Category Archives: military news

International news, military news

Trump betrays our ally

Donald J. Trump has made history in a sickening sort of way by being the first American president to pivot away from an ally at war with an aggressor nation.

The United States, led by President Joe Biden, went all in to defend Ukraine against the Russian invaders. The former president rallied our NATO and EU allies and mustered considerable support in the United Nations. The result has been a stiffening of resistance by Ukraine against Russia.

Now we hear Trump parroting Vladimir Putin dogma, and then Trump blames Ukraine for starting a war that began when Russian troops and tanks crossed into Ukraine.

Putin is a war criminal. He has violated multiple provisions lined out in the Geneva Accords that dictate the conduct of a land war.

Trump and Putin are seeking to negotiate an end to the three-year war without any input from Volodymr Zelenskyy.

Sickening.

International news, military news

Trump blames Ukraine for war … seriously

Donald J. Trump put his depravity on full display with a bizarre social media message that blames Ukraine for starting the war that began when Russia invaded its sovereign neighbor.

According to The Independent: In a post on his Truth Social website, Trump accused Zelensky, who he called a “modestly successful comedian” in a reference to his previous career as a sitcom star and entertainer, of having “talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start.”

I am utterly speechless. This guy’s incessant enfatuation with a known killer and goon — Vladimir Putin — is simply beyond description.

Geez, Louise! This clown has turned his back on a dependable ally in Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy. He has stood up to Russia’s immoral and illegal invasion for three years. Ukraine has inflicted stunning casualties against an enemy force that sought to enter Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv, just days after crossing the border.

President Joe Biden pledged financial support. He mustered full-throated NATO and EU support for Ukraine’s defense of its territory.

Now we have Donald Trump siding with his pal Putin.

Absolutely disgraceful for the new president to forsake our national pledge to help an ally defend itself against a tinhorn dictator.

military news

Gen. Milley’s letter speaks brilliantly

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What follows in this blog post is a lengthy letter of resignation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff of its chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley.

I submit this letter for you to read. Take some time to ponder what Gen. Milley is saying to Donald J. Trump:

“The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military. I thought that I could change that. I’ve come to the realization that I cannot, and I need to step aside and let someone else try to do that.
Second, you are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people—and we are trying to protect the American people. I cannot stand idly by and participate in that attack, verbally or otherwise, on the American people. The American people trust their military and they trust us to protect them against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and our military will do just that. We will not turn our back on the American people.
Third, I swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States and embodied within that Constitution is the idea that says that all men and women are created equal. All men and women are created equal, no matter who you are, whether you are white or Black, Asian, Indian, no matter the color of your skin, no matter if you’re gay, straight or something in between. It doesn’t matter if you’re Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, or choose not to believe. None of that matters. It doesn’t matter what country you came from, what your last name is—what matters is we’re Americans. We’re all Americans. That under these colors of red, white, and blue—the colors that my parents fought for in World War II—means something around the world. It’s obvious to me that you don’t think of those colors the same way I do. It’s obvious to me that you don’t hold those values dear and the cause that I serve.
And lastly it is my deeply held belief that you’re ruining the international order, and causing significant damage to our country overseas, that was fought for so hard by the Greatest Generation that they instituted in 1945. Between 1914 and 1945, 150 million people were slaughtered in the conduct of war. They were slaughtered because of tyrannies and dictatorships. That generation, like every generation, has fought against that, has fought against fascism, has fought against Nazism, has fought against extremism. It’s now obvious to me that you don’t understand that world order. You don’t understand what the war was all about. In fact, you subscribe to many of the principles that we fought against. And I cannot be a party to that. It is with deep regret that I hereby submit my letter of resignation.”
military news, national news

Trump’s narcissism on full display

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Did anyone alive in the United States of America actually recoil in surprise at the show of self-aggrandizement and petulant partisanhip this morning when Donald J. Trump spoke to the nation in the wake of the tragic air crash in D.C. last night?

I didn’t think so.

Sixty-seven people are presumed dead after a crash involving an Army Blackhawk helicopter and a regional jetliner that was seeking to land at Reagan National Airport.

Trump entered the White House press briefing room ostensibly to deliver some remarks about the tragedy. What he delivered instead was a stomach-churning display of raw politics. He blamed the hiring practices of two predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for possibly putting unqualified air traffic contollers in the tower at Reagan airport.

Presidents are asked occasionally to fulfill an unwritten rule of the office they occupy … that of comforter in chief. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and Biden all rose to that role at various times during their tenure as president. Today, Trump did speak briefly to the grief felt by the family members of the victims.

But then …

He talked about DEI hiring policies enacted by Presidents Obama and Biden. He implied those “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies lowered the standards required of air traffic controllers, hinting that someone on the ATC staff at Reagan might have been responsible for the horrific crash.

Donald J. Trump today demonstrated one more time why he is incapable of performing even the most basic tasks of holding the nation’s highest elected office.

This numbskull is an absolute disgrace.

military news

DoD head appears cleared for job

Pete Hegseth should never be allowed to take the job he appears set to assume … secretary of defense of the world’s greatest military power.

But he will because I keep hearing how Senate Republicans, with a couple of notable exceptions, are standing with him. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska likely will vote against Hegseth. Two more GOP defections and the dude is toast.

Who might abandon this guy remains an open question. What we’ve all seen in the second coming of Donald Trump to the White House is that the GOP caucus is as scared of him as it was when he left office in 2021, having been defeated by Joe Biden.

To be honest, it makes me so angry I want to spit.

Let’s just set aside all the sexual abuse stuff, the womanizing, the marital infidelity for just a moment. Hegseth is a combat veteran. He served in the Army. Hey, so did I, so I’ll thank him for his service.

That’s it! He didn’t command large groups of men and women. He held no administrative job. He gravitated from the military to a gig on the Fox Propaganda Channel, serving as a weekend host on “Fox and Friends.”

This does not constitute any sort of experience that qualifies this guy to lead the nation’s — and the world’s — most powerful and lethan military organization.

Toss in the stuff about his alleged sexual misconduct — which comes from women who have identified themselves — and you have a recipe for unmiitigated disaster.

The dude has waffled, flipped and flopped on many of his more controversial views, such as whether women should serve in combat. He said “no,” now he’s backing away.

Donald Trump continues to boast about finding the “best people” to work with him as POTUS. Pete Hegseth isn’t possibly one of them.

International news, military news

Is peace now possible?

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In this season of never-ending negativity, we now might be able to rejoice in some seriously good news … from the Middle East of all places!

Israel and the terrorists known as Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire that begins Sunday. Furthermore, they have agreed to a significant swap of hostages, meaning that the families of Israelis and Americans held captive since the Oct. 7, 2023, rocket attacks can be set free.

I am going to hold out hope that the cease fire agreement holds up and that the violence that erupted with Hamas’s brazen and bloody attack will end. Let us not call it a peace agreement, because the cease fire only means the bitter enemies will stop killing each other for the time being.

Let’s be clear on a couple of key points. Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and said the only path to peace would require the destruction of the terrorist leadership; it appears that Israel has accomplished its stated aim. However, it has come at a horrific price for the Palestinians caught in the middle of the fight between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of innocent people have died since Hamas started this war.

Thus, the ceasefire — brokered in large part by President Biden’s team — requires an immediate rebuilding effort. It must commence fully, not on a piecemeal basis. It must include massive deliveries of food, water, construction equipment, medical supplies and personnel to help Gaza residents seek to restore their shattered lives.

To that end, Joe Biden and his team deserve the highest praise any of us can give for their tireless work in bringing an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.

Now, though, the hardest task of all awaits … finding a path to a permanent piece in a region that knows only heartache and despair.

military news

Chinks in MAGA armor?

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There appears to be some chinks appearing in the armor shield that has surrounded Donald J. Trump.

A second key Cabinet selection now appears headed for the crapper with more revelations about sexual misconduct involving Defense secretary designate Pete Hegseth.

Dude is not qualified to lead the world’s most powerful military establishment, given his lack of administrative experience. Now we hear from credible sources that Hegseth drinks too much and accosts women too readily.

The always reliable Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is considering some candidates to replace Hegseth, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

What does this mean in the MAGA world of blindly loyal Trumpkins? It suggests to me that the MAGA shield is showing faults and cracks.

military news

Hegseth: wrong for Pentagon

One down, an untold number more to go as Donald Trump continues to spring new announcements on his Cabinet choices while preparing to become the next president of the United States.

Matt Gaetz lasted just a few days as Trump’s pick to become attorney general. Then he backed out and Trump then turned to former Florida AG Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department.

I want to turn my attention briefly to Pete Hegseth, another of Trump’s eyebrow-raising selections for his Cabinet. Hegseth is Trump’s pick to become defense secretary. He is a Fox Propaganda Channel weekend blowhard on “Fox and Friends.”

His nomination might be headed for the Dumpster, too.  A woman has accused him of raping her.; and he paid her money to keep quiet about an incident he says didn’t happen as she describes it. Moreover, he has said some inflammatory things about women, such as they don’t belong in combat.

Sheesh! What a clown!

I have been unable to stop thinking of a woman I know quite well who has served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is my first cousin; my mother and her father were siblings. She is retired these days and lives on the East Coast with her sons. I called her this morning to ask her; What do you think of Pete Hegseth’s comments about women in combat?

She didn’t hold back. He is unfit, she said. He has no experience, she added. Hegseth has no business being considered for a job for which he is wholly unqualified, she said.

My cousin knows a thing or three about combat. She deployed with U.S. Army Special Forces to Afghanistan before retiring from the Army as a master sergeant.

So, when my family member believes that Pete Hegseth has no business leading the world’s most lethal fighting force, well … I’ll stand with her any day of any week.

Joe Biden, military news

Putin threatens to go MAD

Vladimir Putin needs no explanation of what used to pass as a nuclear deterrence policy followed by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Russian dictator reportedly is angry that President Biden has given Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to strike deeply into Russia as it seeks to defend itself against Putin’s immoral and illegal invasion of its sovereign neighbor.

What is the Russian goon/thug/madman/tyrant/despot threatening to do? He is threatening to use “tactical nuclear weapons” against Ukrainian forces.

Let’s see. How do I say this tactfully? Oh, hell. I can’t.

It would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions!

You see, U.S. and Soviet nuclear deterrence was based on a policy of “mutually assured destruction.” Putin, who once led the Soviet system of spooks, knows the policy as well as any Russian alive today.

Using tactical nukes in the largest ground war in Europe since World War II well could produce a response from NATO — and the United States — that could destroy Russia.

Therefore, I am hesitant to buy fully into the notion that Vladimir Putin has gone MAD.

Then again, Putin did invade Ukraine … and his forces are getting their butts kicked in the field of battle.

military news

Defense pick raises eyebrows aplenty

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Well, ladies and gents, we’re likely going to get a taste of just how loyal the Donald Trump MAGA-cultists can be when the time comes for confirmation hearing of Trump’s choice to lead the world’s most powerful military institution.

“Fox and Friends, Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth is Trump’s choice for secretary of defense. Wow! What a pick!

His credentials? He doesn’t have any. Oh, wait! Hegseth served in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of captain. That rank doesn’t even rise to the level of “field grade officer.” But … here he is, slated to lead an organization with more than 1.5 million men and women in uniform and prepared to go to war when the commander in chief issues the order.

President Biden’s defense boss is Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army general. Trump’s first defense secretary was James Mattis, a retired Marine four-star. Both of those men are eminently qualified.

The Hegseth pick reportedly has raised plenty of brows among Republicans and Democrats who are wondering: What the hell is Donald Trump thinking with this selection?

Hegseth says women’s combat roles hinder our military’s preparedness. Never mind that since 2016, when then-Secretary Ash Carter allowed it, women have served in the Army Green Berets and Rangers and as Navy SEAL operatives … and have held their own with their male colleagues.

Pete Hegseth clearly is not qualified to lead the world’s most lethal fighting force.

We’re going to see how loyal the U.S. Senate majority is toward the MAGA cultist in chief. My guess? It won’t be pretty.