This week, Meidas Defense’s Joe Plenzler sat down for a chat with Jonathan Katz - an award-winning journalist and author of Gangsters of Capitalism, which traces the legacy of two-time Medal of Honor recipient Major General Smedley Butler to understand the history of America’s empire and how Trump is turning America foreign policy back to the bad old days of large power competition.
PLEASE....just tell me WHEN this entire nightmare will be over? And will we have a country that isn't run by Russia or China? I don't care if we're not #1, but I really hate to be the lowest of "shit-hole" countryies and that seems to be the prize Trump and MAGA want. WHAT will it take to get us back on track? Last...can we make it until midterms and will those really change anything? We've seen what happened when Drumpf lost last time.. I'm scared, forlorn and sad.
The Man Who Would Be King provides a literary take on hubris and Afghanistan. Either Kiplings book or the movie with Sean Connery would be food for thought.
I feel you, Jack. It's a scary time! But I for one, started feeling more optimistic just recently.
Why? I finally realized the reason why things got worse after Drumpf #1 was because of the Corporate (elite) Democrats. “Vote blue no matter who” did NOT work for awakening people, which basically made Drumpf #2 possible.
But thanks to his real shitshows out in the open since Jan 2025, I think Americans are realizing that we have no choice but to confront reality and we are STRONG WHEN UNITED. Especially that we need true representatives who are willing to FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE! AGAINST the ‘EPSTEIN CLASS‘ (billionaires and politicians who work to preserve the class)!!
We are seeing the real possibility of not just a Dems’ landslide in November but lots of younger people who don't take corporate money will be sworn into Congress and fight against the elite Democrats! 🙌 (Also, many MEGA might even realize Drumpf just used them and vote for true populists/progressives…)
I believe that's when a real change happens in America!! 🌟🙏
Great conversation regarding history and mistakes. It just baffles me how ignorant DT and the cabinet is - and has ruined what our grandfathers fought for!
Trump understands exquisitely Fear & Hatred (think Haitians eating your dogs) and wields them masterfully (think 77 million who voted for him. Again!). Like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” he has unleashed what he cannot control. Mickey was rescued. But the World hadn’t learned to Fear & Hate him. O well …
Ask the next 6 people under 20 you meet what it was and means. There is a dangerous trend in the US not to teach the negative sides of our own history.
When rival rulers choose to have a knife fight, there are no rules.
Butch Cassidy
In unconstrained conflict, the community that wins is typically the one that can fight the hardest and longest and with the most resources. This, in turn, is likely to be the community whose members can be rallied to become the most selflessly devoted to its success - and the most implacably opposed to surrendering to the "other."
I see it and I know what's happening and I keep acting on my resistance. All with the sense of total hopelessness against people of deep corruption, greed, immunity from the law and obscene wealth.
PLEASE....just tell me WHEN this entire nightmare will be over? And will we have a country that isn't run by Russia or China? I don't care if we're not #1, but I really hate to be the lowest of "shit-hole" countryies and that seems to be the prize Trump and MAGA want. WHAT will it take to get us back on track? Last...can we make it until midterms and will those really change anything? We've seen what happened when Drumpf lost last time.. I'm scared, forlorn and sad.
I’d very much like to return to precedented times. Keep faith and don’t give up the fight.
Removing all magats
Isn't the Venezuela oil money going into a Qatari bank for Trump to use as only he sees fit?
The Man Who Would Be King provides a literary take on hubris and Afghanistan. Either Kiplings book or the movie with Sean Connery would be food for thought.
I feel the same way sir
I feel you, Jack. It's a scary time! But I for one, started feeling more optimistic just recently.
Why? I finally realized the reason why things got worse after Drumpf #1 was because of the Corporate (elite) Democrats. “Vote blue no matter who” did NOT work for awakening people, which basically made Drumpf #2 possible.
But thanks to his real shitshows out in the open since Jan 2025, I think Americans are realizing that we have no choice but to confront reality and we are STRONG WHEN UNITED. Especially that we need true representatives who are willing to FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE! AGAINST the ‘EPSTEIN CLASS‘ (billionaires and politicians who work to preserve the class)!!
We are seeing the real possibility of not just a Dems’ landslide in November but lots of younger people who don't take corporate money will be sworn into Congress and fight against the elite Democrats! 🙌 (Also, many MEGA might even realize Drumpf just used them and vote for true populists/progressives…)
I believe that's when a real change happens in America!! 🌟🙏
Great conversation regarding history and mistakes. It just baffles me how ignorant DT and the cabinet is - and has ruined what our grandfathers fought for!
Indeed.
taking us back to the hateful America, that needed laws to protect ppl of color, and give us rights.
It’s a downward trend for sure. Look at the four promotions at the Pentagon Hegseth canceled today…not good.
Trump understands exquisitely Fear & Hatred (think Haitians eating your dogs) and wields them masterfully (think 77 million who voted for him. Again!). Like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” he has unleashed what he cannot control. Mickey was rescued. But the World hadn’t learned to Fear & Hate him. O well …
Dehumanization is the first step towards genocide.
'Robert Dollar, Standard Oil, and Jesus Christ' from 'The Sand Pebbles' by Richard McKenna, 1962 novel and excellent movie of the same name.
Indeed.
That was a great movie.
I agree that I’m a boomer and hold on to Vietnam but do you think the holocaust is generational and will be forgotten.
Ask the next 6 people under 20 you meet what it was and means. There is a dangerous trend in the US not to teach the negative sides of our own history.
Indeed.
Many have or deny it ever happened.
When rival rulers choose to have a knife fight, there are no rules.
Butch Cassidy
In unconstrained conflict, the community that wins is typically the one that can fight the hardest and longest and with the most resources. This, in turn, is likely to be the community whose members can be rallied to become the most selflessly devoted to its success - and the most implacably opposed to surrendering to the "other."
Neil Howe
It’s like the convo between a US and NVA officer that went:
US officer: You never beat us once on the battlefield.
NVA officer: That is true and also irrelevant as you lost the war.
I see it and I know what's happening and I keep acting on my resistance. All with the sense of total hopelessness against people of deep corruption, greed, immunity from the law and obscene wealth.
US continent was never invaded. People don’t really feel War.
Except they sure felt WWII and Korea and Vietnam in the the sons and daughters who fought and didn’t come home.
But I get your point as nd it’s a good one.
Another commentator corrected me when I mentioned the Cuba blockade as new. She said there has been a US blockade of Cuba for years.
Really? I thought there was some rapprochement during Obama years.
So Trump hadn’t done anything new except divert supplies of Venezuelan oil? And stop other supplies of oil by threats of tariffs?
There is no US naval cordon around Cuba?
There is a Russian oil tanker on the way to Cuba now. We’re gonna find out together.
Oh boy.
I'll bet TACO and the tanker goes right into port. He's not going to piss off Putin.
Great idea about the United Nations!
Thank you both for a useful lesson in history and economics!
Subic bay was bombed same time as a pearl Harbor.
Spot on.
Same with Food for Peace. Really subsidy for farmers.
Qatar account is getting drained from the back door for sure.
Trump has dementia and knows only what was.
sorry for duplicates! working on a small phone is debilitating.