I question the Military Generals who thought this was a good idea! In any capacity, Venezuela and now Cuba? WTF! Can you get a grip and realize you are taking orders from a madman that is just as much of a threat to this country as Rumpy is to other countries? And Israel is off the charts and no one says a damn word!
Agree, but remember that any military leadership that did not pledge loyalty to Dump should retire and most did. Plus minority and female leaders were also shown the door. I don't know how we fix this. Plus we are no longer safe due to an insane leader and his bootlickers.
Yes. Military officers take an oath to the Constitution, not a president nor a king. Most take this very seriously. Sad to see more senior leadership not pushing back.
We are supporting a genocidal monster in Netanyahu. We started a war that is illegal with very sketch reasoning. We started it by killing over 100 schoolchildren hitting a school "by mistake". Some "mistake" using effing outdated maps??? Unbelievable.
In one way or another, they got rid of anyone who did not see things their way. Who would not do what trump and kegsbreath wanted. So we lost our really qualified leaders in the military.
We the people need to make sure we get the hell out of Israel n the Middle East! Trump can resign n move over there! I am sick of the mess, trump n his cabal need to be gone. N I don’t think couch cougar or lil marco will ever be president!!!! NOPE!!!
Our tax dollars should not be going to a nation that is actively committing genocide in Gaza and starting to do the same in Lebanon. Bibi will always try to impede any negotiations b/c he does not want to be out of the Mideast until he has taken at least Lebanon.
Bibi is already a War Criminal per the ICC. That is another reason he wanted this war b/c he is facing those charges. Unfortunately, the US is not a part of the ICC or trump and kegsbreath at the least would be charged with War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.
Because Israel got America to fight their war take over the Middle East! Israel has bought 95% of government! America was totally is totally naive and got sucked by Netyanhu. Trump has being brought and Epstein used it against Trump. Simple, America has very arrogant ways was their down fall. Now America is paying for it and I see a recession coming!
Some journalists on Substack ARE speaking out about Israel’s awful genocide in Gaza and Israeli fighters destroying parts of Lebanon. If I could remember who, I’d mention names.
1. We are condoning murder carried out by our military; small fishing boat crews are being obliterated based on nothing but suspicion. Everyone involved, from Hegseth on down, should be prosecuted and the most senior of them executed!
2. I once worked as a consultant to various organizations within the Army and was impressed by every senior officer I met. Our military actually understands leadership, which most of our corporations do not. Unfortunately, Hegseth has fired some of the most effective leaders. The smartest General I ever met was a woman, whom Hegseth probably fired. The damage Hegseth has done to the command structure will take many years to repair, if it can. The damage he's done to the military as an institution probably cannot be repaired, and that will negatively impact future recruiting efforts.
I'm not seeing very much pushback from the military higher echelon - both still there and fired. Why are they keeping quiet? Don't they realize the harm this malevolent birdbrain is doing?
I'm uncomfortable suggesting this, but maybe they want to keep their jobs :-( 3- and 4-star generals, or equivalents, often have opportunities for employment among the Beltway bandits, but lower-echelon officers have a difficult time finding employment in the private sector. I would not want to be unemployed in the current chaotic marketplace.
I completely understand this but isn't it their duty to the country to stand up for it? Kowtowing to this lunatic is hardly in the country's best interest. Of course if the 70% of military personnel, including veterans, hadn't voted for Trump in 2024 maybe we wouldn't have to have conversations like this.
Didn't guards that worked at the Nazi concentration camps say they were just following orders. The felon is their boss. Perhaps one person shouldn't have that much power? A moot question these days.
Saying you were just following orders didn't work back then and it's not going to work now. But since most of them voted for him I'm not sure that they're going to stop doing it.
They could also have maga beliefs...Lots of people morphed into magas. People I thought would never be hateful, turned into full blown magas. Didn't take them long to switch from normal to hateful around where I live.
I think many realize it and are trying to sift through which orders are illegal, lawful and awful but lawful. Disappointing that more senior leaders aren’t speaking out.
The residual problem is that we can no longer trust our military officers to enforce the law. If they're willing to commit murder, or allow it to be committed anywhere within the system, then the trust is lost, forever. In some countries, this has been the first step towards a military coup.
I think the first mistake DT made was to alienate Canada. We were stronger with Canada as an ally.
As to the war with Iran, big f’ing mistake. Just why? I agree that Joe Kent made a big point about Israel. He would have been a better person to be in charge of the military than Hegseth.
The article talk about weak position of US, but what about people like us? We trusted promises. In middle of this big politics, as an Afghan ally left behind by US government, we are still waiting with no future and no safety.
Hate to say it, but our country has earned its just rewards. Trump is the head of the boil, but it's all the rot inside it that has been festering for decades. And we all know what is inside a boil.
Before anyone blasts me, I am about as American as it gets. 13th generation. Born and raised in Kentucky, educated in the world.
Starting in 2015, I started fighting via social media. Sharing articles that showed what a criminal and amoral person the felon was. Challenging the beginning of magas where I live. I screamed; wrote letters (even wrote Pope Francis): protested; donated what little money I had; attempted to meet with my congressman; and basically stopped being friends with those who morphed into magas. I tried to get other like-minded people to get active and DO SOMETHING. But, most were unconcerned; and some simply hid their heads in the sand. It was too awful to listen to the news (when MSM still reported truthful news), they would say.
But, I'm exhausted. Every issue I fought for has been or will soon be destroyed/deleted/dead. Thankfully I'm old. Thankfully I might not be around to see some of the worst consequences of the magas' choices. And thankfully, I have no grandchildren.
Magas have earned their just rewards...and they are going to continue earning exactly what they voted for: more poverty, more abuse, more crime, more child sexual abuse, more domestic violence, and permission to say and do anything to those they hate.
And we are no longer a democratic republic. :( I think we're a banana republic, sliding down into authoritarianism much more quickly than I thought we would be in 2015.
A fundamental political shift is occurring in the country It actually began on Oct 7 but perhaps earlier when Hamas attacked Israeli settlements Due to the brutal fascist Israeli government response and its attempted Palestinian genocide, it has brought up a national dialogue about Palestinian rights
This was brought into sharper focus with the Mamdani election for NYC mayor in the most Jewish dense population in the country suggesting that even the American Jewish diaspora is fed up with the Israeli fascist government And now with the Jewish Brad Ladner topping his AIPAC supported Democratic primary incumbent Goldman by 30 points it suggests that the money interests that have long been a lobby for American Jewish interests is losing support
In the US we have for too long been indoctrinated by Jewish money interests such as AiPAC and the ADL to have a blunted partisan view of the Arab/Muslim opinion but that's changing With Mamdani and other eloquent spokespeople like Ruwa Romman in Georgia who is running for a state legislative seat, there is a valuable Arab voice speaking for the interests of that community And this really is uncomfortable for the long standing Zionist money interests of the Jewish lobby since they are losing control of the narrative they have long held
Zionists and Democratic political consultants like Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles who have been hiding their fascist views are now being exposed for who they really are as well as the Nazi Republicans who throw their support behind Zionists because that’s where the money is
We need some real adults in the room ASAP! Trump and Hegseth haven't a clue on ttheir warfare. First of all, it is illegal and secondly, it is only going to profit the military-industrial complex, where the Trumps and others contininue to invest and profit. Meanwhile, it is a horrendous drain on the US economy, taking our tax money away from essential programs and services.
You can't uncook a cake. There are sadly too many who are too weak to do anything but post snotty remarks. Snotty remarks are not a weapon in a coup. Two things exist which are salient targets: (1) ICE, which sadly is well becoming normalized instead of meaningly confronted. And snotty remarks aimed at ICE are no weapon. (2) Roberts, robber baron on SCOTUS, is facing impeachment threats which could open doors for opportunities to change the court. Adding new numbers of judges (precedented) is a great weapon. But it would take huge backing from the general masses. Far too many fail to see that it's two wars that are occuring--with Iran, which is ongoing, and coup vrs Anerican democracy, which has been going on much longer. I repeat, a real war.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We all have our work to do if we are to preserve this democratically elected republic. There are more of us than there are robber barons. Let's go. Organize. Vote in overwhelming numbers. Keep the pressure up.
How did military leaders go along with starting a war when they knew that we weren’t prepared for drone warfare? That we couldn’t protect our allies or the strait? This is a huge and costly blunder. Our Cred is now shot. We exposed our military weakness to Iran and China etc. Don’t agree w the take on Hegseth though. I don’t see redeeming qualities and he should never have been approved.
In the US, for better or worse, we have civilian control of the military. The CJCS's job is to provide the president their best military advice and execute all legal orders. The nuance is in the definition of "legal" right? You're right. This is a MASSIVE blunder that will really set back the US in terms of global standing. Like you, I don't see any redeeming qualities either. He is in way over his head.
Thanks for clarifying that the intelligence and military give info and recommendations and the commander in chief - the prez- gives the order. That system can work well if you have a sane, smart, caring leader who will listen to that info. Not so much this time. And Hegseth brings a blinkered agenda to the table instead of realism. I appreciate your info, perspective, and rational impartial discussion.
I was originally not going to watch this Substack, but I did and I am so glad that I did. I truly appreciate your conversation and I definitely learned so much. Thank you for educating me !
The Iranians make drones in their garages. They dont spend a fortune on fancy airplanes. Fancy airplanes are a huge drain on our economy plus the Iranians easily shot down 42 of them. America wont collapse from eating humble pie and making cheap reliable drones in the garage. We dont need phycisists from Caltech to do our design work. America is the land of DIY mechanical geniuses who could crank out drones in their living room for all that.
You make a good point. There are RPVs now that can outperform the best human-flown fighter jets. The days of manned combat aircraft are nearly over. As are the days of the large deck carrier.
Well put. The US Armed Forces are ill-equipped to meet the demands of modern drone warfare. Incestuous contracting obligations render us even more so. Anduril and Starlink contracts give tech bros leverage over the entire military-industrial complex. The push for AI is putting all our eggs in one basket.
The US needs an independent (International?) assessment of threats and vulnerabilities, and a strategy to move forward. Trump puppets can not do this. The Pentagon cannot do this as they are in thrall to AI tech bros.
Well said. Yep. If our military is preparing to fight the last wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) instead of the future ones (Ukraine), we're in big trouble. And if we don't get a more capable and moral national command authority...yikes.
Get involved in your community. Volunteer to run your local elections in your county. Organize with your friends and neighbors. Advocate for candidates you approve of. Donate money to their campaigns. Call your Rep and Senators weekly and give their staff your thoughts. Donate to groups who are supporting democracy. Volunteer. There are many things we can do together.
I question the Military Generals who thought this was a good idea! In any capacity, Venezuela and now Cuba? WTF! Can you get a grip and realize you are taking orders from a madman that is just as much of a threat to this country as Rumpy is to other countries? And Israel is off the charts and no one says a damn word!
It’s insane, right?
Agree, but remember that any military leadership that did not pledge loyalty to Dump should retire and most did. Plus minority and female leaders were also shown the door. I don't know how we fix this. Plus we are no longer safe due to an insane leader and his bootlickers.
Yes. Military officers take an oath to the Constitution, not a president nor a king. Most take this very seriously. Sad to see more senior leadership not pushing back.
It's just plain scary to not see them fighting back. And the grown-ups in the room getting fired.
Truth spoken!
Like when kegsbreath had them come from ALL over the world!! Kegsbreath n the entire kkkabinet are not qualified for the position!!!
We are supporting a genocidal monster in Netanyahu. We started a war that is illegal with very sketch reasoning. We started it by killing over 100 schoolchildren hitting a school "by mistake". Some "mistake" using effing outdated maps??? Unbelievable.
Yes. Absolutely agree! The bombing of the school s/b grounds for dismissal of kegsbreath!!! Besides being incompetent unqualified!!!
In one way or another, they got rid of anyone who did not see things their way. Who would not do what trump and kegsbreath wanted. So we lost our really qualified leaders in the military.
This will land on our soil. We have been lucky geographically so far.
100%
We the people need to make sure we get the hell out of Israel n the Middle East! Trump can resign n move over there! I am sick of the mess, trump n his cabal need to be gone. N I don’t think couch cougar or lil marco will ever be president!!!! NOPE!!!
Our tax dollars should not be going to a nation that is actively committing genocide in Gaza and starting to do the same in Lebanon. Bibi will always try to impede any negotiations b/c he does not want to be out of the Mideast until he has taken at least Lebanon.
Shouldn’t bibi be arrested? He needs to be held accountable for his crimes!! Trump too!
Bibi is already a War Criminal per the ICC. That is another reason he wanted this war b/c he is facing those charges. Unfortunately, the US is not a part of the ICC or trump and kegsbreath at the least would be charged with War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.
Because Israel got America to fight their war take over the Middle East! Israel has bought 95% of government! America was totally is totally naive and got sucked by Netyanhu. Trump has being brought and Epstein used it against Trump. Simple, America has very arrogant ways was their down fall. Now America is paying for it and I see a recession coming!
:(
Some journalists on Substack ARE speaking out about Israel’s awful genocide in Gaza and Israeli fighters destroying parts of Lebanon. If I could remember who, I’d mention names.
1. We are condoning murder carried out by our military; small fishing boat crews are being obliterated based on nothing but suspicion. Everyone involved, from Hegseth on down, should be prosecuted and the most senior of them executed!
2. I once worked as a consultant to various organizations within the Army and was impressed by every senior officer I met. Our military actually understands leadership, which most of our corporations do not. Unfortunately, Hegseth has fired some of the most effective leaders. The smartest General I ever met was a woman, whom Hegseth probably fired. The damage Hegseth has done to the command structure will take many years to repair, if it can. The damage he's done to the military as an institution probably cannot be repaired, and that will negatively impact future recruiting efforts.
Agree! Senate staffers are keeping track of who is issuing and following these illegal orders…just waiting for the flip.
Hegseth is an idiotic, narcissistic, alcoholic misogynist, Trump’s kind. Patel too. Blanche is probably the same way… fuck them all to hell!!
Agree with the sentiment, but knowing that it will take decades to restore trust in the U.S. government makes for crappy sleep.
Yep. Trust is earned in drops and spilled in buckets. It’s gonna take decades to repair.
We the people will NEVER forget the Epstein survivors. Did they ever search the n.Mexico home n grounds???
I'm not seeing very much pushback from the military higher echelon - both still there and fired. Why are they keeping quiet? Don't they realize the harm this malevolent birdbrain is doing?
I'm uncomfortable suggesting this, but maybe they want to keep their jobs :-( 3- and 4-star generals, or equivalents, often have opportunities for employment among the Beltway bandits, but lower-echelon officers have a difficult time finding employment in the private sector. I would not want to be unemployed in the current chaotic marketplace.
I completely understand this but isn't it their duty to the country to stand up for it? Kowtowing to this lunatic is hardly in the country's best interest. Of course if the 70% of military personnel, including veterans, hadn't voted for Trump in 2024 maybe we wouldn't have to have conversations like this.
Yes. Each military officer swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not to a president.
:-)
Didn't guards that worked at the Nazi concentration camps say they were just following orders. The felon is their boss. Perhaps one person shouldn't have that much power? A moot question these days.
Saying you were just following orders didn't work back then and it's not going to work now. But since most of them voted for him I'm not sure that they're going to stop doing it.
Many very senior officers delude themselves into thinking they can influence more from the inside than by falling on the swords.
Really sick n tired of the murdering of the people in the fishing boats. Kegsbreath should be tried n imprisoned for murder!
They could also have maga beliefs...Lots of people morphed into magas. People I thought would never be hateful, turned into full blown magas. Didn't take them long to switch from normal to hateful around where I live.
I think many realize it and are trying to sift through which orders are illegal, lawful and awful but lawful. Disappointing that more senior leaders aren’t speaking out.
The residual problem is that we can no longer trust our military officers to enforce the law. If they're willing to commit murder, or allow it to be committed anywhere within the system, then the trust is lost, forever. In some countries, this has been the first step towards a military coup.
In some areas, we cannot trust law enforcement either.
I think the first mistake DT made was to alienate Canada. We were stronger with Canada as an ally.
As to the war with Iran, big f’ing mistake. Just why? I agree that Joe Kent made a big point about Israel. He would have been a better person to be in charge of the military than Hegseth.
The article talk about weak position of US, but what about people like us? We trusted promises. In middle of this big politics, as an Afghan ally left behind by US government, we are still waiting with no future and no safety.
It’s dishonorable how the US has treated its allies.
Hate to say it, but our country has earned its just rewards. Trump is the head of the boil, but it's all the rot inside it that has been festering for decades. And we all know what is inside a boil.
Before anyone blasts me, I am about as American as it gets. 13th generation. Born and raised in Kentucky, educated in the world.
There's much blame to be had, for sure. The question is what are patriotic Americans going to do about it?
Starting in 2015, I started fighting via social media. Sharing articles that showed what a criminal and amoral person the felon was. Challenging the beginning of magas where I live. I screamed; wrote letters (even wrote Pope Francis): protested; donated what little money I had; attempted to meet with my congressman; and basically stopped being friends with those who morphed into magas. I tried to get other like-minded people to get active and DO SOMETHING. But, most were unconcerned; and some simply hid their heads in the sand. It was too awful to listen to the news (when MSM still reported truthful news), they would say.
But, I'm exhausted. Every issue I fought for has been or will soon be destroyed/deleted/dead. Thankfully I'm old. Thankfully I might not be around to see some of the worst consequences of the magas' choices. And thankfully, I have no grandchildren.
Magas have earned their just rewards...and they are going to continue earning exactly what they voted for: more poverty, more abuse, more crime, more child sexual abuse, more domestic violence, and permission to say and do anything to those they hate.
And we are no longer a democratic republic. :( I think we're a banana republic, sliding down into authoritarianism much more quickly than I thought we would be in 2015.
Zionism and the Nazi Republicans
A fundamental political shift is occurring in the country It actually began on Oct 7 but perhaps earlier when Hamas attacked Israeli settlements Due to the brutal fascist Israeli government response and its attempted Palestinian genocide, it has brought up a national dialogue about Palestinian rights
This was brought into sharper focus with the Mamdani election for NYC mayor in the most Jewish dense population in the country suggesting that even the American Jewish diaspora is fed up with the Israeli fascist government And now with the Jewish Brad Ladner topping his AIPAC supported Democratic primary incumbent Goldman by 30 points it suggests that the money interests that have long been a lobby for American Jewish interests is losing support
In the US we have for too long been indoctrinated by Jewish money interests such as AiPAC and the ADL to have a blunted partisan view of the Arab/Muslim opinion but that's changing With Mamdani and other eloquent spokespeople like Ruwa Romman in Georgia who is running for a state legislative seat, there is a valuable Arab voice speaking for the interests of that community And this really is uncomfortable for the long standing Zionist money interests of the Jewish lobby since they are losing control of the narrative they have long held
Zionists and Democratic political consultants like Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles who have been hiding their fascist views are now being exposed for who they really are as well as the Nazi Republicans who throw their support behind Zionists because that’s where the money is
piggy and his whole crime syndicate administration NEED TO BE IN PRISON, NOW
We need some real adults in the room ASAP! Trump and Hegseth haven't a clue on ttheir warfare. First of all, it is illegal and secondly, it is only going to profit the military-industrial complex, where the Trumps and others contininue to invest and profit. Meanwhile, it is a horrendous drain on the US economy, taking our tax money away from essential programs and services.
Yep. The big winners: Big Oil. Big Defense.
The big losers: US Taxpayers. Iranian civilians. Other civilians in the region.
We're +39T in debt and burning billions per day. So far, Trump has added $10.9T to the federal debt. (27% of total) And that's unsustainable.
Meanwhile, China is investing in the future.
You can't uncook a cake. There are sadly too many who are too weak to do anything but post snotty remarks. Snotty remarks are not a weapon in a coup. Two things exist which are salient targets: (1) ICE, which sadly is well becoming normalized instead of meaningly confronted. And snotty remarks aimed at ICE are no weapon. (2) Roberts, robber baron on SCOTUS, is facing impeachment threats which could open doors for opportunities to change the court. Adding new numbers of judges (precedented) is a great weapon. But it would take huge backing from the general masses. Far too many fail to see that it's two wars that are occuring--with Iran, which is ongoing, and coup vrs Anerican democracy, which has been going on much longer. I repeat, a real war.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We all have our work to do if we are to preserve this democratically elected republic. There are more of us than there are robber barons. Let's go. Organize. Vote in overwhelming numbers. Keep the pressure up.
To all Government Workers, stop taking orders from Donald Trump, who has lost his frigging Mind.
Truth detected.
How did military leaders go along with starting a war when they knew that we weren’t prepared for drone warfare? That we couldn’t protect our allies or the strait? This is a huge and costly blunder. Our Cred is now shot. We exposed our military weakness to Iran and China etc. Don’t agree w the take on Hegseth though. I don’t see redeeming qualities and he should never have been approved.
In the US, for better or worse, we have civilian control of the military. The CJCS's job is to provide the president their best military advice and execute all legal orders. The nuance is in the definition of "legal" right? You're right. This is a MASSIVE blunder that will really set back the US in terms of global standing. Like you, I don't see any redeeming qualities either. He is in way over his head.
Thanks for clarifying that the intelligence and military give info and recommendations and the commander in chief - the prez- gives the order. That system can work well if you have a sane, smart, caring leader who will listen to that info. Not so much this time. And Hegseth brings a blinkered agenda to the table instead of realism. I appreciate your info, perspective, and rational impartial discussion.
I was originally not going to watch this Substack, but I did and I am so glad that I did. I truly appreciate your conversation and I definitely learned so much. Thank you for educating me !
Thank you so very much for watching and taking time to share your thoughts!
The Iranians make drones in their garages. They dont spend a fortune on fancy airplanes. Fancy airplanes are a huge drain on our economy plus the Iranians easily shot down 42 of them. America wont collapse from eating humble pie and making cheap reliable drones in the garage. We dont need phycisists from Caltech to do our design work. America is the land of DIY mechanical geniuses who could crank out drones in their living room for all that.
You make a good point. There are RPVs now that can outperform the best human-flown fighter jets. The days of manned combat aircraft are nearly over. As are the days of the large deck carrier.
Well put. The US Armed Forces are ill-equipped to meet the demands of modern drone warfare. Incestuous contracting obligations render us even more so. Anduril and Starlink contracts give tech bros leverage over the entire military-industrial complex. The push for AI is putting all our eggs in one basket.
The US needs an independent (International?) assessment of threats and vulnerabilities, and a strategy to move forward. Trump puppets can not do this. The Pentagon cannot do this as they are in thrall to AI tech bros.
Well said. Yep. If our military is preparing to fight the last wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) instead of the future ones (Ukraine), we're in big trouble. And if we don't get a more capable and moral national command authority...yikes.
How can Trump give anyone a contract for any of the government work? Trump gave a company a $5 Million Contract to layer Gold on Monuments.
It's enough to piss off the Pope, no?
Excellent article, what do we do now? Wait for the calvary I guess.
Get involved in your community. Volunteer to run your local elections in your county. Organize with your friends and neighbors. Advocate for candidates you approve of. Donate money to their campaigns. Call your Rep and Senators weekly and give their staff your thoughts. Donate to groups who are supporting democracy. Volunteer. There are many things we can do together.
https://flipphotog.substack.com/p/what-about-hope?r=dvj2a&utm_medium=ios