Yesterday, the Speaker of the house said he is 100% behind Defendant trump. This is after the defendant said he would remove “vermin”. I don’t think i saw any pushback against this obvious support for a fascist. It’s pass time to give this anti democratic people a mulligan. They tell us what they are and believe in, we need to continue to expose them.
By coincidence I just finished re-reading William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," and the parallels between P1135809 and Hitler are many and distressing. I was particularly interested in P1135809's application to have his federal trial in DC televised. In 1923, Hitler staged an attempted coup in Munich. Wielding a pistol himself, Adolph shot up the ceiling of a beer hall, held high-ranking Army officers hostage and staged a march on military bases. The Munich police put an end to it by standing up to him. Hitler was tried for that bit of treason. The judge -- a right-winger (hello, Judge Cannon!) gave him great leeway in the trial, including permitting him to make a four-hour opening statement. That speech, covered extensively by the German media, turned Hitler from a local Bavarian radical into a national figure. He received a slap-on-the-wrist sentence (while in prison he wrote "Mein Kampf") and emerged and nine years later his Nazi party won enough seats in the parliament for him to become chancellor. P1135809 doubtless wants the Washington trial televised so he can do what his role model, Hitler, did in 1924 -- use a turn on the witness stand to propagandize.
I commend your courage. I haven't had the nerve to do that, though I have reread Milton Mayer's THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE: The Germans, 1933–1945, twice since 2016. (It was first published in 1955.) I'm having a hard time getting through Jane Mayer's DARK MONEY for a second time.
"Dark Money" is very, very difficult to read, largely because the picture it paints is of a "movement" with so much money and power (the first thing creating the second) that changing it feels like a battle we've already lost. this is the successful long game I sometimes mention.
the one heartening point is that as successful as the long game seems to have been played, its proper implementation is in the hands of people whose longest game seems to cover a period of about 72 hours on their best day.
A big reason I found it difficult to read the first time through is that I thought I had to remember all the detail that Jane Mayer has so painstakingly assembled. Finally I got it: No, you don't need to remember all the detail. What you need to do is grasp the big picture. When you need the detail, you can go back to the book. The index is pretty good, after all.
“What we need is for President Joe Biden to stand up and go before the American people and give them a lesson in what a good man looks like and sounds like when he tells the truth. Biden should give a major speech, and yes, it can be a campaign speech, because Joe Biden is all we have between us and Donald Trump. Biden should use visual aids to illustrate what he says. When he describes the terrible things that happened on January 6, he should show footage of officers like Harry Dunn being beaten by Trump supporters that day, and he should say exactly that: these are supporters of Donald Trump beating cops and attacking our seat of government. Biden should show Trump’s speech in New Hampshire about how he is going to root out “vermin,” and then Biden should describe Trump’s vermin as who they are: you and me; loyal American veterans like Mark Milley and John Kelly and other members of Trump’s own government like William Barr and former Defense Secretaries James Mattis and Mark Esper, respectively a United States Marine and a graduate of West Point.
We need President Biden to contrast himself starkly from Donald Trump using plain language anyone who loves this country can understand. American democracy is at stake.”
Exactly. Thank you. I also would like to see polling companies ask the question “Do you believe DJT is a fit person to hold the highest office?”
I'm thinking that it might be good for Biden to pepper his speech (or a similar statement, doesn't really matter) with examples of Repug "versions" of what happened on 1/6 and follow each one up with video of what was REALLY going on. in Harry Dunn's case, he's been on enough TV shows talking about his very real patriotism to provide plenty of material for the first part and altogether too much video of 1/6 for the second.
This makes all the sense in the world -especially as we sit in the middle of the shuddering world that we occupy today.
Officer Dunn’s words have my heart pounding. I hear my dad telling me this is the greatest country in the world. I feel it, I love the dream, imperfect in practice as it is, and the sheer idea of our country and what it represents in a world of deteriorating empires and dictatorships, of suppression, violence and political prisoners.
Our potential was and remains overwhelming, the experiment of outrageous daring by a group idealistic intellectuals that established a country that freed the mind if not all people within its borders. It did better though in practice it stumbled. But it remains that ideal, full of promise. And worth saving for what it’s been and what the most and best of us want it to continue to become - stronger, united, better, a decent, good and honorable place.
"we have permitted Trump and his supporters to tell us lies about what we all saw with our own eyes." This sums it up nicely. trump has always been a compulsive liar and petty criminal who views himself as a Mob Boss. He threatens and intimidates citizens, colleagues, congress, the courts, witnesses, and the American public. He is a pissant, nothing more. It is a pity that he has normalized dishonesty even into the ranks of Congress. He must not be allowed to prevail. Freezing the promotion of senior officers is a part of his strategy. We can and will defeat him and those of his ilk. But, we must energize the voters, women, and young voters. It is all doable. We need someone to energize these voters. If I could walk, I would help. I will help if someone starts an initiative. Biden will win, but he needs a boost. RFK Jr and others are intent on screwing up the election. Organize and mobilize. I will do my part.
That fūkking orange traitor is cut from the same cloth as Hitler, Putler, and Xi, among others. He’s more of a wanna be, be still extremely dangerous. Yup, Joe needs to stand up and tell the truth about this lying PoS. Now, having lying narratives has to go away ASAP. There’s only one narrative here - the truth.
There's been a lot of comparing Trump to Hitler, Himmler, et al since the "vermin" comment, but there's no one he resembles more than Roy Cohn. In an epic example of game recognizing game, Cohn saw Trump's soullessness, took him under his wing, and taught him every lying, ruthless maneuver we've seen to date. Never was there a more devoted student, and the student has become the master. Lying narratives persist, and the truth will not matter until the master finally goes away.
Cohn's methods protected him from comeuppance for far too long, but his karma finally caught up with him. Pursued for tax fraud, disbarred, and infamous, he died a horrible, lonely death. We now see Trump headed in a similar direction with all his indictments, and I like to think that history is repeating itself. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it reach a similar conclusion for Trump.
Cohn and Trump are both classic embodiments of Tartuffe. Tartuffe's karma caught up with him too, but it had a nudge from a deus ex machina exposing the truth. I'm not sure Biden can play that role, but in the absence of a king, hey, it's worth a shot!
slight disagreement...I know all about TFF's Roy Cohn connection etc. and yes, Cohn was his mentor but Cohn was an incubus who did his work BEHIND THE SCENES (making pretty much no weapon left out of his arsenal, no matter how hideous. TFF is the front guy who, theoretically speaking, is supposed to have LIMITS.
I realize that in this respect, TFF has sorta broken that old mold. it's to our advantage that he's broken all those rules (which explains, at least partially, his 91 indictments). what makes me most anxious is whether it's ENOUGH.
I agree. The truth is the key here. There are more truth following, true Americans in this country, and it is our job to convince as many of those who believe the orange traitors lies that they are just that...lies.
I believe Pres .Biden will speak more of this problem in 2024 as his campaigning efforts go into action. I at least hope so. I believe he will uphold his oath to protect the country and Constitution from this disgusting domestic enemy.
In any case, I will still contact the WH as I always do, and tell him that I want him to do just that. That is MY responsibility, as well trying to get through to as many disillusioned citizens as I can. And get out the vote.
I agree with you but I doubt that any speech by Biden will convince the 1/3 of the population who idolize trump to change their minds. As for the rest of the country, either they see trump and the GOP as existential threats to our democracy or they just can’t be bothered to think for themselves. Like the old saying goes, no one misses the water until the well runs dry when it’s too late to do anything about it and that may be the way the American republic goes out, because too many people take it for granted.
That one-third is permanently lost, but there ARE other conservative or semi-conservative people who might well be convinced by a strong Biden speech attacking t-Rump directly AND showing pictures!
Of course it won't convince that 1/3 of the population (if it's truly that many) but needs to be stated over and over again for others having doubts about the coming Republican candidate or sitting on the fence or perhaps considering a third-party candidate. So, what also needs to be emphasized is that votes for a third-party candidate have great potential for handing TFG the White House as those votes bleed away from President Biden.
While there are those who would prefer someone other than President Biden, are their ideals more important stopping another term for #45? Ideals are important but will be worthless if #45 is re-elected because too many idealists voted for third-party candidates instead of Biden.
The egotistical assh*les who present themselves as third party candidates on the left will guarantee that t-Rump is re-elected. The Ralph Nader Syndrome: the belief that their little protest is somehow more important than electing a Democrat!
for some unaccountable reason, I have a feeling the Leftish third-party candidates will have the presence of mind to bow out. the No Labels (aka The Treason Party) people don't seem to have a lot of traction.
as for RFK Jr, he's fucking crazy, so as of now, he's all bets off. but he has SO MUCH dirty linen and facts about it are starting to trickle out. as somebody who was a little skeptical about certain vaccines 30 years ago (a position rejected after discovering the research supporting the position didn't exist), I've been aware of this guy for almost that length of time, and he's 1)full of shit and 2)quite well aware of number 1.
The need is to inform the uninformed and apathetic third who often don't even bother to vote, so that they are rightfully frightened into getting their butts to polling booths next year!
Dennis, you used the very same words I would have written had I gotten here before you!! Well done!! The only thing I would add is that rabid supporters of the Orange Menace won't be part of Biden's audience, nor would they be swayed by his words if they heard them. Still, I think that Judith T's comment below hold out hope that some conservatives who have functioning brains could see the light.
Agreed re televised speech -- but how do you get people to watch -- especially those who can be .positively influenced? Maybe a series of speeches, his version of an ongoing Fireside Chat. Keep hitting, like the Jan. 6 Committee did. Keep hitting is the key.
That one man is responsible for so much goddamn damage is just stunning. It's been stated as a joke, "Everything he touches, Donald Trump destroys", but it is not funny any more. He does destroy everything-and anyone who is in his way of whatever it is he wants.
Harry Dunn is one of many, many patriotic people who work for us, for the Constitution and I wish there were more of him than people who admire Trump.
I have no idea why people view Trump as their personal god, because I've never viewed him as anything more than a sniveling coward who has too much money and not enough brains. He's a human vampire who sucks all the air out of the room and I wish something, someone, anything, anyone would vanquish this malignancy out of our country and our souls.
I don't know if Biden can counter such evil, because that is exactly what Trump is-evil and rotten to the core.
Now I think I understand what some people must have felt when they heard Hitler on the radio.."What kind of person is this? Why does he hate so many people for no reason at all?"
It's frightening, frankly when you consider there are so many people who would walk through hell for this slime.
I'm seriously tempted if he happens to win to apply for political asylum in Canada. I'll borrow money to get the hell out of this country should this event happen. It's just too surreal to contemplate that he has a chance of doing all it over again.
Oh, but also, you should read the political manifesto that Trumps' 'idea men have written. Shades of Mein Kampf!
Be forewarned-it's 900+ pages of pure GOP propaganda and lies:
It's a wonder the Dems have ever won anything-- they are such poor fighters for their own causes. They let bullies like t-Rump walk all over them, while saying lofty but useless things like Michelle Obama's "we go high" nonsense. The GOP keeps handing them ammunition and they keep throwing it away.
It should be clear to us all by now that Americans prefer entertainment and titillation to truth and education. We want to be entertained, not informed. This is why we ended up with Trump last time, and this is why we may yet get him again. Trump is a veteran TV performer who knows how to arouse his audience's basest instincts.
Biden is not a performer. He does not even try to entertain. He is a traditional politician from a bygone era. Worse, he has a lifelong struggle with his stutter, so his occasional stumbles lead his audiences to suspect something is wrong with him. (Footnote: Cicero, reportedly the greatest orator of the Roman republican era, also had a stutter.)
Biden is brilliant, honest politician. But he could improve his poll ratings by taking dancing lessons and doing little tap-dances for us on top of the Oval Office desk. It's entertainment they want, Joe, not information .
cf "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business" Neil Postman Paperback – December 27, 2005
Honestly, you must not see the same Biden I see. Fuck his audiences regarding his stuttering. It’s a legitimate disability that he has miraculously overcome. Do you realize how hard that is to do that? It has a lot to do with self-esteem and boy, Joe has plenty of that! Sorry, I don’t mean to come down so hard on you but you struck a nerve
I agree with Lucian about Joe employing visuals for a viewing audience. Proper messaging is really important and I think his campaign us working hard on that. For instance, they are now on Trump’s Truth Social account. When he writes the bs that he does, there they are combating it with truths. It also took awhile for Biden to call the R’s MAGAs but now he does. As a woman and a Jewish one at that, I cannot sit by and let Biden be attacked. He’s not perfect but good grief, he’s reenergized this country like we’ve never seen before!
a thing stutterers know that non-stutterers don't: there is no such thing as "overcoming" it. it's always there, waiting to poke its disgusting little head out of the hiding place it's chosen; one ALWAYS knows that it can do this without any warning, so whatever little stunts you've invented to avoid confronting the little bastard, at best, highly provisional.
a few weeks agao, Biden was being interviewed on his plane as he was returning from the Middle East. god knows when he'd last slept. I took one look at his mouth and then his eyes and I KNEW he was going to use the old best defense, which is paraphrasing with words you don't think will give you trouble. but it wasn't working and he looked like a man who (if you didn't know the real situation) had no idea what to say. watching, my empathy zoomed off the chart.
when I tried to explain this to an idiotic friend, he maintained that I was just covering for a senile president. I got very angry. and I stuttered. oddly enough, I don't stutter when I'm lying, but I have about twenty other little giveaways, so I almost never lie (unless, for example, inventing a traffic jam when I should have left earlier or something along those lines). now guys like Jim Jordan and Eric Prince et al--ALL those scumbags stutter when they lie.
I can never picture Joe employing entertainment in his campaign, it is a skill woefully underdeveloped. Perhaps Al Franklin was the last politician who knew how to use it and before him Sen. Dirkson.
I think that Demosthenes (another celebrated orator) also stuttered. he certainly seems to have had a speech impediment which he overcame by putting rocks in his mouth and declaiming.
and I can pretty much guarantee that when Cicero was speaking in the Senate, he didn't stutter. it's a frequent phenomenon that vocal performers of all kinds don't stutter when they're doing their thing. it still amazes me how many actors are lifelong stutterers. my fifth grade teacher, who made treating my stutter his goal for that year, put me in a school play and as long as I remembered the words, things were amazingly fluid. when I got offstage, I was back to flapping, straining, the whole miserable deal.
No facts, truth or reality will ever convince his cult followers to give him up. Their minds have been poisoned beyond redemption. But we need everyone in a position of authority and influence (politics, media, entertainment, business) to start speaking out and "de-normalizing" the hideous abnormality that he represents. Every minute of every day until it sinks in to any and everyone's mind that is still open even a crack.
So well said, Ne should do that, and show graphic video and photographs and the long lasting psychological effect on the victims of these horrible attacks, as well as the adverse effects on their families/ Also c video's pf Marjorie Taylor Green and the like saying the attackers are patriots who are being politically persecuted. She has no more compassion for the injured officers than Trump does, she and other voted against them being honored with a medal. ,
But I'm afraid Joe (Mr. nice guy) has a certain timidity about him, he doesn't seem aggressive or angry enough to do this.
My sense is that JRB has acute insight into public fickleness engendered by our now 6-hour (and shrinking) news cycle. Up til now, JRB has demonstrated virtual mastery of timing.
Gordon, I don't disagree with you in that sense, and I hope I am wrong but I still think he will not go after Trump aggressively as Lucian described. If he does I'd be delighted and gladly admit I was wrong. But I'm thinking as in Ukraine, he definitely did the right thing in supporting Ukraine, but as has been said, just enough to keep them from losing but not enough to win. I know he was afraid of getting Putin too mad and getting us pulled into the war but timis dity never won a war. He held back on long range missile systems for the longest time, and said Ukraine shouldn't attack Russia proper, but that is like Roosevelt saying to Churchill in WWII don't make Hitler mad by attacking Germany, just defend Britain from attack. Even in Israel he says they shouldn't occupy Gaza, although thankfully he is 100% for them going after Hamas. But after the goal is accomplished if Israel pulls out completely with no inspection of imports and financing, Iran will send in more weapons and Hamas will slowly build up again. I believe monitoring on the ground is essential. Maybe I' wrong in my opinions, time will tell. But I don;t think we should confine our criticism to the other party only like the Republicans do. You never hear them criticize Trump,
We have to choose our battles carefully. If we fight on all fronts we will weaken our defences. Biden knows when to hold and when to fold. I am endlessly impressed by Biden capacity to appear at the right moment. He knows that Congressional battles are child’s play compared to the world stage.
Agree. This might rub some the wrong way yet must say it. Other than my own seeds have never given advice or counsel w/o it being requested. Said another way, President Biden isn't campaigning for President/CinC because he already is. Would never ever tell a President/CinC how to president. Even if asked.
The retired generals all said it was wrong to hold back in Ukraine, and even though I am totally unqualified to give n military strategy advice, I agreed with them 100%. I don't believe a civilian should be running a war, except in very rare cases. Even Churchill made some serious errors although he did have war experience in the Boar war and in India as an army officer in the cavalry. However, th subject is mute as we'll never know if a more aggressive approach would have worked. You may be 100% correct.
Don't buy into the firepower argument. Other than dropping nukes, firepower is not the determinative factor others make it out to be. No exceptions. Indeed, it is both a myth and an excuse to cover awful leadership at the FO/GO on down. down.
Proffers: (there are too many to list them all) Ir twice, Af twice (USSR + US), SEA twice, Fr and US. Uk has more Western firepower than they know what to do with and more importantly are developing and deploying the weaponry that fits the fight. Respectfully, Zelensky ain't t no fuckin general, he ain't even a soldier. He is a talker. A bad mannered comedian who blew off all intel dooming his citizens and mil to take it on the chin.
Biden ain't afraid of Putin. Zelensky was just as he was afraid of Trump. It was Zelensky who did NOTHING when he could have both with Putin and Trump.
Biden is right on Gaza. He is backing Israel's right to self-defense and that would never include occupying Gaza or allowing Bibi to use the attack as a reason to annex the West Bank.
Am not a fan of the Republican Party's defintion of democracy, that is to say show me a purple thumb and I will show you a democracy. It ain't about elections of a form of government. It is and always will be about self-determination first.
I appreciate the thinking, Mr. Evans, and agree with your overall strategic considerations, yet firmly believe that it's too soon for tactical execution.
Any rhetoric expressed now would just be lost in the whirlpool/quicksand of social media noise. JRB's rhetoric - the bully pulpit - has unique, precious value. Frankly, exploiting it now would be wasteful. The time is soon, probably beginning around spring '24, for initiating that type of messaging, gradually and judiciously escalating. In fact, I'm certain we'll see JRB punching tfg hard, when the time is right.
Regarding Ukraine aid: JRB doesn't have the power to act unilaterally. The US Fascist Party, combined with a misguided anti-war-without-regard-to-context Left, have, regrettably, constrained more efficacious, fully-arrayed strategic and tactical resources. It required extraordinary heavy-lifting for JRB to get the packages - far short of what he requested - delivered to Ukraine that he has up til now.
Reminder: Trump isn't the nominee (though, I certainly concede, he probably will be); no one is. We don't know if or how the issues battleground will manifest once a nominee is declared. Whoever emerges as the US Fascist Party nominee, that person will face a most vigorous, fighting challenge from JRB ("C'mon. man!)". It really would be gratuitous now.
That said, the nation would benefit from some low-key, constantly re-iterated educational talks from JRB - every damn day - via social media, network TV, and radio on the whys and whences of today's policy decisions (reproductive self-determination, Ukraine, Israel, climate, econ policy, etc. for example).
Forcing the ultimate slug-fest between JRB and tfg-&-his-minions grants them too much credence in this moment - this moment. Soon, though.
Lucian, do you ever give thought to what it will look like if/when tRump loses next year? We know he won’t accept losing, and it scares me to think of what he will do, or inspire his followers to do. Any thoughts?
Those hoomans inside Gaza had a choice. They chose unwisely when they choose the barbarians. Disagree w/the word slaughtered. See 7October for its meaning and see below how Hamas and Islamic Jihad labels the dead.
Gaza is a war zone because Hamas and Islamic Jihad brought war with them into Israel and war back with them to Gaza. To date Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed >10000 Gazans were MARTYRED. According to Hamas and Islamic Jihad not a single one of their fighters have been killed.
It is NOT up to the US, Israel or the IDF to protect Gazans civs. That rests entirely on the governing body in Gaza. IDF has opened humanitarian corridors after first giving Gazans advance warning of incoming, advance warning that they were in a war zone and needed to getdafuq out of it. Hamas is the party preventing US and foreign national egress out of Gaza. For all intents and purposes makes them hostages. There have been pauses allowing aid in and for civs to scram.
This is a man-made humanitarian crisis designed, planned and orchestrated by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The good people of Gaza have yet to turn on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, that would change the dynamics faster and far more effectively than any US President could, living or dead. Unless and until they do, they must accept the label Hamas bestowed on them, martyrs. Save yours for those who deserve it.
Hamas demonstrated a type of insidious, evil, genius. Had a different ISL PM (Livni or Ohmert, for ex.) been in place on 07 OCT, Hamas's advance war-gaming likely wouldn't have resulted in commencement of this particular op at this particular moment. Hamas sowed the whirlwind b/c they knew - knew - that Netanyahus's vulnerabilities [corruption; misallocation of military resources to the WB (see: corruption); arrogance & hubris; self-preservation; etc.) would reap from him precisely the whirlwind we observe now.
Netanyahu had to react fast and brutally because he's guilty. Another PM might have used the time manifesting currently as brutal aerial pre-insertion bombardment to open diplomatic channels (including IRC confirmation/support of hostage welfare) w/Hamas; recruited multinational participation; etc.
Seth Abramson documents (https://tinyurl.com/wyh9r7vk) an alternate retrospective: that Hamas hadn't set out to kill civilians, only take hostages for negotiation leverage of - something; it's not clear what. Doesn't matter, it isn't exculpatory in any way, because the hostage situation exists now.
ISL is obligated, by the very nature of its national character, to assertively pursue hostage rescue, something with which typical US news consumers/world peace advocates would understandably not be able to empathize, safely ensconced among friendly neighboring countries and two vast oceans.
(Adding w/o subtracting from your words and thought)
Parargraph1: What runs common thru mofos and black flaggers is the ability to recognize their enemy(s). And their most successful ops come at the expense of right leaning to all out right wingers. Right and right wingers proclaim themselves to be natsec conscious by taking a BIG game to cover their ineptitude on the subject and governing in general. Agree Hamas-Islamic Jihad read Bibi and his government correctly.
Paragraph2: Predictability of reacting, rather than first breathing, only then followed by responding. Bibi wasn't kiddin' when he said 7October is our 911. W never breathed, Within hours it was decided to "soon, the whole world will hear us/you." Big talk. And the objective shoulda never been "hear" rather than "see" the proper responses and with it the narrow sought after results. Bibi and his henchmen made the same unforced error post-attack. Agree, Bibi iithah directly or thru an interlocutor needed to reach out, not lash out with his tongue or weapons. FTR: Doesn't matter if it is in good faith or not. Every player in the region knows the treachery and betrayal game. Remain disappointed niithah was ever turned into a board game. Only half kiddin. Treachery should be taught in service academies as a strategy because most of America's enemies use it in lieu of advanced systems and firepower, Needs to be taught in the war colleges for the same reason.
Paragraph3: Hostages. Hamas and Islamic Jihad consists of many barbarians who fought with #fuckingdaeshbags, both in the Sinai and in Ir/Sy. So, when Bibi says Hamas=ISIS he right just not for the reasons he equated the 2. Mass hostage taking has long been one of the many known tells of barbarians. Depending on the time/era, as slaves inc. sex slaves, a source of hard currency, the phycological impact on the community or nation from which they were snatched as well as people and nations who hear of it. Will disagree with Seth because the evidence collected from the carcasses of the barbarians include orders to kill, kill again, and keep killing beyond the southern district deep into Israel including linking up to the West Bank territories. Supporting that Hamas-Islamic Jihad barbarians carried food and water. And their weapons were far beyond what would be necessary to snatch and grab. Best example is they immediately showed no mercy upon discovering the public bomb shelters and protection rooms. And can point to the fact the evidence of thermobaric devices as well as discovering some of the bodies of the barbarians say we came to kill, overkill, and the final injury to all the insults and prior ones, turn hoomans into toast so they could never be identified. Those thermobaric grenades can burn up to 2500F. Some did as evidenced by the remains being white. The charring of others indicates some used a different fuel. Yes, up to 2500F. The weapon was both a physical one and a psychological one. Survivors and first responders are shocked by gunshot wounds, frag from reg. munitions but are NOT prepared for the sight what they came across. The hooman mind can process some to most deaths. Some they can't. Yet the brain will not let it go. As an example, survivors, first responders and war fighters rountinely pick up pieces of bodies sliced by steel into tiny chunks. Come across the sight of 2shapes the brain freezes, can't immediately make a connection to a hooman. Then it does, hitting the mind, soul and body in a rush that reduces the most experienced and hardened into Jello. Hamas-Islamic Jihad and #fuckingdaeshbags know to the civilized there are fates worse than death v. their mindset of martyr-dumb and a Miss Universe collection of virgins.
Paragraph4: Said far better than I could or ever will. Am not at all surprised by the many different reactions in the west to 7October and each day since. Been clear Hamas-Islamic Jihad barbarians forfeited their lives the second they crossed the border to commit acts of barbarism. and slinker back with both the living and the dead aka trophies. Am confident those hunting Hamas/Islamic Jihad are not of the same mindset of those searching for hostages. Those hunting can't be distracted for a blink of an eye. Can't be a nano second of doubt or wet dream of capturing the one dude who knows everything inc hostage whereabouts. It is to kill, then move on to the next hunt and kill. The units searching for hostages are intel and engineering centric. Base this on the estimate of Hamas-Islamic fighters at somewhere south of 40,000 (a number that may be way overstated). That's a chitload with the sole mission of not letting the IDF anywhere near the hostages and unlikely to know anything about their whereabouts.
Thank you for the exposition/elucidation/elaboration, particularly re: the hunt-and-kill mission nuances.
This veers somewhat OT, and is admittedly more-than-somewhat self-indulgent, but is my response to Prof. Ackerman's most-recent offering (linked in previous post above):
<< BLUF (bottom line up front): Rescuing the hostages is - and always was - the operational priority, and is the reason for the brutal attack on Gaza. Israel can't responsibly or effectively rescue the hostages, which requires operating in the tunnel network, without first clearing the surface structures above. Hamas could end the siege instantly by releasing all hostages, thereby eliminating Netanyahu's rationale for the current character, pace, and intensity of operations.
The fact that Netanyahu is PM figured both in Hamas's predicate for their attack, and for the because-Netanyahu-is-PM predictable Israeli response (similar to ObL's calculus pre-9/11). The corrupt PM was caught with his pants down and had to move precipitously for his own political survival, not operational necessity. A different PM might have been able to take time to establish contexts, open up lines of communications for hostage negotiation, seek multinational cooperation, etc.
I might've missed it but failed to observe in Mr. Abramson's account the hostage rescue mission. That's the one that matters urgently, and justifies Israel's actions in Gaza right now, not "elimination of Hamas," as Netanyahu says, because that's virtually impossible.
EDIT: I take to be the main thrust of this installment of Mr. Abramson's Gaza reporting to be about implications associated with reporting accuracy, and politicians' role in inaccurate reporting. I don't dispute that it happens, I don't fault the journalist for concerning one's self with it. It doesn't strike one as particularly urgent to note in this moment, considering that 1) once bullets start flying (this in regard to Hamas's intent versus actual execution), all operational plans go out the window and 2) the fog of war isn't conducive to accurate reporting for many reasons. >>
" ... you know, some people go whatever, but my heart broke for this country." Me, too, Officer Dunn, me, too.
I noted that Barbra Streisand, a long time Democrat, said, re Trump's possible reelection, she could not live in a country where Trump was president. (Implied was "again.") Should that happen, she said, she'd move to England. My feeling is hers, though I would just leave, no destination required.
Re the contrast between the very dangerous madman and Joe Biden, I think it is being seen by anyone who is acquainted with facts and the truth.
But not everyone can do that, Margo. You and Barbra ate in the position to just pack up. The majority of Americans can’t. I would hope that New York, Washington, Oregon, California, and any another Democratic state would secede and join forces instead. Then Trump and his mighty sword would be reduced in his governing of all of the US. I know, I know, it won’t not happen but...
You misunderstand me, my dear. In 2024 I would be 84. Should the unthinkable actually happen, I would check out, as they say. (I think Streisand is 10 years junior to me. And then there's the reality that the UK (actually everywhere) is falling apart. Really everywhere is.
Yesterday, the Speaker of the house said he is 100% behind Defendant trump. This is after the defendant said he would remove “vermin”. I don’t think i saw any pushback against this obvious support for a fascist. It’s pass time to give this anti democratic people a mulligan. They tell us what they are and believe in, we need to continue to expose them.
By coincidence I just finished re-reading William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," and the parallels between P1135809 and Hitler are many and distressing. I was particularly interested in P1135809's application to have his federal trial in DC televised. In 1923, Hitler staged an attempted coup in Munich. Wielding a pistol himself, Adolph shot up the ceiling of a beer hall, held high-ranking Army officers hostage and staged a march on military bases. The Munich police put an end to it by standing up to him. Hitler was tried for that bit of treason. The judge -- a right-winger (hello, Judge Cannon!) gave him great leeway in the trial, including permitting him to make a four-hour opening statement. That speech, covered extensively by the German media, turned Hitler from a local Bavarian radical into a national figure. He received a slap-on-the-wrist sentence (while in prison he wrote "Mein Kampf") and emerged and nine years later his Nazi party won enough seats in the parliament for him to become chancellor. P1135809 doubtless wants the Washington trial televised so he can do what his role model, Hitler, did in 1924 -- use a turn on the witness stand to propagandize.
I commend your courage. I haven't had the nerve to do that, though I have reread Milton Mayer's THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE: The Germans, 1933–1945, twice since 2016. (It was first published in 1955.) I'm having a hard time getting through Jane Mayer's DARK MONEY for a second time.
"Dark Money" is very, very difficult to read, largely because the picture it paints is of a "movement" with so much money and power (the first thing creating the second) that changing it feels like a battle we've already lost. this is the successful long game I sometimes mention.
the one heartening point is that as successful as the long game seems to have been played, its proper implementation is in the hands of people whose longest game seems to cover a period of about 72 hours on their best day.
A big reason I found it difficult to read the first time through is that I thought I had to remember all the detail that Jane Mayer has so painstakingly assembled. Finally I got it: No, you don't need to remember all the detail. What you need to do is grasp the big picture. When you need the detail, you can go back to the book. The index is pretty good, after all.
that's EXACTLY right.
“What we need is for President Joe Biden to stand up and go before the American people and give them a lesson in what a good man looks like and sounds like when he tells the truth. Biden should give a major speech, and yes, it can be a campaign speech, because Joe Biden is all we have between us and Donald Trump. Biden should use visual aids to illustrate what he says. When he describes the terrible things that happened on January 6, he should show footage of officers like Harry Dunn being beaten by Trump supporters that day, and he should say exactly that: these are supporters of Donald Trump beating cops and attacking our seat of government. Biden should show Trump’s speech in New Hampshire about how he is going to root out “vermin,” and then Biden should describe Trump’s vermin as who they are: you and me; loyal American veterans like Mark Milley and John Kelly and other members of Trump’s own government like William Barr and former Defense Secretaries James Mattis and Mark Esper, respectively a United States Marine and a graduate of West Point.
We need President Biden to contrast himself starkly from Donald Trump using plain language anyone who loves this country can understand. American democracy is at stake.”
Exactly. Thank you. I also would like to see polling companies ask the question “Do you believe DJT is a fit person to hold the highest office?”
I'm thinking that it might be good for Biden to pepper his speech (or a similar statement, doesn't really matter) with examples of Repug "versions" of what happened on 1/6 and follow each one up with video of what was REALLY going on. in Harry Dunn's case, he's been on enough TV shows talking about his very real patriotism to provide plenty of material for the first part and altogether too much video of 1/6 for the second.
This makes all the sense in the world -especially as we sit in the middle of the shuddering world that we occupy today.
Officer Dunn’s words have my heart pounding. I hear my dad telling me this is the greatest country in the world. I feel it, I love the dream, imperfect in practice as it is, and the sheer idea of our country and what it represents in a world of deteriorating empires and dictatorships, of suppression, violence and political prisoners.
Our potential was and remains overwhelming, the experiment of outrageous daring by a group idealistic intellectuals that established a country that freed the mind if not all people within its borders. It did better though in practice it stumbled. But it remains that ideal, full of promise. And worth saving for what it’s been and what the most and best of us want it to continue to become - stronger, united, better, a decent, good and honorable place.
"we have permitted Trump and his supporters to tell us lies about what we all saw with our own eyes." This sums it up nicely. trump has always been a compulsive liar and petty criminal who views himself as a Mob Boss. He threatens and intimidates citizens, colleagues, congress, the courts, witnesses, and the American public. He is a pissant, nothing more. It is a pity that he has normalized dishonesty even into the ranks of Congress. He must not be allowed to prevail. Freezing the promotion of senior officers is a part of his strategy. We can and will defeat him and those of his ilk. But, we must energize the voters, women, and young voters. It is all doable. We need someone to energize these voters. If I could walk, I would help. I will help if someone starts an initiative. Biden will win, but he needs a boost. RFK Jr and others are intent on screwing up the election. Organize and mobilize. I will do my part.
That fūkking orange traitor is cut from the same cloth as Hitler, Putler, and Xi, among others. He’s more of a wanna be, be still extremely dangerous. Yup, Joe needs to stand up and tell the truth about this lying PoS. Now, having lying narratives has to go away ASAP. There’s only one narrative here - the truth.
There's been a lot of comparing Trump to Hitler, Himmler, et al since the "vermin" comment, but there's no one he resembles more than Roy Cohn. In an epic example of game recognizing game, Cohn saw Trump's soullessness, took him under his wing, and taught him every lying, ruthless maneuver we've seen to date. Never was there a more devoted student, and the student has become the master. Lying narratives persist, and the truth will not matter until the master finally goes away.
Cohn's methods protected him from comeuppance for far too long, but his karma finally caught up with him. Pursued for tax fraud, disbarred, and infamous, he died a horrible, lonely death. We now see Trump headed in a similar direction with all his indictments, and I like to think that history is repeating itself. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it reach a similar conclusion for Trump.
Cohn and Trump are both classic embodiments of Tartuffe. Tartuffe's karma caught up with him too, but it had a nudge from a deus ex machina exposing the truth. I'm not sure Biden can play that role, but in the absence of a king, hey, it's worth a shot!
slight disagreement...I know all about TFF's Roy Cohn connection etc. and yes, Cohn was his mentor but Cohn was an incubus who did his work BEHIND THE SCENES (making pretty much no weapon left out of his arsenal, no matter how hideous. TFF is the front guy who, theoretically speaking, is supposed to have LIMITS.
I realize that in this respect, TFF has sorta broken that old mold. it's to our advantage that he's broken all those rules (which explains, at least partially, his 91 indictments). what makes me most anxious is whether it's ENOUGH.
I agree. The truth is the key here. There are more truth following, true Americans in this country, and it is our job to convince as many of those who believe the orange traitors lies that they are just that...lies.
I believe Pres .Biden will speak more of this problem in 2024 as his campaigning efforts go into action. I at least hope so. I believe he will uphold his oath to protect the country and Constitution from this disgusting domestic enemy.
In any case, I will still contact the WH as I always do, and tell him that I want him to do just that. That is MY responsibility, as well trying to get through to as many disillusioned citizens as I can. And get out the vote.
I agree with you but I doubt that any speech by Biden will convince the 1/3 of the population who idolize trump to change their minds. As for the rest of the country, either they see trump and the GOP as existential threats to our democracy or they just can’t be bothered to think for themselves. Like the old saying goes, no one misses the water until the well runs dry when it’s too late to do anything about it and that may be the way the American republic goes out, because too many people take it for granted.
That one-third is permanently lost, but there ARE other conservative or semi-conservative people who might well be convinced by a strong Biden speech attacking t-Rump directly AND showing pictures!
I hope you’re right, Judith.
Judith is right. the problem is whether she's right ENOUGH.
Of course it won't convince that 1/3 of the population (if it's truly that many) but needs to be stated over and over again for others having doubts about the coming Republican candidate or sitting on the fence or perhaps considering a third-party candidate. So, what also needs to be emphasized is that votes for a third-party candidate have great potential for handing TFG the White House as those votes bleed away from President Biden.
While there are those who would prefer someone other than President Biden, are their ideals more important stopping another term for #45? Ideals are important but will be worthless if #45 is re-elected because too many idealists voted for third-party candidates instead of Biden.
Voters need to hear the exact same message 1000 times before it sinks in.
Just like too many voted for third party candidates instead of Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
The egotistical assh*les who present themselves as third party candidates on the left will guarantee that t-Rump is re-elected. The Ralph Nader Syndrome: the belief that their little protest is somehow more important than electing a Democrat!
for some unaccountable reason, I have a feeling the Leftish third-party candidates will have the presence of mind to bow out. the No Labels (aka The Treason Party) people don't seem to have a lot of traction.
as for RFK Jr, he's fucking crazy, so as of now, he's all bets off. but he has SO MUCH dirty linen and facts about it are starting to trickle out. as somebody who was a little skeptical about certain vaccines 30 years ago (a position rejected after discovering the research supporting the position didn't exist), I've been aware of this guy for almost that length of time, and he's 1)full of shit and 2)quite well aware of number 1.
The need is to inform the uninformed and apathetic third who often don't even bother to vote, so that they are rightfully frightened into getting their butts to polling booths next year!
Dennis, you used the very same words I would have written had I gotten here before you!! Well done!! The only thing I would add is that rabid supporters of the Orange Menace won't be part of Biden's audience, nor would they be swayed by his words if they heard them. Still, I think that Judith T's comment below hold out hope that some conservatives who have functioning brains could see the light.
Agreed re televised speech -- but how do you get people to watch -- especially those who can be .positively influenced? Maybe a series of speeches, his version of an ongoing Fireside Chat. Keep hitting, like the Jan. 6 Committee did. Keep hitting is the key.
President Biden is sitting in the catbird seat and has to take full advantage of his position by frequent televised speeches and personal appearances.
I love your idea, Bob, about something equivalent to FDR's Fireside Chats.
So sweet.
Every. Damn. Day.
That one man is responsible for so much goddamn damage is just stunning. It's been stated as a joke, "Everything he touches, Donald Trump destroys", but it is not funny any more. He does destroy everything-and anyone who is in his way of whatever it is he wants.
Harry Dunn is one of many, many patriotic people who work for us, for the Constitution and I wish there were more of him than people who admire Trump.
I have no idea why people view Trump as their personal god, because I've never viewed him as anything more than a sniveling coward who has too much money and not enough brains. He's a human vampire who sucks all the air out of the room and I wish something, someone, anything, anyone would vanquish this malignancy out of our country and our souls.
I don't know if Biden can counter such evil, because that is exactly what Trump is-evil and rotten to the core.
Now I think I understand what some people must have felt when they heard Hitler on the radio.."What kind of person is this? Why does he hate so many people for no reason at all?"
It's frightening, frankly when you consider there are so many people who would walk through hell for this slime.
I'm seriously tempted if he happens to win to apply for political asylum in Canada. I'll borrow money to get the hell out of this country should this event happen. It's just too surreal to contemplate that he has a chance of doing all it over again.
Oh, but also, you should read the political manifesto that Trumps' 'idea men have written. Shades of Mein Kampf!
Be forewarned-it's 900+ pages of pure GOP propaganda and lies:
https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
I have only read a little bit of Project 2925. It was enough to turn my stomach inside out!
Correction: 2025!! Dang fingers!
Democrats do not know how to message. They need to go Sean Connery "Chicago way" on the republicans.
It's a wonder the Dems have ever won anything-- they are such poor fighters for their own causes. They let bullies like t-Rump walk all over them, while saying lofty but useless things like Michelle Obama's "we go high" nonsense. The GOP keeps handing them ammunition and they keep throwing it away.
💕💕💕
♥♥♥
Or that little girl singer, Taylor.
It should be clear to us all by now that Americans prefer entertainment and titillation to truth and education. We want to be entertained, not informed. This is why we ended up with Trump last time, and this is why we may yet get him again. Trump is a veteran TV performer who knows how to arouse his audience's basest instincts.
Biden is not a performer. He does not even try to entertain. He is a traditional politician from a bygone era. Worse, he has a lifelong struggle with his stutter, so his occasional stumbles lead his audiences to suspect something is wrong with him. (Footnote: Cicero, reportedly the greatest orator of the Roman republican era, also had a stutter.)
Biden is brilliant, honest politician. But he could improve his poll ratings by taking dancing lessons and doing little tap-dances for us on top of the Oval Office desk. It's entertainment they want, Joe, not information .
cf "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business" Neil Postman Paperback – December 27, 2005
Honestly, you must not see the same Biden I see. Fuck his audiences regarding his stuttering. It’s a legitimate disability that he has miraculously overcome. Do you realize how hard that is to do that? It has a lot to do with self-esteem and boy, Joe has plenty of that! Sorry, I don’t mean to come down so hard on you but you struck a nerve
I agree with Lucian about Joe employing visuals for a viewing audience. Proper messaging is really important and I think his campaign us working hard on that. For instance, they are now on Trump’s Truth Social account. When he writes the bs that he does, there they are combating it with truths. It also took awhile for Biden to call the R’s MAGAs but now he does. As a woman and a Jewish one at that, I cannot sit by and let Biden be attacked. He’s not perfect but good grief, he’s reenergized this country like we’ve never seen before!
a thing stutterers know that non-stutterers don't: there is no such thing as "overcoming" it. it's always there, waiting to poke its disgusting little head out of the hiding place it's chosen; one ALWAYS knows that it can do this without any warning, so whatever little stunts you've invented to avoid confronting the little bastard, at best, highly provisional.
a few weeks agao, Biden was being interviewed on his plane as he was returning from the Middle East. god knows when he'd last slept. I took one look at his mouth and then his eyes and I KNEW he was going to use the old best defense, which is paraphrasing with words you don't think will give you trouble. but it wasn't working and he looked like a man who (if you didn't know the real situation) had no idea what to say. watching, my empathy zoomed off the chart.
when I tried to explain this to an idiotic friend, he maintained that I was just covering for a senile president. I got very angry. and I stuttered. oddly enough, I don't stutter when I'm lying, but I have about twenty other little giveaways, so I almost never lie (unless, for example, inventing a traffic jam when I should have left earlier or something along those lines). now guys like Jim Jordan and Eric Prince et al--ALL those scumbags stutter when they lie.
Yes indeed!
Very well said, Marlene!!!
associate myself w/every word and every sentiment.
~respect~
I can never picture Joe employing entertainment in his campaign, it is a skill woefully underdeveloped. Perhaps Al Franklin was the last politician who knew how to use it and before him Sen. Dirkson.
I think that Demosthenes (another celebrated orator) also stuttered. he certainly seems to have had a speech impediment which he overcame by putting rocks in his mouth and declaiming.
and I can pretty much guarantee that when Cicero was speaking in the Senate, he didn't stutter. it's a frequent phenomenon that vocal performers of all kinds don't stutter when they're doing their thing. it still amazes me how many actors are lifelong stutterers. my fifth grade teacher, who made treating my stutter his goal for that year, put me in a school play and as long as I remembered the words, things were amazingly fluid. when I got offstage, I was back to flapping, straining, the whole miserable deal.
No facts, truth or reality will ever convince his cult followers to give him up. Their minds have been poisoned beyond redemption. But we need everyone in a position of authority and influence (politics, media, entertainment, business) to start speaking out and "de-normalizing" the hideous abnormality that he represents. Every minute of every day until it sinks in to any and everyone's mind that is still open even a crack.
So well said, Ne should do that, and show graphic video and photographs and the long lasting psychological effect on the victims of these horrible attacks, as well as the adverse effects on their families/ Also c video's pf Marjorie Taylor Green and the like saying the attackers are patriots who are being politically persecuted. She has no more compassion for the injured officers than Trump does, she and other voted against them being honored with a medal. ,
But I'm afraid Joe (Mr. nice guy) has a certain timidity about him, he doesn't seem aggressive or angry enough to do this.
Respectfully, I disagree.
My sense is that JRB has acute insight into public fickleness engendered by our now 6-hour (and shrinking) news cycle. Up til now, JRB has demonstrated virtual mastery of timing.
I have complete confidence in JRB.
Me too
Gordon, I don't disagree with you in that sense, and I hope I am wrong but I still think he will not go after Trump aggressively as Lucian described. If he does I'd be delighted and gladly admit I was wrong. But I'm thinking as in Ukraine, he definitely did the right thing in supporting Ukraine, but as has been said, just enough to keep them from losing but not enough to win. I know he was afraid of getting Putin too mad and getting us pulled into the war but timis dity never won a war. He held back on long range missile systems for the longest time, and said Ukraine shouldn't attack Russia proper, but that is like Roosevelt saying to Churchill in WWII don't make Hitler mad by attacking Germany, just defend Britain from attack. Even in Israel he says they shouldn't occupy Gaza, although thankfully he is 100% for them going after Hamas. But after the goal is accomplished if Israel pulls out completely with no inspection of imports and financing, Iran will send in more weapons and Hamas will slowly build up again. I believe monitoring on the ground is essential. Maybe I' wrong in my opinions, time will tell. But I don;t think we should confine our criticism to the other party only like the Republicans do. You never hear them criticize Trump,
We have to choose our battles carefully. If we fight on all fronts we will weaken our defences. Biden knows when to hold and when to fold. I am endlessly impressed by Biden capacity to appear at the right moment. He knows that Congressional battles are child’s play compared to the world stage.
“I’m with Joe!”
Agree. This might rub some the wrong way yet must say it. Other than my own seeds have never given advice or counsel w/o it being requested. Said another way, President Biden isn't campaigning for President/CinC because he already is. Would never ever tell a President/CinC how to president. Even if asked.
The retired generals all said it was wrong to hold back in Ukraine, and even though I am totally unqualified to give n military strategy advice, I agreed with them 100%. I don't believe a civilian should be running a war, except in very rare cases. Even Churchill made some serious errors although he did have war experience in the Boar war and in India as an army officer in the cavalry. However, th subject is mute as we'll never know if a more aggressive approach would have worked. You may be 100% correct.
As to keep them from losing Uk.
Don't buy into the firepower argument. Other than dropping nukes, firepower is not the determinative factor others make it out to be. No exceptions. Indeed, it is both a myth and an excuse to cover awful leadership at the FO/GO on down. down.
Proffers: (there are too many to list them all) Ir twice, Af twice (USSR + US), SEA twice, Fr and US. Uk has more Western firepower than they know what to do with and more importantly are developing and deploying the weaponry that fits the fight. Respectfully, Zelensky ain't t no fuckin general, he ain't even a soldier. He is a talker. A bad mannered comedian who blew off all intel dooming his citizens and mil to take it on the chin.
Biden ain't afraid of Putin. Zelensky was just as he was afraid of Trump. It was Zelensky who did NOTHING when he could have both with Putin and Trump.
Biden is right on Gaza. He is backing Israel's right to self-defense and that would never include occupying Gaza or allowing Bibi to use the attack as a reason to annex the West Bank.
Am not a fan of the Republican Party's defintion of democracy, that is to say show me a purple thumb and I will show you a democracy. It ain't about elections of a form of government. It is and always will be about self-determination first.
I appreciate the thinking, Mr. Evans, and agree with your overall strategic considerations, yet firmly believe that it's too soon for tactical execution.
Any rhetoric expressed now would just be lost in the whirlpool/quicksand of social media noise. JRB's rhetoric - the bully pulpit - has unique, precious value. Frankly, exploiting it now would be wasteful. The time is soon, probably beginning around spring '24, for initiating that type of messaging, gradually and judiciously escalating. In fact, I'm certain we'll see JRB punching tfg hard, when the time is right.
Regarding Ukraine aid: JRB doesn't have the power to act unilaterally. The US Fascist Party, combined with a misguided anti-war-without-regard-to-context Left, have, regrettably, constrained more efficacious, fully-arrayed strategic and tactical resources. It required extraordinary heavy-lifting for JRB to get the packages - far short of what he requested - delivered to Ukraine that he has up til now.
Reminder: Trump isn't the nominee (though, I certainly concede, he probably will be); no one is. We don't know if or how the issues battleground will manifest once a nominee is declared. Whoever emerges as the US Fascist Party nominee, that person will face a most vigorous, fighting challenge from JRB ("C'mon. man!)". It really would be gratuitous now.
That said, the nation would benefit from some low-key, constantly re-iterated educational talks from JRB - every damn day - via social media, network TV, and radio on the whys and whences of today's policy decisions (reproductive self-determination, Ukraine, Israel, climate, econ policy, etc. for example).
Forcing the ultimate slug-fest between JRB and tfg-&-his-minions grants them too much credence in this moment - this moment. Soon, though.
Lucian, do you ever give thought to what it will look like if/when tRump loses next year? We know he won’t accept losing, and it scares me to think of what he will do, or inspire his followers to do. Any thoughts?
On news programs I have heard talk of civil war. Scary thought!
Frightening. Do you think that people would vote for TFG out of fear for what might happen WHEN he loses?
i could not agree more with what you are saying, Lucian, and this is so important.
But our President also needs to address the atrocious humanitarian crisis in front
of the eyes of the whole world - that needs to be stopped - this is no time to mince
words or play politics - these are human beings who are being slaughtered.
JRB is handling the current catastrophe masterfully.
Those hoomans inside Gaza had a choice. They chose unwisely when they choose the barbarians. Disagree w/the word slaughtered. See 7October for its meaning and see below how Hamas and Islamic Jihad labels the dead.
Gaza is a war zone because Hamas and Islamic Jihad brought war with them into Israel and war back with them to Gaza. To date Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed >10000 Gazans were MARTYRED. According to Hamas and Islamic Jihad not a single one of their fighters have been killed.
It is NOT up to the US, Israel or the IDF to protect Gazans civs. That rests entirely on the governing body in Gaza. IDF has opened humanitarian corridors after first giving Gazans advance warning of incoming, advance warning that they were in a war zone and needed to getdafuq out of it. Hamas is the party preventing US and foreign national egress out of Gaza. For all intents and purposes makes them hostages. There have been pauses allowing aid in and for civs to scram.
This is a man-made humanitarian crisis designed, planned and orchestrated by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The good people of Gaza have yet to turn on Hamas and Islamic Jihad, that would change the dynamics faster and far more effectively than any US President could, living or dead. Unless and until they do, they must accept the label Hamas bestowed on them, martyrs. Save yours for those who deserve it.
Hamas demonstrated a type of insidious, evil, genius. Had a different ISL PM (Livni or Ohmert, for ex.) been in place on 07 OCT, Hamas's advance war-gaming likely wouldn't have resulted in commencement of this particular op at this particular moment. Hamas sowed the whirlwind b/c they knew - knew - that Netanyahus's vulnerabilities [corruption; misallocation of military resources to the WB (see: corruption); arrogance & hubris; self-preservation; etc.) would reap from him precisely the whirlwind we observe now.
Netanyahu had to react fast and brutally because he's guilty. Another PM might have used the time manifesting currently as brutal aerial pre-insertion bombardment to open diplomatic channels (including IRC confirmation/support of hostage welfare) w/Hamas; recruited multinational participation; etc.
Seth Abramson documents (https://tinyurl.com/wyh9r7vk) an alternate retrospective: that Hamas hadn't set out to kill civilians, only take hostages for negotiation leverage of - something; it's not clear what. Doesn't matter, it isn't exculpatory in any way, because the hostage situation exists now.
ISL is obligated, by the very nature of its national character, to assertively pursue hostage rescue, something with which typical US news consumers/world peace advocates would understandably not be able to empathize, safely ensconced among friendly neighboring countries and two vast oceans.
So well-said. Well-said, indeed.
(Adding w/o subtracting from your words and thought)
Parargraph1: What runs common thru mofos and black flaggers is the ability to recognize their enemy(s). And their most successful ops come at the expense of right leaning to all out right wingers. Right and right wingers proclaim themselves to be natsec conscious by taking a BIG game to cover their ineptitude on the subject and governing in general. Agree Hamas-Islamic Jihad read Bibi and his government correctly.
Paragraph2: Predictability of reacting, rather than first breathing, only then followed by responding. Bibi wasn't kiddin' when he said 7October is our 911. W never breathed, Within hours it was decided to "soon, the whole world will hear us/you." Big talk. And the objective shoulda never been "hear" rather than "see" the proper responses and with it the narrow sought after results. Bibi and his henchmen made the same unforced error post-attack. Agree, Bibi iithah directly or thru an interlocutor needed to reach out, not lash out with his tongue or weapons. FTR: Doesn't matter if it is in good faith or not. Every player in the region knows the treachery and betrayal game. Remain disappointed niithah was ever turned into a board game. Only half kiddin. Treachery should be taught in service academies as a strategy because most of America's enemies use it in lieu of advanced systems and firepower, Needs to be taught in the war colleges for the same reason.
Paragraph3: Hostages. Hamas and Islamic Jihad consists of many barbarians who fought with #fuckingdaeshbags, both in the Sinai and in Ir/Sy. So, when Bibi says Hamas=ISIS he right just not for the reasons he equated the 2. Mass hostage taking has long been one of the many known tells of barbarians. Depending on the time/era, as slaves inc. sex slaves, a source of hard currency, the phycological impact on the community or nation from which they were snatched as well as people and nations who hear of it. Will disagree with Seth because the evidence collected from the carcasses of the barbarians include orders to kill, kill again, and keep killing beyond the southern district deep into Israel including linking up to the West Bank territories. Supporting that Hamas-Islamic Jihad barbarians carried food and water. And their weapons were far beyond what would be necessary to snatch and grab. Best example is they immediately showed no mercy upon discovering the public bomb shelters and protection rooms. And can point to the fact the evidence of thermobaric devices as well as discovering some of the bodies of the barbarians say we came to kill, overkill, and the final injury to all the insults and prior ones, turn hoomans into toast so they could never be identified. Those thermobaric grenades can burn up to 2500F. Some did as evidenced by the remains being white. The charring of others indicates some used a different fuel. Yes, up to 2500F. The weapon was both a physical one and a psychological one. Survivors and first responders are shocked by gunshot wounds, frag from reg. munitions but are NOT prepared for the sight what they came across. The hooman mind can process some to most deaths. Some they can't. Yet the brain will not let it go. As an example, survivors, first responders and war fighters rountinely pick up pieces of bodies sliced by steel into tiny chunks. Come across the sight of 2shapes the brain freezes, can't immediately make a connection to a hooman. Then it does, hitting the mind, soul and body in a rush that reduces the most experienced and hardened into Jello. Hamas-Islamic Jihad and #fuckingdaeshbags know to the civilized there are fates worse than death v. their mindset of martyr-dumb and a Miss Universe collection of virgins.
Paragraph4: Said far better than I could or ever will. Am not at all surprised by the many different reactions in the west to 7October and each day since. Been clear Hamas-Islamic Jihad barbarians forfeited their lives the second they crossed the border to commit acts of barbarism. and slinker back with both the living and the dead aka trophies. Am confident those hunting Hamas/Islamic Jihad are not of the same mindset of those searching for hostages. Those hunting can't be distracted for a blink of an eye. Can't be a nano second of doubt or wet dream of capturing the one dude who knows everything inc hostage whereabouts. It is to kill, then move on to the next hunt and kill. The units searching for hostages are intel and engineering centric. Base this on the estimate of Hamas-Islamic fighters at somewhere south of 40,000 (a number that may be way overstated). That's a chitload with the sole mission of not letting the IDF anywhere near the hostages and unlikely to know anything about their whereabouts.
Thank you for the exposition/elucidation/elaboration, particularly re: the hunt-and-kill mission nuances.
This veers somewhat OT, and is admittedly more-than-somewhat self-indulgent, but is my response to Prof. Ackerman's most-recent offering (linked in previous post above):
<< BLUF (bottom line up front): Rescuing the hostages is - and always was - the operational priority, and is the reason for the brutal attack on Gaza. Israel can't responsibly or effectively rescue the hostages, which requires operating in the tunnel network, without first clearing the surface structures above. Hamas could end the siege instantly by releasing all hostages, thereby eliminating Netanyahu's rationale for the current character, pace, and intensity of operations.
The fact that Netanyahu is PM figured both in Hamas's predicate for their attack, and for the because-Netanyahu-is-PM predictable Israeli response (similar to ObL's calculus pre-9/11). The corrupt PM was caught with his pants down and had to move precipitously for his own political survival, not operational necessity. A different PM might have been able to take time to establish contexts, open up lines of communications for hostage negotiation, seek multinational cooperation, etc.
I might've missed it but failed to observe in Mr. Abramson's account the hostage rescue mission. That's the one that matters urgently, and justifies Israel's actions in Gaza right now, not "elimination of Hamas," as Netanyahu says, because that's virtually impossible.
EDIT: I take to be the main thrust of this installment of Mr. Abramson's Gaza reporting to be about implications associated with reporting accuracy, and politicians' role in inaccurate reporting. I don't dispute that it happens, I don't fault the journalist for concerning one's self with it. It doesn't strike one as particularly urgent to note in this moment, considering that 1) once bullets start flying (this in regard to Hamas's intent versus actual execution), all operational plans go out the window and 2) the fog of war isn't conducive to accurate reporting for many reasons. >>
For anyone still reading this digressive sub-thread, a rare case of moral and strategic clarity from a sitting US member of Congress:
https://youtu.be/iUoA7vBlUFg?si=-SwBxZCFL-AaWa2p
Amen, Shadowcloud.
" ... you know, some people go whatever, but my heart broke for this country." Me, too, Officer Dunn, me, too.
I noted that Barbra Streisand, a long time Democrat, said, re Trump's possible reelection, she could not live in a country where Trump was president. (Implied was "again.") Should that happen, she said, she'd move to England. My feeling is hers, though I would just leave, no destination required.
Re the contrast between the very dangerous madman and Joe Biden, I think it is being seen by anyone who is acquainted with facts and the truth.
I am one of the lucky ones as well. My sister lives in Ireland. Although she cannot house ALL of our sisters and families, I have first dibs!
But not everyone can do that, Margo. You and Barbra ate in the position to just pack up. The majority of Americans can’t. I would hope that New York, Washington, Oregon, California, and any another Democratic state would secede and join forces instead. Then Trump and his mighty sword would be reduced in his governing of all of the US. I know, I know, it won’t not happen but...
Marlene, don’t leave NewJersey out!
You misunderstand me, my dear. In 2024 I would be 84. Should the unthinkable actually happen, I would check out, as they say. (I think Streisand is 10 years junior to me. And then there's the reality that the UK (actually everywhere) is falling apart. Really everywhere is.