That photo, man. It's so bad that when you search "Idiocracy White House" the photo results are literally just this event. In the past that same search showed a bunch of stills from the movie.
Beyond disturbing that the military continues to capitulate to the king/corporate lackeys. They were the wild card, and potential protection from the regime's coup. This mash-up demonstrates the military has been extorted and bought off as well.
I feel bad for all the boys who think a cage fight at the White House with giant warplanes screaming above is really cool and wish the best for them after the draft.
I do know of one, retired Air Force Lt. Colonel William Astore who has spoken out boldly and repeatedly against the abuse of the military by Trump. He runs the site called Bracing Views, always worth a read.
I detest flag waving and all those running around with little (getting bigger) flag pins in their lapels. You show you are an American by living it, not by displaying icons on your clothes.
We are lost in spectacle, whether it is this grotesque fight thing at the White House or the Superbowl. We sit in our living rooms and watch craziness but are too timid to get out on the street and show any opinion - what would the neighbors think! We are a timid people, a pale remnant of the courageous who founded this country, enjoying the dwindling remains of what they gave us and unwilling to lift a finger off the smartphone to fight for what we have. Keep gasoline cost down and let the 1% run wild. Disgusting.
Keep up the great reporting Ken. I look forward to everything you send out.
I know you’ve lumped in mark hertling with less respectable former military. His article on this subject was really good today . He quoted tom Wolfe to profound effect - “sentinels at the bacchanal”
The thing is--There is an ideal of military conduct which Mr Herling absorbed at West Point. These declarations are admirable, and speak to the aspirations of the Constitution.
Then there is the reality that some who serve in the military(my father included) were/are young men(almost 100%) who are attracted to violence(common in young men, eh?),and have often themselves been abused/neglected. These anxious lads are looking for something to do with their lives, and they gravitate to the military because it is the only socialized system in this country. The community provides room and board, clothing, laundry, bowling alleys, swimming pools, medical care, dental care, promises of education, etc. My father was an Air Force officer, so he was higher up the choke chain, and the perks were even better.
Not only does the military offer sustenance, it encourages tight association and fellowship with others who have similar ideas. And sometimes those ideas are real troublesome.
Now we know there appear to be a significant number of soldiers and officers who hold on to the Lost Cause. Or maybe they're just so desperate to survive they join up and learn to unsee.
I myself am a pacifist. I agree with “you can’t simultaneously prepare for and prevent war”. My personal beliefs exist uneasily in a wider world where military power and spending is a given and growing.
My grandfather served. He got a masters degree on the GI bill and was (very low) in the officers corps. He was an artist and architect and a sensitive and nuanced thinker. He also (especially in later years) returned often to a very almost frozen in time view of military history and the military. It was like the same questioning and skepticism he applied to other parts of life had a blind spot around the military- honestly it was confusing! He is buried at the veterans cemetery. I guess to say that those threads of (indoctrination?) run deep.
Maybe when I read mark hertling I remember my grandfather. It’s not like I’m giving him my full credulity - but some part of me is obviously still drawn to this idealistic view of “necessary power” - whether (or more likely not) this is actually how it exists in real life.
See also: the point he didn’t develop quite as much about how few and now self selecting the enrollment is - is the same as what you note about the “lost boys” and the war machine scooping them up and molding their raw selves into killing machines
Re: "the taboo against military involvement in public life." This is broken all the time, with macho displays at many sporting events, virtual commercials following news broadcasts, aggressive recruitment at public high schools. The military industrial complex has embedded itself beyond Congress and budgets even into Hollywood productions. The Pentagon has offices devoted to such.
All those sappy Lifetime and Hallmark movies feature lead actors posing as military members, and as they are all in their 30's and 40's they would have fought (historically) in Afghanistan or Iraq, failed wars! But this inconsistency - "heroes" who volunteer to fight in failed wars - flies right by producers, directors and viewers. The war propaganda never ends and facts do not matter.
I was thinking the same. The costly and unneeded flyovers for major sporting event? Why? What purpose? The supposed "lines" were crossed long ago and are supported by both major parties. A corollary to the "military as trusted institution": criticizing or not bowing reflexively to the military displays incurs the wrath of fellow citizens.
I was horrified by the entire spectacle, but the absolute worst for me was the honor guard. I read somewhere that one of the cage fighters was so drunk that he threw up on himself. Was he escorted by the same group of military who carried JFK’s casket?
As the Trump brand continues to lose popularity, so will the military. Losing the war with Iran (together with the the IDF) is probably not going to help either.
Perhaps they were on hand in part to thwart any disruption, as we now know there was a planned attack targeting the bizarre cage-fighting show. Per court papers unsealed Tuesday, plotters disgruntled with the direction of the country spoke of flying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they fled. These were said to be accelerationists, who think they can jump start a revolution with violent actions. Scary people! Too bad they couldn't just join the Green Party instead. We want another direction for our country too, but not by using indiscriminate violence.
This is some ridiculous hand wringing and pearl clutching over the military being shown off and rewarded during events celebrating our nations 250th anniversary. This is far from the first time, and controversial to very few, as you stated yourself in this article.
I subscribe to you because you actually show journalistic integrity and report on the important issues. What’s next, should we expect an in depth report on the pool algae? I’ll certainly be keeping my money in the future if this is the direction yall are headed
This article once again shows a creative divergent mindset that points out aspects of a situation either totally missed or ignored by public media! It likewise goes on to corroborate this revelation with ample documented evidence and examples! It is a travesty that not one branch
of our military , nor one high ranking official from any of these military branches had the guts to call out this “ elephant in the room” breach of protocol! The military involved in this latest Trump “ low class , no class” spectacle shows how dangerous such blatant use and abuse of our military and of our tax dollars has become..while we US citizens are asleep at the switch!
Our tax money at work!
That photo, man. It's so bad that when you search "Idiocracy White House" the photo results are literally just this event. In the past that same search showed a bunch of stills from the movie.
truly
This is a gross misuse of military personnel and assets, and the worst breach of protocol I can remember.
Beyond disturbing that the military continues to capitulate to the king/corporate lackeys. They were the wild card, and potential protection from the regime's coup. This mash-up demonstrates the military has been extorted and bought off as well.
I feel bad for all the boys who think a cage fight at the White House with giant warplanes screaming above is really cool and wish the best for them after the draft.
Neither the military, nor others in uniform, will protect us/democracy as they identify with the authority/authoritarianism.
I do know of one, retired Air Force Lt. Colonel William Astore who has spoken out boldly and repeatedly against the abuse of the military by Trump. He runs the site called Bracing Views, always worth a read.
I detest flag waving and all those running around with little (getting bigger) flag pins in their lapels. You show you are an American by living it, not by displaying icons on your clothes.
We are lost in spectacle, whether it is this grotesque fight thing at the White House or the Superbowl. We sit in our living rooms and watch craziness but are too timid to get out on the street and show any opinion - what would the neighbors think! We are a timid people, a pale remnant of the courageous who founded this country, enjoying the dwindling remains of what they gave us and unwilling to lift a finger off the smartphone to fight for what we have. Keep gasoline cost down and let the 1% run wild. Disgusting.
Keep up the great reporting Ken. I look forward to everything you send out.
"You show you are an American by living it, not by displaying icons on your clothes." Excellent line.
Meanwhile in the Middle East we're getting out butts kicked by guys wearing robes and sandals
The Saudi princes? Indeed.
Hey, Its hot over there! Robes and sandals make more sense than suits and ties.
I know you’ve lumped in mark hertling with less respectable former military. His article on this subject was really good today . He quoted tom Wolfe to profound effect - “sentinels at the bacchanal”
Thank you for the Mark Hertling link.
The thing is--There is an ideal of military conduct which Mr Herling absorbed at West Point. These declarations are admirable, and speak to the aspirations of the Constitution.
Then there is the reality that some who serve in the military(my father included) were/are young men(almost 100%) who are attracted to violence(common in young men, eh?),and have often themselves been abused/neglected. These anxious lads are looking for something to do with their lives, and they gravitate to the military because it is the only socialized system in this country. The community provides room and board, clothing, laundry, bowling alleys, swimming pools, medical care, dental care, promises of education, etc. My father was an Air Force officer, so he was higher up the choke chain, and the perks were even better.
Not only does the military offer sustenance, it encourages tight association and fellowship with others who have similar ideas. And sometimes those ideas are real troublesome.
Now we know there appear to be a significant number of soldiers and officers who hold on to the Lost Cause. Or maybe they're just so desperate to survive they join up and learn to unsee.
I myself am a pacifist. I agree with “you can’t simultaneously prepare for and prevent war”. My personal beliefs exist uneasily in a wider world where military power and spending is a given and growing.
My grandfather served. He got a masters degree on the GI bill and was (very low) in the officers corps. He was an artist and architect and a sensitive and nuanced thinker. He also (especially in later years) returned often to a very almost frozen in time view of military history and the military. It was like the same questioning and skepticism he applied to other parts of life had a blind spot around the military- honestly it was confusing! He is buried at the veterans cemetery. I guess to say that those threads of (indoctrination?) run deep.
Maybe when I read mark hertling I remember my grandfather. It’s not like I’m giving him my full credulity - but some part of me is obviously still drawn to this idealistic view of “necessary power” - whether (or more likely not) this is actually how it exists in real life.
See also: the point he didn’t develop quite as much about how few and now self selecting the enrollment is - is the same as what you note about the “lost boys” and the war machine scooping them up and molding their raw selves into killing machines
Re: "the taboo against military involvement in public life." This is broken all the time, with macho displays at many sporting events, virtual commercials following news broadcasts, aggressive recruitment at public high schools. The military industrial complex has embedded itself beyond Congress and budgets even into Hollywood productions. The Pentagon has offices devoted to such.
Military pays a lot for Top Gun and movies of the like.
All those sappy Lifetime and Hallmark movies feature lead actors posing as military members, and as they are all in their 30's and 40's they would have fought (historically) in Afghanistan or Iraq, failed wars! But this inconsistency - "heroes" who volunteer to fight in failed wars - flies right by producers, directors and viewers. The war propaganda never ends and facts do not matter.
Yes.
I was thinking the same. The costly and unneeded flyovers for major sporting event? Why? What purpose? The supposed "lines" were crossed long ago and are supported by both major parties. A corollary to the "military as trusted institution": criticizing or not bowing reflexively to the military displays incurs the wrath of fellow citizens.
It’s classic brainwashing.
I was horrified by the entire spectacle, but the absolute worst for me was the honor guard. I read somewhere that one of the cage fighters was so drunk that he threw up on himself. Was he escorted by the same group of military who carried JFK’s casket?
As the Trump brand continues to lose popularity, so will the military. Losing the war with Iran (together with the the IDF) is probably not going to help either.
Perhaps they were on hand in part to thwart any disruption, as we now know there was a planned attack targeting the bizarre cage-fighting show. Per court papers unsealed Tuesday, plotters disgruntled with the direction of the country spoke of flying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they fled. These were said to be accelerationists, who think they can jump start a revolution with violent actions. Scary people! Too bad they couldn't just join the Green Party instead. We want another direction for our country too, but not by using indiscriminate violence.
Thank you for noting this-a deplorable use of our military.
This is some ridiculous hand wringing and pearl clutching over the military being shown off and rewarded during events celebrating our nations 250th anniversary. This is far from the first time, and controversial to very few, as you stated yourself in this article.
I subscribe to you because you actually show journalistic integrity and report on the important issues. What’s next, should we expect an in depth report on the pool algae? I’ll certainly be keeping my money in the future if this is the direction yall are headed
This article once again shows a creative divergent mindset that points out aspects of a situation either totally missed or ignored by public media! It likewise goes on to corroborate this revelation with ample documented evidence and examples! It is a travesty that not one branch
of our military , nor one high ranking official from any of these military branches had the guts to call out this “ elephant in the room” breach of protocol! The military involved in this latest Trump “ low class , no class” spectacle shows how dangerous such blatant use and abuse of our military and of our tax dollars has become..while we US citizens are asleep at the switch!