The usual outcry of “fake news” by Donald Trump is ringing hollower than usual with respect to the Atlantic piece, where it was reported that the titular commander in chief uses words like “sucker” and “loser” to describe our troops. I suspect the reason for that is because Trump has been around long enough and used enough inappropriate and disparaging language to describe people, that no allegation is too bizarre. That, plus the damnable fact that other news outlets — including Fox News — are validating the story, makes this a watershed moment in an “administration” of nothing but watershed moments.
Here’s the Lincoln Project’s two cents.
Donald Trump can’t comprehend what it means to sacrifice. He’s un-American.
Serving the nation is the epitome of American honor. pic.twitter.com/wHMGTbINyI
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 5, 2020
Max Boot suggested a few days ago that the sources in the story come forward and identify themselves in order to put an end to Trump’s allegations of made up stories. I hope that happens. It would be a way of shutting him up once and for all — although maybe not. I can see that escalating into a Deep State conspiracy. And why should these individuals put themselves into harm’s way? Trump’s psycho supporters have taken to harassing Anthony Fauci’s daughters, to the point where he’s had to hire security, and all he’s ever done is given a medical opinion. I don’t blame the sources for wanting to protect themselves.
We all know what needs to happen on November 3. Massive, decisive victory, nothing less. It’s the only way to end this.
History may render him the ‘fake president,’ who abandoned his country and his soul for the Russian mob. Un-American in its fullest sense.
I see this maladministration as an “interregnum” myself, a period between leaders characterized by massive chaos.
We see Trump for what he is: a despicable excuse for a man. His sycophants in the GOP see him as their ticket to wealth and power. The fools who vote for him see him as justification for their own immorality. The liars at Fox News see him as the politician Rupert Murdoch tells them to support. The entitled rich see him as a means to even more off-shore loot. Amoral corporations see him as an enabler of their rape of the environment. The world outside the USA sees him as proof that America is no longer a civilized country. Vladimir Putin sees him as the best investment he ever made. Now everyone sees him as unfit to be the Commander-in-Chief of the US military.
Succinct, could not have been better said.
Beautifully written and true. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Truly all things for all people.
All Donnie can do is follow Roy Cohn’s playbook. He will lie and do stupid crap until he dies. Confronting a bully as publicly as possible is what works.
We need to bring back “shunning” as a social tool. We need to make it clear that our society requires certain high standards of behavior (honesty, integrity, generosity, stability) – and those who can’t behave correctly are either jailed or shunned – depending on the behavior.
You might have missed it, Elna, but shunning has been making a remarkable comeback in this era. Consider the pariah status afforded to the fascist fanboys who rolled up in Charlottesville, loud, proud and unmasked. They came home to lives, shall we say, drastically changed to the point where no such rally of that size too place before COVID 19 unless you count Trump’s ego boosters.
There is a judge here in my little town, a former Democrat turned Republican. When I asked him, in 2011, if he thought we could get it together politically and socially without a revolution, he almost instantly said “No”. I, taken aback, asked him if that meant there would be a bloody revolution. He said “Yes”. I asked him if he had a time frame. He said “5 to 10 years”. That was in 2011. I think he may be right.
And I know he’s wrong. The time to have done this would have been the 2000s. They waited too long.
JUST an aside .. I have been reading pieces on #Arizona #SheriffARPAIO .. you know Worlds Worst Cop.. PARDONED by TRUMP .. best piece is on @RollingStone https://tinyurl.com/y7ee2rya ..
but thread I saw it noted had quotes that included August 1, 2012 OBAMA Justice/Treasury Sanctions against TCO’s #Camorras, #Yakuzas, #BrothersCircle and #Zetas in EXEC order 13581. Originally Italian Mafia #Camorras REMEMBER Mafiosi hold no allegiance except to #Family. (AND NEVER TO a National Military) We’ll see more on this later.
THAT from a SIDE thread by @LincolnsBible from JUN 2017
on #Arpaio and other US Mafia groups. HERE IS @LincolnsBible JUNE 15
#14/ More .. Uh oh.
The whole mob enchilada is hiding under #Arpaio.
This rabbit hole delivers… /1
THREAD BEGINS HERE https://tinyurl.com/y8gxnd69.
For me and I’m sure others from small towns across this country, towns that are Trump towns it’s not that they will mock service. They’ll ignore it from those of us who don’t worship their fake idol and the GOP. There will be no honor guard from the local chapters of the veteran’s organizations to fold my flag (or so many others) and fire the volleys. At least not in any future I can see for a long, long time. Perhaps one of the handful who show up to see my cremains put in the ground next to my dad someone will, as I asked in instructions in my file at the funeral home that will tend to me someday play taps on their smartphone.
Think about it. From that asshole so long ago who sat at a witness table and defiantly (he was pissed at the question asked) told Medal of Honor Recipient Senator Daniel Inouye (who lost an arm in combat) “You’re not even a real American” we’ve been headed for this moment in our history. Yes, other Senators came to his defense on the spot but the fact some conservative asshole would say that in a Senate hearing was the opening salvo. The defense of heroes, at least if they were Democrats steadily dwindled among their Congressional colleagues. When Karl Rove fired a shot across Medal of Honor recipient (and amputee) Bob Kerry’s bow that in effect told him “run for President against my guy and we’ll get a war crimes inquiry against you revved up!” to what they did to Max Cleland (THREE limbs lost in Vietnam!) the attacks grew more frequent and the “defense” from GOP colleagues became weaker and less frequent.
Trump has taken it to a whole new level but it’s hardly something new from the GOP. One might credibly argue it was inevitable. By the time we were well into the Bush 43 years in my darkest and most bitter moments I’ve said (publicly as in online and sometimes to former friends directly) that the Republican Party and it’s claim to being the REAL patriots is bullshit. Because to conservatives NO amount of service, NO amount of sacrifice, NO amount of suffering and bleeding, NO amount of injuries up to and including limbs lost, and even DYING in the service of this country counts (as far as they are concerned) if someone was/is a Democrat. And worse, the mere being a Republican, even a draft dodging hypocritical CHICKEN HAWK like Dick Cheney, George W. Bush (in addition to regular folks) is automatically conferred SUPER PATRIOT REAL AMERICAN status even if they are say some defense contractor that rips off the taxpayers or cuts corners on badly needed equipment and supplies that wind up harming our troops!
As he has with white power assholes, Trump has given cover to tens of millions of Americans to if not openly mock the service of Democrats, then at least ignore it. I already knew it would be the case with me someday that will hopefully be a long time off. But it’s going to happen to countless others when had it not been for Trump final honors would have, if only grudgingly been rendered.
Fuck them. I’ve lost control again so I’d better shut up and go do something else for a while.