" Reporters asked repeatedly, explicitly, whether two survivors of a U.S. missile strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat were deliberately killed after the first explosion. Leavitt refused repeatedly, explicitly, to deny it. Instead, she delivered the same chilling line over and over: Adm. Frank Bradley acted “within his authority… "
Pete Hegseth has either committed a War Crime or he has committed Murder. This barbaric action will be his undoing...and maybe take Trump down with him.
History will most certainly revile Trump and his cabal, if in fact we have a truthful history. But the greater infamy will fall to the GOP, who allowed him to remain in power. The greater shame will fall on the MAGA faithful, whose prejudice and grievance gave power to him. As we watch the Venezuelan war crime unfold, we again see the rot. Yet, moral clarity remains an elusive thing for too many. It isn’t hard: impeach and remove this administration now.
Push button hatred: first it was the Mexicans, then Haitians and dogs and cats, onto the Venezuelans, now it is Somalians and Afghanistans. A new ethnicity to loathe and vilify each week.
Yet this crummy dog eared playbook of prejudice and utter ignorance works for his slice of voters.
Who is next? - just push the button. No knowledge, no empathy, no decency required.
I worked in Kabul Afghanistan for the Department of State for 20 months, from 2010 through 2012. We had wonderful Afghan interpreters and those who we were training. It was very dangerous for the Afghans to work for us, the Americans, and the US knew this. So the US Government ensured their future safety by promising them a ticket to America in exchange for their work that made our work possible.
Many Afghans have taken up our government’s promise on their future safety in America. During their work for us, they were often skittish about perhaps being seen by someone who would tell someone else. It was definitely a case of being fearful for their safety and the safety of their families. It would be a travesty for us to renege on our promise to them when they were so beneficial to our work in Afghanistan.
I don't think travesty is a strong enough word for the tragedy of reneging on our promises to people who risked their lives to go against their own government to help ours, but I agree with what you've said. However since the word of the US is no longer considered reliable anywhere in the world, it is probably already anticipated that nothing our government ever promised to anyone is still safe.
You are so right about how future language will envelope Trump for everything rotten in a government: abject corruption, bald-face lies, robot women, imploding political parties, etc. I am sure it is already bubbling under the surface and many of us are trying out new words and phrases to reflect how we feel when mere common words will not do.
Another great piece. And we dodged a climate bullet this year, that is for sure. THank you for addressing it. We in the NC mountains sure got a dose last year with Helene of how bbad things will become for so many people as this insanity continues. As for Hegseth, a less cowardly congress would have stopped these heinous extra-judicial killings by now. They ALL are culpable.
There is a continuum of cruelty not publicized nearly enough. That is the scary sick telephone calls left at homes of anyone who refuses to do President Trump’s bidding. The calls are placed anonymously by a goon squad and threaten the children in the family as well. However I cannot imagine this is on top of the list of the FBI to track down.
"So the storms curved away, not out of mercy, but pity." "simply misreading the script like a substitute teacher covering AP Chemistry." "We’re committing war crimes on behalf of Belgium now." You do have the best figurative language and one-liners on Substack !!
I was listening to RAI News (the Italian state news outlet) the other day, and there was a piece on European rearmament in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine - I don't recall the details. At some point, in discussing talks, mention was made of "the American representative" and their participation, and my heart warmed for a moment - we can help! We'll be there to help!
Then I remembered the miserable Russian ass(et) in the White House and his determination to betray his country, and Europe, and sell the democratic West out to Putin. And my heart sank.
(Yes, our actual record has always been mixed.) But ultimately, we're not the good guys anymore.
Note: Listening to foreign news is a great way to really figure out what's going on. The RAI had people on the ground in Ukraine from Day One, and their reporting has been excellent. Their world affairs reporting may have bias, but for the most part I don't have to worry too much with the mainstream Italian media about the sort of nonsense that Fox News puts out. There's still a hint of Berlusconi in the RAI, and Meloni is a neo-fascist - but she's governing surprisingly centrist given her background.
The Kyiv Independent is also a good source of info on the war. I subscribe to it and United 24, Zelinsky's donor portal for small donations to help and War Love and Survival an on the ground reporter there. As an old peacenik I am shocked at how happy I have become watching Russian tanks being blown up or crushed until tons of ice Ukraine drones have unleashed from the mountain sides. (Rachel Maddow did a whole show on that masterful work.)
A fiver on Patel being replaced by a female, similarly unqualified, and blonde.
You might mention cup size as well.
" Reporters asked repeatedly, explicitly, whether two survivors of a U.S. missile strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat were deliberately killed after the first explosion. Leavitt refused repeatedly, explicitly, to deny it. Instead, she delivered the same chilling line over and over: Adm. Frank Bradley acted “within his authority… "
Pete Hegseth has either committed a War Crime or he has committed Murder. This barbaric action will be his undoing...and maybe take Trump down with him.
https://open.substack.com/pub/jaywilson1/p/kill-them-kill-them-all?r=10sd39&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
WAY too optimistic. Trump has NEVER been held accountable for ANYTHING he has ever done, and that is very unlikely to change now.
History will most certainly revile Trump and his cabal, if in fact we have a truthful history. But the greater infamy will fall to the GOP, who allowed him to remain in power. The greater shame will fall on the MAGA faithful, whose prejudice and grievance gave power to him. As we watch the Venezuelan war crime unfold, we again see the rot. Yet, moral clarity remains an elusive thing for too many. It isn’t hard: impeach and remove this administration now.
Another excellent, if discouraging, analysis of the current decay. Thank you, Mary.
good and fierce, though. Good reading!
Push button hatred: first it was the Mexicans, then Haitians and dogs and cats, onto the Venezuelans, now it is Somalians and Afghanistans. A new ethnicity to loathe and vilify each week.
Yet this crummy dog eared playbook of prejudice and utter ignorance works for his slice of voters.
Who is next? - just push the button. No knowledge, no empathy, no decency required.
I worked in Kabul Afghanistan for the Department of State for 20 months, from 2010 through 2012. We had wonderful Afghan interpreters and those who we were training. It was very dangerous for the Afghans to work for us, the Americans, and the US knew this. So the US Government ensured their future safety by promising them a ticket to America in exchange for their work that made our work possible.
Many Afghans have taken up our government’s promise on their future safety in America. During their work for us, they were often skittish about perhaps being seen by someone who would tell someone else. It was definitely a case of being fearful for their safety and the safety of their families. It would be a travesty for us to renege on our promise to them when they were so beneficial to our work in Afghanistan.
WE PROMISED THEM
I don't think travesty is a strong enough word for the tragedy of reneging on our promises to people who risked their lives to go against their own government to help ours, but I agree with what you've said. However since the word of the US is no longer considered reliable anywhere in the world, it is probably already anticipated that nothing our government ever promised to anyone is still safe.
You are so right about how future language will envelope Trump for everything rotten in a government: abject corruption, bald-face lies, robot women, imploding political parties, etc. I am sure it is already bubbling under the surface and many of us are trying out new words and phrases to reflect how we feel when mere common words will not do.
Another great piece. And we dodged a climate bullet this year, that is for sure. THank you for addressing it. We in the NC mountains sure got a dose last year with Helene of how bbad things will become for so many people as this insanity continues. As for Hegseth, a less cowardly congress would have stopped these heinous extra-judicial killings by now. They ALL are culpable.
Where does Trump find these women attorneys who look like they also took walks in some of his beauty pageants?
Mary- did you see the long article in the WSJ about the two men who run Epstein's estate?? Holy you know what! Talk about a swamp!
There is a continuum of cruelty not publicized nearly enough. That is the scary sick telephone calls left at homes of anyone who refuses to do President Trump’s bidding. The calls are placed anonymously by a goon squad and threaten the children in the family as well. However I cannot imagine this is on top of the list of the FBI to track down.
one of the things that keep wavering Republican Congresscritters in line - knowing the numbr of heavily-armed loonies with MAGA caps.
Best and funniest content ever! You really have a way with words 👍‼️
"So the storms curved away, not out of mercy, but pity." "simply misreading the script like a substitute teacher covering AP Chemistry." "We’re committing war crimes on behalf of Belgium now." You do have the best figurative language and one-liners on Substack !!
I agree. I'd love to know your background, Mary, as your way with words is so outstanding.
I was listening to RAI News (the Italian state news outlet) the other day, and there was a piece on European rearmament in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine - I don't recall the details. At some point, in discussing talks, mention was made of "the American representative" and their participation, and my heart warmed for a moment - we can help! We'll be there to help!
Then I remembered the miserable Russian ass(et) in the White House and his determination to betray his country, and Europe, and sell the democratic West out to Putin. And my heart sank.
(Yes, our actual record has always been mixed.) But ultimately, we're not the good guys anymore.
Note: Listening to foreign news is a great way to really figure out what's going on. The RAI had people on the ground in Ukraine from Day One, and their reporting has been excellent. Their world affairs reporting may have bias, but for the most part I don't have to worry too much with the mainstream Italian media about the sort of nonsense that Fox News puts out. There's still a hint of Berlusconi in the RAI, and Meloni is a neo-fascist - but she's governing surprisingly centrist given her background.
The Kyiv Independent is also a good source of info on the war. I subscribe to it and United 24, Zelinsky's donor portal for small donations to help and War Love and Survival an on the ground reporter there. As an old peacenik I am shocked at how happy I have become watching Russian tanks being blown up or crushed until tons of ice Ukraine drones have unleashed from the mountain sides. (Rachel Maddow did a whole show on that masterful work.)