Ashe Lockhart

Epilogue: Having served in the military myself, I can't help but believe (and hope) that those assembled that day sat there in full realization that this was a contemptible performance and they were stage props - otherwise referred to in military jargon as "fucking bullshit."

1/6 Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social reviewed the 30 Sep Convocation of Generals in an Atlantic article of same date. He wrote of the danger of feeding the MAGA party line to the senior military leaders comprised of generals, admirals, sergeants major, & master chief petty officers:

2/6 “It’s one thing to serve it up to an adoring MAGA crowd: They know that most of it is nonsense and only some of it is real. They find it entertaining, and they can take or leave as much of Trump’s rhetorical junk-food buffet as they would like.”

3/6 “It is another thing entirely to aim this kind of sludge at military officers, who are trained and acculturated to treat every word from the president with respect, and to regard his thoughts as policy.”

4/6 I think @radiofreetom.bsky.social got it backwards here. The MAGA crowd seems to take the president at his word and accept it as gospel, whereas the senior officers are well-informed and discerning enough to know it’s public theater.

5/6 Even if some of them took his words as literal, they know enough to know that they are not bound to follow an order that is unlawful. I would be surprised if they had not already done some planning on how to handle unlawful commands from the CINC.

6/6 That said, the 30 Sep Convocation of Generals is one more straw of insanity heaped upon the camel’s back in evidence that the Commander in Chief is not okay. So when is the fucking camel’s back going to break under the weight of truth.

1/14 In her 27 March Letter from an American (tinyurl.com/3muszfck), sound-minded scholar Heather Cox Richardson paints a grim assessment of current events under Trump. Because she is one of the most even-keeled, sober-minded voices in our public discourse*, her analysis is especially troubling.

2/14 After reading what she wrote on 27 March, my own assessment crystalized, which follows this brief intro. Maybe this is what it looks like when I overreact. I don't know. But given where HCR went in her analysis, my fears don't seem unfounded.

3/14 DO WE SEE MARTIAL LAW ON THE HORIZON?

4/14 I wonder if the goal of Trump’s provocations is to trigger exasperation that leads to mass protests that are infiltrated by agitators and provocateurs who incite riots and violence in which people are injured and killed - accompanied by stark imagery.

5/14 Protests, counter protests, and “occupations” could escalate quickly to give Trump the pretext he craves to justify a declaration of martial law - a Gulf of Tonkin rationalization, as it were. It’s hard to fathom what that might look like, but the leaden pallor of Handmaid’s Tale comes to mind.

6/14 Meanwhile, Congress, in a gambit engineered by Republicans, sits on its hands hoping that Trump overreaches so decisively and in such a universally repugnant manner that he self-immolates across the political spectrum, giving Congress the moment it has been waiting for to impeach –

7/14 making them appear heroic and salvaging Republican members’ political fortunes from revolt by MAGA had they ousted a popular petty tyrant. Trump’s declaration of Martial Law, perhaps accompanied by secrets held by (or manufactured) DC insiders, would be that moment.

8/14 So what we have is a game of chicken.

9/14 And let's suppose that, in the ensuing melée, the issue of presidential succession arises. Unless Chuck Grassley (an arguably sane actor in the presidential succession cast at hand) is inaugurated as Trump's successor**,

10/14 we'd have Vance or Mike Johnson in the White House – which could be worse than Trump / himself due to their competency being greater than Trump's.

11/14 Trump told his base “I Am Your Justice...I Am Your Retribution,” and he’s on track to be true to his word. Now it's even harder to see how this does not end poorly.

12/14 * with 119,000 reactions, 81,000 shares, and 9,100 comments on her 27 March letter alone, HCR is one of the most prolific public reporters and commenters on the state of our union.

13/14 ** Grassley is third in line to the presidency as President pro tempore of the Senate, behind Speaker of the house (Mike Johnson) and Vice President (J.D. Vance)

How the president could invoke martial law As we approach the 2020 election, some are concerned about martial law.

14/14 Attribution: picture is from the Military Times article titled "How the President could invoke martial law." tinyurl.com/2uc2rc88

“I am your retribution.”
DJT, CPAC 2023

It seems that Musk has acquired the govt of the US at a fire sale price.

It’s worse than a fox guarding the henhouse.

Law Firm Bends in Face of Trump Demands

Somehow the last sentences of the NYT piece on Trump's deal with Paul Weiss make the firm look even worse.

Really disappointing.

When @kairyssdal.bsky.social says we are not a serious country anymore, and when Trump’s #2 (who @karaswisher.bsky.social told @ezraklein.bsky.social that Musk “was a small dick nerd, and now he’s doing manly cosplay”) is getting a top secret briefing on US op plans vs China — we might be fucked.

This is pretty cool.

Embarrassing that Army smiled. WTF?!

The Wall Street Journal fact checking Herr Trumpf in real time 😂