Trump sends in troops. RFK Jr. purges science. Protesters face rubber bullets. And through it all, the air thickens with smoke, with fear, and with fascism.
As a paid subscriber to at least 15 Substack writers, many of whom are nationally or internationally known, I just feel so fortunate to have discovered you Mary (on FB, not Substack). Your take on what's going on is so amazingly clear and your writing style so effective, I am just hooked as a follower. This 82 year old, life time activist, now retired in Portugal to escape the demon, reads and weeps daily, but appreciates your clarity and effective prose so much. I really don't know anyone else who nails it like you do and God knows I read everyone. Kuddos dear woman. Your pen is so needed now.
As a retired Air National Guard officer, I am appalled at the willingness of our senior military officers to violate their constitutional oaths of office. The National Guard is not trained for policing. They are show pieces in Trump's manufactured crisis. The activation of the National Guard and Marines to the streets of Los Angeles will cost $134 million. His parade will cost more. Grift, corruption, and tyranny are all very expensive financially. Trumps oath to defend the constitution meant nothing to him. I frequently thought about my oath of office and my charge to only obey lawful orders when I was on duty.
Each military member will now have to decide for himself if he has been given a lawful order. That is a tremendous burden for each soldier when livelihood and career are on the line. There are times in our lives when we each have to make gut retching and life changing decisions. How we respond to the adversity in our lives defines us.
I am retired Navy officer. Your comment is spot on. My take, the officers involved must display extraordinary leadership in this situation. Kent State is instructive when they fail. I think the issue with "lawful orders" is thorny. The troops are sworn to follow the lawful orders of their superiors. It really rests on the officers, sworn solely to the Constitution, to decide. It is a weighty decision, and either choice is not without consequence. I'll say it again, where are the good, truly patriotic men and women in the GOP? Have they become so craven they would betray our Republic? It is they, not some Nat'l Guard/Marine junior officer who must stand before the storm. God bless our troops, the GOP has left them swinging in the breeze. Note: my outrage applies to Congress, but it is the GOP who have both houses.
You nailed it - again. For Trump the only true “winners” seem to be ruthless despots with outsized corrupt wealth. While he seeks Putin’s approval, Musk apparently is back seeking his - making the rest of us victims of two sick men with debilitating daddy issues.
How to resist effectively and strategically? The most impressive protests are peaceful in which the majority rejects violent actors; as George Floyd protests showed, some of those feeding the Trump anti-protest narrative are right wing plants.
I won't say anymore "it is time," the moment has passed. The point now is for people to look up the definition of Fascism and decide. Is this the future we want? The action in LA is the Rubicon. The dismantlement of our Healthcare, no different. The feckless and unnecessary trade war, done. GOP, the ball is your court. Your ideology is ending our great Republic. Call the Left whatever you wish. But our ideology, utopian as it might have seemed, stayed with the Constitution--"We the People..."
As a paid subscriber to at least 15 Substack writers, many of whom are nationally or internationally known, I just feel so fortunate to have discovered you Mary (on FB, not Substack). Your take on what's going on is so amazingly clear and your writing style so effective, I am just hooked as a follower. This 82 year old, life time activist, now retired in Portugal to escape the demon, reads and weeps daily, but appreciates your clarity and effective prose so much. I really don't know anyone else who nails it like you do and God knows I read everyone. Kuddos dear woman. Your pen is so needed now.
As a retired Air National Guard officer, I am appalled at the willingness of our senior military officers to violate their constitutional oaths of office. The National Guard is not trained for policing. They are show pieces in Trump's manufactured crisis. The activation of the National Guard and Marines to the streets of Los Angeles will cost $134 million. His parade will cost more. Grift, corruption, and tyranny are all very expensive financially. Trumps oath to defend the constitution meant nothing to him. I frequently thought about my oath of office and my charge to only obey lawful orders when I was on duty.
Each military member will now have to decide for himself if he has been given a lawful order. That is a tremendous burden for each soldier when livelihood and career are on the line. There are times in our lives when we each have to make gut retching and life changing decisions. How we respond to the adversity in our lives defines us.
I am retired Navy officer. Your comment is spot on. My take, the officers involved must display extraordinary leadership in this situation. Kent State is instructive when they fail. I think the issue with "lawful orders" is thorny. The troops are sworn to follow the lawful orders of their superiors. It really rests on the officers, sworn solely to the Constitution, to decide. It is a weighty decision, and either choice is not without consequence. I'll say it again, where are the good, truly patriotic men and women in the GOP? Have they become so craven they would betray our Republic? It is they, not some Nat'l Guard/Marine junior officer who must stand before the storm. God bless our troops, the GOP has left them swinging in the breeze. Note: my outrage applies to Congress, but it is the GOP who have both houses.
You nailed it - again. For Trump the only true “winners” seem to be ruthless despots with outsized corrupt wealth. While he seeks Putin’s approval, Musk apparently is back seeking his - making the rest of us victims of two sick men with debilitating daddy issues.
How to resist effectively and strategically? The most impressive protests are peaceful in which the majority rejects violent actors; as George Floyd protests showed, some of those feeding the Trump anti-protest narrative are right wing plants.
I won't say anymore "it is time," the moment has passed. The point now is for people to look up the definition of Fascism and decide. Is this the future we want? The action in LA is the Rubicon. The dismantlement of our Healthcare, no different. The feckless and unnecessary trade war, done. GOP, the ball is your court. Your ideology is ending our great Republic. Call the Left whatever you wish. But our ideology, utopian as it might have seemed, stayed with the Constitution--"We the People..."
Think this isn’t the absolute truth…ha!
Talking to oneself and walking about wringing one’s hands…nah, I’ll see ya at the protest!
Don’t know how the majority of people can’t see it, Mary. History repeating itself on steroids. Just amazes me.