanks to Johnny Roberts and his Supreme Court conservatives or whatever one wants to call them. We now know that most of the conservatives for decades have had, let's say, side challenges that kept them from ruling for the benefit of the American people. I don't see that being fixed any time soon, though.
it is my opinion that Fetterman is an Israeli firster, as is Stephen Miller, and other Jews that hang around and support Trump, despite the anti semitism of his base.
The Muslims thought that voting for Trump, or not voting at all, would teach the Democrats a lesson and Trump would reward them by not supporting Israel.
They were not paying attention, except to his blather. Bibi and Trump are brothers from another mother. He has been financed and supported by rich and influential Jews since he first appeared on the scene, the Addelsons, the Mercers, Steve Wynn. And who can forget the Muslim ban, well the Muslim Imams who endorsed him sure did.
What I am saying is that for some people their loyalty is to their ethnicity, be it race, religion, language, culture, over the nation that provides them succor, safety, comfort and opportunity. Some people not all people.
William, what I don't understand is where anyone got the idea that Republicans cared more for Palestinians than Democrats. Republicans care for no one but rich white men. I don't know how they missed the truth. Now, with Trump and Kump in office, Palestinians will be more at risk than under any Democrat. I guess thinking was missing among Palestinian supporters in November as it was among much of the rest of America too.
Stupidity and gullibility have no ethnic or racial or religious lines!
Tribalism is a human default mode to which we tend to revert when we feel threatened. Trump has tapped into human nature with the instincts of a shark; and there have been, and still are, lots of remoras guiding him in the hope that they will have a feast.
...And the bartender greeted Mr. Hegseth with a cheery, "Your usual, sir?"
Where they meet Putin, an Orthodox Russian priest, and the ghost of Roy Cohn.
Mike--And the only one to order a drink was the blind Democrat who held the door for them.
Ain’t that a fact!
Peters is doing a great job interrogating Hegseth! So proud of him, MY senator (MI). 🇺🇸🫡
....and all three hate women...
Hegseth will only be the beginning. Trump is a form of reptile few have observed shedding its skin. The creature's final sloughing will take place on this coming Monday, 1/20/25. However, I fear what lies beneath will in no way resemble the snake we've all become accustomed to over the past 10 years. Evolution will have initiated a cruel joke that will result in the birth of a modern day naristic monster. Darwin would classify this new life form as an unrestricted social mutation that once resembled Donald J. Trump. Unencumbered by the laws of men, this incipient creature will roam freely throughout the land transforming whatever he sees into the perverted version of a reality normal people want nothing to do with. It's not just us who's at risk, the entire world stands at the edge of his abyss. Our people are like the Passenger Pigeon and Trump is now poised holding a shotgun aimed directly at our flock. Will it ease our pain if we regard his efforts as an antiquated mistake about to take shape here yet again, in our time. Man is the only life form that kills for sport and our season is about to open, with no bag limit.
Donald, I fear you are right because it is not only Toddler-Trump who will be running things. He has an entire force of ignorant whiny needy toddlers ready to do whatever he commands. He will make all kinds of ridiculous commands because he is in the throes of dementia, but the toddler patrol won't be able to distinguish among them and will do their best to carry out, at least the ones that will benefit themselves. These are not good people, but white America has proven racism and misogyny are more powerful than doing what is right and beneficial for the many. Yo Trumpers and Trumpettes, I hope you enjoy the chaos and destruction of our democracy. It will be your fault and you won't be able to honestly blame it on anyone else, though, of course, you will try.
Your description brings to mind the television series “V” (for “visitor”) where aliens were lizards wrapped in human form and they enslaved earthlings for energy and other purposes. There were ambassadors to win over the population while hiding their true agenda. Of course there were collaborators and the resistance. Let’s see if we can defeat “V” this time.
Tribalism, our default mode in times of danger, is thoughtless, authoritarian, and murderous. It served us well when we lived in small groups thousands of years ago; it is a genetic disorder today.
That was a great TV show. Thanks for reminding us about it LJ57. It only lasted a couple seasons as I remember. I wish one of the networks would bring it back. GH
I was married to one.
They are oblivious to reality, which exists only in their fragile psyche.
Trump NEEDS this adoration .
My ex drank himself to death a couple months ago, at 65. His family believed his lies because they wanted to.
So do the new trump acolytes.
I do not understand what gives them the power to be believed.
And btw, people CAN stop drinking just like that. It's always a choice, to have that drink. It's not a compulsion, it's an inability to deal with one's own thoughts and emotions.
I wish to god (if only there was one) that trump drank.
Some people can quit, but not alcoholics. Two different types. If he is an alcoholic and says he will stop - it will be very difficult without help.
As a licensed psychologist, I completely agree. Alcoholics are addicted at a biological level and must go through supervised withdrawal. If they successfully wean themselves off of alcohol, they must never take a drink again -- not even a very small one --or they will be right back where they were before they went through treatment.
If he drank h’ed be dead like his brother who was apparently the ‘good’ one.
I've known my share of drunks,they will lie about their drinking, repeatedly promise to stop,but they eventually go right back to the booze.The ones who try to keep it hid are the worst,usually it takes a drunken car wreck(hoping no one is killed,tho sadly this is frequently the case)and they land in jail.I also know that the judges who have to hear these drunks and their excuses are very hard on these people.They have heard some horrid stuff and they have no issue throwing the book at a drunk driver.
This convoluted moron has absolutely no business anywhere near our military,he should be swiftly shoved out the nearest door and told to go away and stay away.He will cause our service members to end up killed over some petty argument,and what will happen to those who refuse to attack their own fellow citizens?And we are ALL citizens,and this asshat needs to understand he can't just steal our rights and think his self righteousness qualifies him to do so.People like HIM are exactly what's wrong with our society.
He is the most UNAMERICAN person to ever be suggested to run anything in our government,let alone our armed forces,and for the love of God he can't be in this position.
Congress needs to tell him No Way,No How,Exit Stage Left and Don't Come Back!!
Imagine the moral bankruptcy of the ones who are fighting to confirm him. So many people are for trumps agenda. It’s scary.
Yes. And some are Democrats who lied to be elected.
Yeah, because Democrats needed Muskrat to erase tens of millions of votes.
Isn't moral bankruptcy the main component of Magas! For good measure, add complete idiocy.
This.
Melissa, the sad thing is that there is no courage among Republican senators. Their position in the Senate is far more important to them than doing what is right for the American people, that is if they ever cared about the American people. I suspect most of the Republicans now in office care only about themselves and what they can gain from being in the Senate, financial and otherwise. I would love for a bunch of them to stand up and say "enough, we're not going to keep pretending Trump knows anything. Hegseth is out!" That would be great but cowardice trumps integrity among Republicans these days.
Well we will see just how far gone the Senators are. Whether they all are willing to drink the bleach the felon is handing out.
It would be nice to see them stand up for America even a little bit. If I had to bet I'll bet they confirm. IDK.
Steve, it is so sad to think that our Senate would decide to put into office of any kind, a would-be insurrectionist who stands for turning our military on the American people that he or Baby Donnie or maybe Muskrat don't like. What is wrong with them? Are they so far gone from caring about their constituents that they can't help them or anyone else? How does this criminal have so much power over anyone? Why are we permitting that? Our Senate could curb a lot of Toddler-Trump and his toddler playmates' bad behavior, but I am guessing the Republican Senators want to be right there in the playground with Toddler-Trump even though he despises every single one of them. How is it people don't even care that they voted for toddlers to represent them in Congress, toddlers who for money would cut their Social Security, Medicare, privatize the Post Office their constituents depend on, and so forth? Free speech is not free when it puts people's lives at risk, lies on critical matters, and pretends those who are actually defending democracy are the "enemies of the state." That is what dictators do and dictators use people and hurt anyone who gets in their way, just as Baby Donnie and his playground plan to do here. Outrageous!
Very well said, Melissa.
Go peddle your manure somewhere else, Mister Pete Hogshit.
EotP, do you really think that Pete Hegseth reads Robert Reich's substack, or reads your comment?
Hey, a person can vent now and then, right?!
There is venting and then there is ridiculous.
Pete Hogshit is a manure peddler. That is venting
You are a piece of manure Pete Hogshit. That is ridiculous. Since Pete neither reads nor posts on Reichs's substack.
Calm the farm and get away from the keyboard ….Jesus
Alcoholics either sober up, get locked up or covered up. They are dangerous, destructive and sick. Cannot trust them without years of accountable sobriety.
One more point: Hegseth worked hard to have members of the Armed Forces convicted of war crimes pardoned by Donald Trump during his first presidency. This is very troubling because he has actively undermined the integrity of the military - such a person is morally unfit to lead the DoD. https://time.com/7176342/pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pardon-war-crimes-military/
Stephan, alas, I think this is an already-done deal. I don't know what Trump and Kump have on the Republican senators, but it is strong enough for them to ditch any integrity they might have once had. OK, it probably wasn't much, but maybe there was some. Now, there will be none among Republicans and any Democrats who cross the line and vote yes for such an appalling nominee.
Their tribe politically hangs any dissidents once a Party line has been established. Most of them are opportunistic types to begin with,
It may be that they that they are just lemmings going over the cliff because that is what the tribe does. They have been propagandized for 28 years by Faux Snooze and this is the payoff.
Stephen, the whole Klan of Republican senators should be ashamed of themselves. They have worked tirelessly to undermine every positive effort anyone has made to help the people of this nation, and the world too for decades, perhaps a century. However, the propagandized hoards just keep electing them because they have an "R" in front of their name and "well, Mama always voted 'R' and I guess Iave to also. Besides those woke people are going to destroy this country." How do we break through to those people? And, they may be wrong about who "Mama" voted for. My mom was registered Republican, so we thought she voted straight Republican. We accused her of that once and she said, voting is personal, but what would make you think I would vote for a crook like Nixon, an actor like Reagan, or someone as ignorant as Bush Jr.? We were shocked. She voted deliberately for Obama twice, but dementia had set in so she didn't vote in the Clinton-Trump election. People, particularly red state white America needs to wake up to stop the crazy laws ignorant white men are pushing on everyone in the state even them, just because they are essentially unopposed. We all need to start or keep opposing for our own survival and the survival of the people of this nation and the world. It is Republicans who need to become woke or rather woke-up to see what is being done to them.
Stephan, thank you for this important reminder; this fact hardly ever is mentioned in the media, which appears to have surrendered to white tribalism. What people often ignore is that war crime laws protect our soldiers. Hegseth is an ignorant, incompetent bimbo, and yet he could become our president some day.
As a Vietnam era veteran, I am opposed to Hegseth’s nomination as Secretary of Defense. He does not represent the high standards that are expected of the position.
Thank you for your service. I don’t understand how anyone who served in the military can support someone so obviously unqualified and dangerous.
Thank you, Elliot.
As someone who has been involved with alcohol issues, I can say VERY CLEARLY that someone who has problems with it CANNOT simply say they are going to quit if they are given an important job! It is NOT something you just quit. It is a lifelong problem that needs to be dealt with daily for every single day of your life. He is full of bullshit or total ignorance. Either one disqualifies him from the job in my opinion! And that is only the tip of the iceberg with him. :(
Given all the functions he will need to go to, he will find plenty of opportunities to drink if confirmed. That much is certain.
Professor Reich: you mentioned that Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst was threatened with being "primaried". is her seat so weak that she can easily be removed from office for DOING THE RIGHT THING? instead, she very well might stomp her unethical ring-kissing opponent into the dust -- IF she does the right thing. why don't these politicians ever think of THAT potential outcome? this just reminds me that the entire rethuglican party is a cesspool of greed, hatred and violence and anyone who votes for this shares in the shame and responsibility for their terrible behaviors. how can any rethuglican voter sleep at night knowing they supported a person who was fighting to HELP them?
Because they threatened her with bodily harm as well. They dox people for harassment all the time.
There needs to be more coverage of this sort of thing which is the greatest danger to our Republic. Certainly the physical threat is always there implicitly. Maybe no explicit threats need to be made.
That's horrible...
She hopefully will find the spine to do the right thing and should call out those who threaten her. Hoping against hope that a couple more women (no way any of the male a-hole GQP vote against him) will do the obvious right thing.
I think there are some Men, but yes it's difficult to see them standing out or up.
I have long thought that Trump and his cohort find vulnerabilities (such as children, spouses) that they threaten to force obedience among the Republicans.
Agree. Join Erbst needs to continue fighting what she has been fighting for. If they "primary" her (what does that mean??) She should bring the truth to those in her District!
It means they will find someone to run against her in the Republican primary election, and the GOP Party will slime her, support the other guy, and get her primary opponent elected who will run in the general election against the Democrat. This is what happened to Liz Cheney.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/rep-liz-cheney-loses-primary-wyoming-trump-backed-challenger-rcna43379
GrrlScientist - Very well said. I was waiting for one of the people asking him questions to bring up his time in college writing for a right wing publication where he said that a drunk female cannot claim rape if she was unconscious because she could not say that she was “under duress” because she was not awake when the rape happened. On top of all of his other disqualifications the Senators that have female children, especially if they are in ROTC or thinking about going into the military, should make him actually answer their questions instead of letting him deflect.
Joni Ernst is a white supremacist looking for a way to be admitted to the white boys club.
Don’t people record these threats?
Doesn’t matter. Unless you are in favor the investigation goes nowhere.
No I think it does matter. Public opinion is important. But I think the threat of physical harm is likely more "in the air" than anyone from the Party making an explicit threat. I'm not talking about threats that might come from the MAGAheads among the public, though more should be reported on this.
Professor Reich, I cried while reading your post. To feel this helplessness is so depressing! I wonder when we became the enemy because we value our Democracy? Why are we the bad guys because we want to follow the Constitution? For 200+ years we have operated as a Democratic Republic and now the powers that be are saying we are wrong? How can our calls for Democracy represent a rejection of our system? What are we then if we are not a Democracy? How can he claim we hate America because we use the word Democracy? We aren't the ones calling for the Constitution to be changed - the orange man has said he will pick and choose which parts to follow! They want to change it! Am I wrong? What the hell is happening?
The billionaire media promote this hatred for real patriots. Hegseth Raped a fellow Republican by drugging her. What does that say about his ethics? Any positive promotion of him shows who they are. A drugged victim is not "consensual". They eat their own. and destroy all others.
"They eat their own, and destroy all others." Well said, Laurie, that's what tribal people do, and that's the fate Republicans have chosen.
Did they consent to be drugged? Probably not.
Their opposition to true democracy can be traced directly to their white supremacy and misogyny. They do not believe “minorities” should be able to vote or have a voice and they are prepared to do whatever they need to in order to make sure the white population does not lose it’s majority. They are despicable.
Tribalism is thoughtless and destructive; it cannot endure in the modern world, and maybe this is why they don't mind destroying the world.
I remember that John Tower promised total abstinence from alcohol if confirmed. He was, as you pointed out, rejected. Hegseth’s views, as you report them, of using the military as a domestic police force would, in my opinion, disqualify him. Hegseth is a total sleaze. Using his mothe strikes me as stooping too low. All Trump’s Cabinet nominations ought to be rejected. I noted with unease the disconcertingly eerie counterpoint of final rites for Jimmy Carter and the imminent second coming of Trump. Virtue gives way to mediocrity. Principle gives way to self-indulgence. It’s a lousy time to be alive.
Your statement about the second coming of Trump is truth and shows that Satan is alive and well on earth.
All of these people and the way they act are an abomination to the word of God.
Hopefully, America will not be wandering in the wilderness for 40 years!!
Hegseth is an unqualified, disgraceful candidate. He is utterly incompetent to serve.
The same was no doubt said about the Austrian corporal who became Germany's leader in 1933.
Hopefully, the first round of candidates is just for show. Trump has not hired stupid lawyers. Why would he want stupid officials in his government?
Victor, all his lawyers were parking lot employees. All they had to do was deny, deflect, and delay. The fix was in
Hegseth is an embarrassment to all true U.S. warriors and so is the demented coward who thinks Hegseth is a warrior. What would Donnie know about who’s a warrior?
Indeed, what would Trump know abput the army? He thinks he knows everything. He could never get past basic training; he has never been in the military. (I have.)
Trump was shipped off to a military prep school at age 13 where the culture was to beat up on the weak. I think that’s where he developed his affection for bullying people. He never served on active duty in the real military (as I have) but he probably considers himself to be a veteran. Trump is a shameless tool.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/trump-the-bully-how-childhood-military-school-shaped-the-future-president/
Burke, we hated “that guy” in public school, too. Every school yard has one. He can bully all he wants but we’ll hate that guy right to the grave.
Watkins
47 has military school in his resume. Picture him as a freshman shoulders and head above the little shrimp cadets who haven’t gotten their burst of growth hormone yet. He no doubt bullied his way to fame in the barracks from hell. Look how well that training has served him. I apologize if the made you puke.
Trump warps, twists, and perverts the definition of “warrior”. To him, it means anyone with the”courage” to promote T’s agenda (and Skum’s agenda, and Putin’s, and Zhi’s!) to destroy true Democracy to make T a dictator who won’t limit himself to just “Day One” in his evil bucket list for revenge. And his allies: Hegseth, Patel, Gabbard, the Republicans that sold their souls toride T’s coattails to power, sexists, racists, fascists and other deplorables too numerous to list - I almost forgot the authors of Project 2025!- will make T’s. Vision a horrifying reality.
I have always wondered why not one, that I know of, fellow students from DT's military school have not spoken out about him. Are we all wrong and was he really a nice guy? Or was he a nobody that no one really remembers much about? Or are they all like him and agree with his lies and BS? Or have they been threatened if they speak out? Curious minds want to know! Just saying... GH
Senick, not yet and hopefully not ever, a reality, that is.
Me too! This is one of the (many) times I want to be wrong.
Trump and Hegseth will have the authority to order real soldiers to fight and die. Unlike other leaders who did so with care and professional experience it is impossible to believe that they will care about brave men dying. Many military leaders are stricken at knowing young, skilled and courageous men have died. How will wives, husbands, partners, mums and dads feel at hearing lives of those they love have been lost so carelessly.
I'm reminded about the Dam Busters raid in World War 2 when 50 men led by Guy Gibson who got a VC for his courage died. The man who planned the raid never recovered from his distress at their deaths.
Ty very good point!
What does Hegseth, all of an army private know about running the entire military? He couldn’t control his own wallet for his alcohol intake and were going to let him handle an $800 million or more budget? Only Donnie & his incredible genius skull would think that’s a good idea. And he criticizes guys like Governor Newsome? Yup if the U.S. ain’t broke now, it will be after Donnie sends the whole country off a cliff with his great management picks. Of course he has to find dudes worse than himself. No shortage of those brainless people in the RW. He’s letting 2 of them have access to my retirement money. I already cannot survive. Donnie appointed 12 people from Fox TV to manage our country. What could possibly go wrong?
I agree Ty, but, and I'm sure it is a typo on your part but the military budget is $800 BILLION. The rest of your post is right on. All the best... GH
The greedy billionaires want a Pinochet! This guy is as heartless as he is clueless.
Laurie, he is even more dangerous than Pinochet. I expect him to be rejected.
Victor Kamendrowsky ; What an optimist! I hope he is rejected.
Hesgeth will be appointed, exactly for the reasons Robert Reich has indicated that are all 'positives' as far as Trump (and many MAGAs) are concerned. Trump intends to use the military on American streets, so who better? Trumps intends to deport a million or 10 million migrants, so who better? Trump may well use the military to take back the Panama Canal zone, and maybe even attack Greenland, so who better?
But there is more. While everyone is discussing Hesgeth and all the other dipshits Trump has put forward, no one is discussing what Trump will say and do on the 20th. I have said before that Trump will give a 'shock and awe' inauguration speech, and what better way to keep the contents secret and avoid questions and speculations than to fill the news and politics with public arguments about potential appointees?
There is one last thing. Trump is politically aware and also insecure. The last thing he would do is appoint potential future competition for his job. As he is so crap at everything he does, he really has to scrape the bottom of the Republican barrel to find politicians shittier than he is!
And that explains Hesgeth!
Your post is chilling. I’m horrified to think about this outcome. So many experts know how wrong this scenario will be for the country. This first Senate hearing may give us an indication of how wrong he is for the position.
Perhaps the most worrying part of that process is that it relies upon the moderate Republicans facing down Trump's Republicans! The Dems are nowhere.
That is not the way healthy politics is supposed to work.
Alt lives R
You have hit the mail on the head. How is it that the citizens were and are so easily manipulated? Take the Panama Canal and Greenland “possibly” by force. This sorry excuse for a human being is so drunk with power that he is shitting out of his mouth.
One would hope that the last remaining “moderates” in the Senate, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, would vote against Hegseth’s confirmation. But for Susan Collins, at least, temporizing on such appointments has become her signature response, “weighing all the facts” before falling meekly into line. Remember how she trusted Brett Kavanagh’s assertion that he considered Roe v. Wade settled law.
Sen. Susan Collins is a spineless wimp. She loves to be on the tube talking about bi-partisanship, coming together and how she will be an independent voice for the betterment of America! Bullshit!
The Maine DEM party has researched her record and she voted with DT 94% of the time. She also voted for everyone of his court picks. Even the ones that the American Bar Association rated "not qualified".
Sen. Lisa Murkowski may be a toss up but being from Alaska, a red state, that DT won with over 54% of the vote, she will probably fold too.
Good luck to our active duty military folks with this anti-American pervert in charge of the country and this anti-American drunk pervert at the Pentagon. They will get what they wished for. About 65% of them voted for DT. Just saying... GH
Hello Charles, and who could forget Susan Collins saying she thought Trump had learned his lesson from being impeached, so that conviction was not necessary?!
The history of the Confederate statues is well known and well documented. Their installation was a means to cleanse a war of traitors and turn it into something noble. But we live on a knife edge of ignorance, where few want to understand that our Civil War was an attempt to make King Cotton and chattel slavery the law of new lands during our westward expansion, as described in the documents of secession written by every seceding state.
Sadly, I live in a Northeast Texas' Lamar County, where the County Judge refuses to even schedule a community meeting to hear a large group of people who want a Confederate statue removed from the County Courthouse grounds and set up in the county history museum instead. Meanwhile, the "COLORED" sign that once pointed the way to the segregated bathroom in the courthouse now hangs on a wall as 'memorabilia' of history, still aggravating people of color many years after de-segregation, and this small county of 36k residents has six distinct school districts, which was their way of trying to get around the federally ordered desegregation of schools. So taxpayers are on the hook for the expense of redundant admin staff and buildings, redundant football mansions, coaches, and redundant sports, drumline, dance line, band and other student activities.
I’m learning more history every day. Thank you for giving me additional present day insight. Sorry to know racism still rules in so many places.
The Texans started their war of independence from Mexico in 1824 as that government became a more centralized power. Part of that goal was to abolish slavery and the Mexicans finally did that in 1829.
However, that handwriting was on the wall even before 1824. So the truth is, despite all the history we have learned about the brave Texas fighters for independence, they were really fighting to keep slavery alive in the state of Texas.
William B. Travis and Davy Crockett were both slave owners and died at the Alamo. Crockett was from Tennessee and joined the fight for the pay and the hopes of getting land in Texas for his family. You can look it up.
Seems like many things haven't changed in Texas in the last 200 years. There are millions of wonderful, kind folks in the state, just not enough of them to vote out all the GOPers who give the state a bad name. All the best to everyone in 2025.... GH
Cattle ranchers and oil magnates rule Texas (and the Republican Party).
I was born in East Texas but raised primarily in Tennessee. My parents were born & raised there. We were the only ones that left. I was effectively shielded from that history and Tennessee history also. The town we moved to had so few blacks I never noticed segregation. The schools were zoned east and west of the RR tracks. Those few blacks lived on the west side & we lived on the east side. There was only one high school. When the few showed up in band & some classes I didn’t bat an eye. My watered down American history and lived experiences which were confined to white Christianity did not prepare me for racism. My husband was shielded as well. His dad was Canadian and his mother was born & raised in Baltimore. He was born & raised in Norfolk VA! Our stories are unbelievable similar and equally far fetched. Indoctrination into any ‘way of life’ is damning, but morality and conscience is innate.
So, the taxpayers must be okay with that. I mean, they vote in the electeds I assume are creating those six distinct school districts.
Right you are Steve. At least the majority who voted them in! It happens everywhere. All the best in 2025... GH
The Confederate statues went up after the reconciliation stemming mainly from the Spanish-American War. For a more successful example of a similar reconciliation, check out the Glenfinnan Monument.
And Robert E. Lee and Jeff Davies were much more worthy human beings than Mahound, both a theoretician and practitioner of slavery, whose “example” still makes a major contribution, most recently to the grooming gangs in the UK.
If slavery is REALLY a disqualifier his death cult should be banished from the public square.
Under such circumstances one might consider a change of residence. Why would you continue to live in Lamar County? (I ask this in all sincerity.)
With hard work and dedication even Lamar County has the potential for change. It is difficult for people to leave their homes and families even if the area is populated by chump lemmings.
Mike, this line of reasoning might lead you to emigrate.
I knew gaetz wouldn't make it far so hope I'm right on this one ..if there's any spikes left in DC this ain't gonna happen.....btw while I refuse to acknowledge changing names of things and they can jail me before I'd do it I joked let's change names too then starting with mar a largo could be called the den of deuchebag
Den of thieves works too.
it does but no offense to the likely important process of actually deuching not to mention the French word for shower deuchebag is funnier lol..thieves is very true too
Yes. Absolutely. How is this guy better than Gaetz? But he fits the mold. Let me list the line up of sexual predators coming up thru the MAGA ranks: Clarence Thomas, Brett Cavanaugh, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump. I could go on but you get it. What can the generals be thinking?
Maybe Hogsbreath left minors alone.