Hi Mary, as usual you hit the nail of utter stupidity, ignorance and insanity on the head, that we as "the people" are supposed to look too for security, safety, and formality called "govern-ment ", a body of people that we elected because they convinced us that they have the special juice for the positions that require taking an oath swearing to" GOD", or looks like actually they see it as "god" to protect constitution, America, democracy and people from terrorist foreign and DOMESTIC! Now since 2012 it seems that 75% (modest assessment) act and think as domestic terrorist. No basis of honor, integrity, truth, courage, patriotism and commitment to stabilize, maintain, manage and protect the idea of America, a democracy and the people for it, from the people for an autocracy AKA: Donald J. Trump Maga cult! Pre 2012, I actually felt compelled the first time in my life from the excellent job by President Obama & VP Biden to bring back America from the disasters of the Bush terms to fly an American flag on my porch. Post 2012 I began to give the then called "republican party" the side-eye more & more day by day forward. In 2015 when Trump (lucifer) descended on the golden escalator proclaiming a run for president!!!! side-eye went to what??? This must be a joke! When it became real, I took my flag down, and don't even know where it is to this day. I had read that Donalds reason for running for president wasn't really serious till NBC fired him for some "apprentice style" remarks he was making in his now president campaign remarks, which now in the outcome & aftermath of those disastrous moments I can see clearly it kicked off triggered & armed his cycle of mental & emotional insanity into protect & serve his empire of delusions built on billions of bricks of lies, a declaration of
increasing retribution & burning revenge on a well nurtured psychopathic, sociopathic & severe narcosis level to be powered by the atomic power of the office of president 2016 forward to continuing unfolding fall out of Maga cult psycho-active poison. It seems to me now that NBC firing, President Obama's roasting of the "Donald pig" definitely armed the bomb, the early rebuttals & rejection from the star republicans, Cruz, graham, McConnell said he would destroy the party! so he did! 11/03/2016 triggered the count down, the democrats recognized the threat of the counting down Trump bomb and immediately began to try and disarm & remove the Trump bomb from the heart of America, the "oval office". The process needed both parties, but now all the star publicans that refuted Trump now embraced him because Trump the keys to their city "voters", which in their 1865 desperation became the Trump bomb 1rst line of defense of 1. failed 25th amendment 2. Two impeachments with no removal of the bomb. The Trump bomb exploded 01/20/2017, Trump has been in "psycho retribution & revenge" mode ever since, Trump super power is 3 part "psychopathic liar, sociopath, and malignant narcosis, all progressive. He has constructed a delusional reality that has manifested materially and is confronted more than ever when it got powered by the office of president which with every confrontation Trump builds bigger bombs, we see that as the "Godzilla effect" every time we shoot at him, he seems to get stronger, more resistant, because of Trumps core power " confederate ideology voters", that I might question if these voters even recognize that what they are doing is insane & ignorant, or what and where that insanity & ignorance is and comes from, or what confederate ideology is! You and I know! Reason and common sense Tell's us it's more vital and easier to get rid of the bomb maker "Trump" then the millions of parts "voters" to make it! So, Godzilla needs to be tranquilized & removed from the planet asap!
This really isn't about abortion rights, is it? Tuberville likely doesn't give a rip about that. He's just trying to hollow out the military so Der Führer can fill those positions with loyalists when he's reelected in 2024. Isn't this just another step in their insurrection? Tuberville's Donald's guy, isn't he?
I agree with your thoughts about the absurdity of not changing laws and policies that would benefit the Country as a whole. It is frustrating to say the least. We must get people in office that will change this government for the better for the whole.
Maybe they ought to REQUIRE the House Republicans stay until they vote in favor for EACH Commissioning officer. They need to EARN their nearly $200,000/year salary. Get the job done!
A concise but thorough analysis of the insanity that now surrounds us.
The way the MAGATs worship this thug is what concerns me most. They’ve become the proverbial cancer on our democracy. No wonder Republicans are trying to destroy public education.
The moment that Donald J. Trump got into office, this country with to hell, and will never be the same. We all are felling the after affects of his administration. The people have to get off their butts to try to turn things around or we all are lost. This country has gone bac at least 300 years in time. America was fought for and made by immigration. It has been torn down by a group of morons that do not like to be fre Americans. If, we all do not step up to the plate to take these morons that are running this Nation, we are lost for sure. There will be no tomorrow for any of us, our child, grandchildren, and our future folks will not have a chance in life as we know it. Freedom is being pushed out the door by the people of the Republican party. Looks as if they hate America and the Constitution that it stands for. It is something to think about, losing our freedom to a man that just what power over the people.
I rarely comment to the morons on social media, but when I do, it is generally to those I see as "ringleaders" in threads of public officials and issues I follow and I no longer tiptoe around, trying to be "nice" or understanding their POV. I lay into them and hit them with how their actions are working to empower dictators/authoritarians, here and elsewhere. I told one person that attacking our press, our courts and legal system, parroting Trump, was doing just that.
It is incomprehensible to me how Congress, meaning the leaders we voted for because of their stance on whatever we deem to be important for civil society, will not change laws that are so out of step with today's societal norms! They know what needs to change, they know what we want, meaning the majority of Americans, and yet we are still stuck in the 1800's!
-----Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in “Apocalypse Now” (1979)
Who could forget this iconic scene from Francis Ford Coppola’s movie about the Vietnam War. Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries” is blaring, a swarm of helicopters in the distance, bombs exploding, chaos all around, Kilgore bends down to his knees shirtless and tells his men to start surfing, and then delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history.
This is the scene I thought of while reading Mary’s Substack describing the scenes of war and chaos which surrounds our body politic and the world today. Yet Tommy Tooberville is loving this moment because to him “It smells like victory.”
Here is how Tuberville is holding up these nominations. He believes all forms of abortion is murder, he is wrong, but without strong leadership from Schumer, and the undemocratic Senate procedures it smells like failure to me.
The unsettling reality that emerges from Senator Tommy Tuberville's obstruction of military promotions is a stark reminder that the greatest threat to our nation’s integrity and safety may not always come from across the seas, but from within our own borders. By holding up the advancement of military personnel in a bid to oppose a Department of Defense policy—a policy that seeks to care for our service members and their families in obtaining necessary medical services—Tuberville is inadvertently crafting a narrative of internal division and political strife that could erode the very foundation of our national security.
This isn't just about the logistics of military operation or the technicalities of policy—it's a grim illustration of how politicization can cripple our armed forces' morale and readiness. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines pledge to defend our democracy against all enemies, foreign and domestic; yet, what does it signal when they are undermined by domestic policy gridlock?
In this age, it appears that we must guard against the insidious erosion of our institutions not just from without, but perhaps even more vigilantly, from within. The fortitude of a nation is tested by its ability to unite in the face of external threats, but it is perhaps even more severely tested by its capacity to resist the centrifugal forces of political posturing that threaten to tear it apart from the inside.
This development is a wake-up call, sounding the alarm that we must not become complacent in safeguarding the values and structures that underpin our democratic society. We must not allow the specter of internal conflict to become as formidable as the armies of adversaries who watch with keen interest as we grapple with self-inflicted vulnerabilities. The story of Senator Tuberville's actions is not just a tale of political obstruction; it is a cautionary chapter in the ongoing narrative of our democracy's resilience.
Exactly what you said in your opening. It is actions like Gooberville's that chip away at our democratic institutions and laws and empowers authoritarians around the world and here at home. It just chips away at them and opens the door to the propaganda and misinformation pushed by Putin and others that democracy doesn't work.
Mary. You are indeed the gift that keeps on giving… too much to respond to each item of disbelief except to say someone (noteworthy) was heard to describe Tuberville as THE stupidest man in the senate which is saying something. Dumb and dumber. Is this populism? Govt by the stupidest for the stupidest so help us. What do we do here??!! Keep talking Mary. You are the light in Nov darkness.
As if you were not already sufficiently informed on Tuberville to the point of nausea, this anecdote will reinforce Tuberville's MO. I volunteered for Mr. Sanders campaign and worked on the digital platform monitoring those who texted. Tuberville signed up to work the campaign and proceeded to text to disparage Bernie on his own campaign platform.
I'm not bashing him exclusively. Fanatics on both sides of issues do the same. I am a realist and unfortunately both the tea leaves and the logical conclusion of our current stalemate indicate continued demise of our democracy. Moreover, we are not the alpha male in the world we used to be.
Best to all. At some point, hopes and prayers may be all we have left. Meanwhile, we must do what we can.
Re: Tuberville -- it is well-known Trump was frustrated by his inability to control and wield the power of the military. What if Tuberville is preventing these promotions in order to keep the upper ranks of the armed forces empty in the event Trump is re-elected and then can fill the positions with loyalists and thus control the military? Sounds far-fetched, I know, but Trump loyalists are already hard at work lining up lawyers for top admin and cabinet positions who will be more loyal to Trump than to the Constitution and/or the Law. Mitch McConnell held open a vital SCOTUS appointment for Trump and then rammed through another one after Trump lost in 2020; what's to say Tuberville's actions are not part of the same authoritarian strategy?
That is exactly what he is up to, a last ditch effort to load up leadership in the military with Trump loyalists. The J6 coup attempt failed , in part because they did not have enough people to help the coup along. No doubt about it, we are in a failing democracy.
Please preface EVERY post with the mshed potato on the head story.
Right on !
Hi Mary, as usual you hit the nail of utter stupidity, ignorance and insanity on the head, that we as "the people" are supposed to look too for security, safety, and formality called "govern-ment ", a body of people that we elected because they convinced us that they have the special juice for the positions that require taking an oath swearing to" GOD", or looks like actually they see it as "god" to protect constitution, America, democracy and people from terrorist foreign and DOMESTIC! Now since 2012 it seems that 75% (modest assessment) act and think as domestic terrorist. No basis of honor, integrity, truth, courage, patriotism and commitment to stabilize, maintain, manage and protect the idea of America, a democracy and the people for it, from the people for an autocracy AKA: Donald J. Trump Maga cult! Pre 2012, I actually felt compelled the first time in my life from the excellent job by President Obama & VP Biden to bring back America from the disasters of the Bush terms to fly an American flag on my porch. Post 2012 I began to give the then called "republican party" the side-eye more & more day by day forward. In 2015 when Trump (lucifer) descended on the golden escalator proclaiming a run for president!!!! side-eye went to what??? This must be a joke! When it became real, I took my flag down, and don't even know where it is to this day. I had read that Donalds reason for running for president wasn't really serious till NBC fired him for some "apprentice style" remarks he was making in his now president campaign remarks, which now in the outcome & aftermath of those disastrous moments I can see clearly it kicked off triggered & armed his cycle of mental & emotional insanity into protect & serve his empire of delusions built on billions of bricks of lies, a declaration of
increasing retribution & burning revenge on a well nurtured psychopathic, sociopathic & severe narcosis level to be powered by the atomic power of the office of president 2016 forward to continuing unfolding fall out of Maga cult psycho-active poison. It seems to me now that NBC firing, President Obama's roasting of the "Donald pig" definitely armed the bomb, the early rebuttals & rejection from the star republicans, Cruz, graham, McConnell said he would destroy the party! so he did! 11/03/2016 triggered the count down, the democrats recognized the threat of the counting down Trump bomb and immediately began to try and disarm & remove the Trump bomb from the heart of America, the "oval office". The process needed both parties, but now all the star publicans that refuted Trump now embraced him because Trump the keys to their city "voters", which in their 1865 desperation became the Trump bomb 1rst line of defense of 1. failed 25th amendment 2. Two impeachments with no removal of the bomb. The Trump bomb exploded 01/20/2017, Trump has been in "psycho retribution & revenge" mode ever since, Trump super power is 3 part "psychopathic liar, sociopath, and malignant narcosis, all progressive. He has constructed a delusional reality that has manifested materially and is confronted more than ever when it got powered by the office of president which with every confrontation Trump builds bigger bombs, we see that as the "Godzilla effect" every time we shoot at him, he seems to get stronger, more resistant, because of Trumps core power " confederate ideology voters", that I might question if these voters even recognize that what they are doing is insane & ignorant, or what and where that insanity & ignorance is and comes from, or what confederate ideology is! You and I know! Reason and common sense Tell's us it's more vital and easier to get rid of the bomb maker "Trump" then the millions of parts "voters" to make it! So, Godzilla needs to be tranquilized & removed from the planet asap!
This really isn't about abortion rights, is it? Tuberville likely doesn't give a rip about that. He's just trying to hollow out the military so Der Führer can fill those positions with loyalists when he's reelected in 2024. Isn't this just another step in their insurrection? Tuberville's Donald's guy, isn't he?
I agree with your thoughts about the absurdity of not changing laws and policies that would benefit the Country as a whole. It is frustrating to say the least. We must get people in office that will change this government for the better for the whole.
Maybe they ought to REQUIRE the House Republicans stay until they vote in favor for EACH Commissioning officer. They need to EARN their nearly $200,000/year salary. Get the job done!
Thank you for having a free version for people who are struggling financially but are interested in hearing what you have to say.
I’ve got a solution for Tommy. All buses/posts in Alabama can be moved to other states.
A concise but thorough analysis of the insanity that now surrounds us.
The way the MAGATs worship this thug is what concerns me most. They’ve become the proverbial cancer on our democracy. No wonder Republicans are trying to destroy public education.
The moment that Donald J. Trump got into office, this country with to hell, and will never be the same. We all are felling the after affects of his administration. The people have to get off their butts to try to turn things around or we all are lost. This country has gone bac at least 300 years in time. America was fought for and made by immigration. It has been torn down by a group of morons that do not like to be fre Americans. If, we all do not step up to the plate to take these morons that are running this Nation, we are lost for sure. There will be no tomorrow for any of us, our child, grandchildren, and our future folks will not have a chance in life as we know it. Freedom is being pushed out the door by the people of the Republican party. Looks as if they hate America and the Constitution that it stands for. It is something to think about, losing our freedom to a man that just what power over the people.
I rarely comment to the morons on social media, but when I do, it is generally to those I see as "ringleaders" in threads of public officials and issues I follow and I no longer tiptoe around, trying to be "nice" or understanding their POV. I lay into them and hit them with how their actions are working to empower dictators/authoritarians, here and elsewhere. I told one person that attacking our press, our courts and legal system, parroting Trump, was doing just that.
It is incomprehensible to me how Congress, meaning the leaders we voted for because of their stance on whatever we deem to be important for civil society, will not change laws that are so out of step with today's societal norms! They know what needs to change, they know what we want, meaning the majority of Americans, and yet we are still stuck in the 1800's!
Maybe they should have to sign a contract. An oath apparently isn’t enough.
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
-----Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in “Apocalypse Now” (1979)
Who could forget this iconic scene from Francis Ford Coppola’s movie about the Vietnam War. Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries” is blaring, a swarm of helicopters in the distance, bombs exploding, chaos all around, Kilgore bends down to his knees shirtless and tells his men to start surfing, and then delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history.
This is the scene I thought of while reading Mary’s Substack describing the scenes of war and chaos which surrounds our body politic and the world today. Yet Tommy Tooberville is loving this moment because to him “It smells like victory.”
Here is how Tuberville is holding up these nominations. He believes all forms of abortion is murder, he is wrong, but without strong leadership from Schumer, and the undemocratic Senate procedures it smells like failure to me.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/07/13/how-can-just-one-senator-like-tuberville-or-sanders-hold-up-a-nomination-process-because-of-this-senate-rule/?sh=66fd26d17ff5
Thank you, Mary for this critical and brilliant break down of where we stand to fail.
If I may Lisa, I’ll remind you that it was Robert Duvall on the beach. A glorious scene and in no way does this detract from your excellent point.
I'm sorry. I will correct my post now. Thank you.
The unsettling reality that emerges from Senator Tommy Tuberville's obstruction of military promotions is a stark reminder that the greatest threat to our nation’s integrity and safety may not always come from across the seas, but from within our own borders. By holding up the advancement of military personnel in a bid to oppose a Department of Defense policy—a policy that seeks to care for our service members and their families in obtaining necessary medical services—Tuberville is inadvertently crafting a narrative of internal division and political strife that could erode the very foundation of our national security.
This isn't just about the logistics of military operation or the technicalities of policy—it's a grim illustration of how politicization can cripple our armed forces' morale and readiness. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines pledge to defend our democracy against all enemies, foreign and domestic; yet, what does it signal when they are undermined by domestic policy gridlock?
In this age, it appears that we must guard against the insidious erosion of our institutions not just from without, but perhaps even more vigilantly, from within. The fortitude of a nation is tested by its ability to unite in the face of external threats, but it is perhaps even more severely tested by its capacity to resist the centrifugal forces of political posturing that threaten to tear it apart from the inside.
This development is a wake-up call, sounding the alarm that we must not become complacent in safeguarding the values and structures that underpin our democratic society. We must not allow the specter of internal conflict to become as formidable as the armies of adversaries who watch with keen interest as we grapple with self-inflicted vulnerabilities. The story of Senator Tuberville's actions is not just a tale of political obstruction; it is a cautionary chapter in the ongoing narrative of our democracy's resilience.
Exactly what you said in your opening. It is actions like Gooberville's that chip away at our democratic institutions and laws and empowers authoritarians around the world and here at home. It just chips away at them and opens the door to the propaganda and misinformation pushed by Putin and others that democracy doesn't work.
Beautifully written. Thank you for your reply.
Mary. You are indeed the gift that keeps on giving… too much to respond to each item of disbelief except to say someone (noteworthy) was heard to describe Tuberville as THE stupidest man in the senate which is saying something. Dumb and dumber. Is this populism? Govt by the stupidest for the stupidest so help us. What do we do here??!! Keep talking Mary. You are the light in Nov darkness.
As if you were not already sufficiently informed on Tuberville to the point of nausea, this anecdote will reinforce Tuberville's MO. I volunteered for Mr. Sanders campaign and worked on the digital platform monitoring those who texted. Tuberville signed up to work the campaign and proceeded to text to disparage Bernie on his own campaign platform.
I'm not bashing him exclusively. Fanatics on both sides of issues do the same. I am a realist and unfortunately both the tea leaves and the logical conclusion of our current stalemate indicate continued demise of our democracy. Moreover, we are not the alpha male in the world we used to be.
Best to all. At some point, hopes and prayers may be all we have left. Meanwhile, we must do what we can.
Re: Tuberville -- it is well-known Trump was frustrated by his inability to control and wield the power of the military. What if Tuberville is preventing these promotions in order to keep the upper ranks of the armed forces empty in the event Trump is re-elected and then can fill the positions with loyalists and thus control the military? Sounds far-fetched, I know, but Trump loyalists are already hard at work lining up lawyers for top admin and cabinet positions who will be more loyal to Trump than to the Constitution and/or the Law. Mitch McConnell held open a vital SCOTUS appointment for Trump and then rammed through another one after Trump lost in 2020; what's to say Tuberville's actions are not part of the same authoritarian strategy?
I have thought the same and believe this is exactly why he's doing this!
I have thought this was plan all along.
Me too. What amazes me is that we are not hearing about this in the coverage - only the smokescreen of blocking access to abortion health care.
That is exactly what he is up to, a last ditch effort to load up leadership in the military with Trump loyalists. The J6 coup attempt failed , in part because they did not have enough people to help the coup along. No doubt about it, we are in a failing democracy.