A clear-eyed summary if ever there was one. This is the biggest American debacle since Bush II lied his way into a war against Iraq. At this point, only a brainwashed cultist could trust Trump to execute any intelligent plan with honesty and integrity.
"The entire mentality of absolute hard power dominance (and the testosterone-hyped, juvenile mentality of adolescent-minded officials such as Hegseth) no longer approximates international reality."
AND he is too stupid to know how stupid he really is. Poster boy for Dunning-Kruger effect.
I still have not forgiven him for Signal-gate; putting our military members in danger so he could swagger around the unsecure chat pretending to be a cool guy.
He needs to go back to the infantry and straight into a hot war zone so we can all see what he's truly made of.
Hegseth should be removed. Confidence is not high that he is either capable or qualified to lead our military. The only problem remaining, would be whether or not his replacement would be any improvement. It didn't work well in the Department of Justice.
"- nearly 60 percent of Americans describe themselves as “uncertain” or “frustrated” by the war;
- 76 percent feel the war has been harder (to put it mildly!) than Trump predicted;
- 67 percent want to end the conflict now;
- 60 percent grasp that Trump is not leveling with them about the war; and
- over 60 percent think the war is going very or somewhat badly."
In other words:
- 40% are not uncertain or frustrated by the war
- 24% feel the war has not been harder than Trump predicted
- 33% don't want to end the conflict now.
- 40% don't grasp the Trump is not leveling with them about the war
- and 40% think the war is going well or somewhat well
That is a shocking indictment of the American people. Layer those numbers on his regime's recent push to dismantle the ICC (International Criminal Court) and outrageous vindictive push to increase tariffs on 80 countries, and you have a the perfect storm for establishing a nazi-esc dictatorship in your country.
A wise man recently said, " America is not like this because of Trump is president. Trump is president because America is like this".
Trump never has and never will do anything to better the lives of our citizens (except for donors and the one percent). All he cares about is enriching himself, interfering with the election process, and taking revenge on anyone who ever crossed him. He has offended all our (former?) allies and praises dictators. He started a war with Iran for no reason and his personality will not allow him to step back; and has caused economic chaos at home an abroad. His MAGA supporters are stuck in a cult and will go down with Trump.
Will some prominent Democrat please step forward and start organizing the 'Project 2029 that we so desperately need? We just cannot just run against the awful MAGA policies and destruction and tRumps chaos, corruption, and cruelty. We have to run on what we plan to do to reverse and repair all that. Americans want to hear a coherent plan out of the Dems who would be elected this cycle. The People want and expect to be spoken to as adults and they want to see an expertise based plan.
“60 percent grasp that Trump is not leveling with them about the war;…”. This means that an appalling 40% of Americans do not understand or accept that Trump and Hegseth, etc. are lying to them. On one hand it’s fair to accuse that 40% of ignorance, stupidity, naivety, gullibility, and irrationality. On the other hand, this is a powerful indictment of the media, and I don’t just mean the obvious mass manufacturers of ignorance and hate, Breitbart, Sinclair, NewsMax, and Fox “News.” I mean all of corporate media.
None of them have a clue what they're doing. It's not like we have a dotard emperor who's surrounded himself with capable grey cardinals to tell him what he doesn't know. Our dotard is a wretched, greedy little criminal purposely surrounding himself with creeps, assholes, little boys, scalawags and dirt bags even scummier and nastier than he is. A true kakistocracy on wheels.
A sane foreign policy approach would repudiate Trump’s demented view, which relies on spheres of influence, forever wars, and neo-colonial occupation.
World War 1 was, from the perspective of the soldier, pound-for-pound the bloodiest in history (from the civilian perspective, World War 2 wins that booby prize). And you know what-- the 3 things mentioned above were precisely among the causes of World War 1! It was a case of both sides backing and blundering into a war that neither side needed, nor even wanted. Not only that, but when it started in 1914, everyone figured it would last 4-6 weeks before everyone came to their senses and settled things-- but it went on for over 4 bloody years, and managed to scar the psyche of a whole generation of world leaders and citizens.
I smell another World War 1 coming on, at least if there's no change of majority in Congress and then until a sane adult will become President.
You'd think other people would make those obvious parallels, wouldn't you? I don't know a single historian who wouldn't argue that beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs, unchecked militarism, neo-imperialism and the absence of rules of the game *weren't direct factors that led to World War I.
1. "...we will need to devise an intelligent response to a changed world order. " How about cooperation? Could that work?
2. "...Trump’s demented view, which relies on spheres of influence, forever wars, and neo-colonial occupation" And don't forget kickbacks, grifts, and gold-plated gifts.
..."we will need to devise an intelligent response to a changed world order."
That would require intelligent leadership, something that is entirely lacking in this regime, and something that is at a premium in Congress, in general.
Without a functioning Congress, Trump cannot be muzzled. We had better get it together as a nation and make the midterms a powerful statement and the means to a Trump-free America.
I have said for years that unless Trump is removed and arrested and Vaughn and Miller are held accountable for Project 2025, our government will continue to crumble.
America is now an Autocratic Fascist state.
We now reap the reward of our inaction.
Our children will also find themselves on the receiving end of OUR NEW FASCIST STATE.
Well, not Jen’s audience. But when the media distorts the truth or actively lies, a corrupt government will be taking advantage. Let’s hope common sense and self-preservation are not completely lost.
A clear-eyed summary if ever there was one. This is the biggest American debacle since Bush II lied his way into a war against Iraq. At this point, only a brainwashed cultist could trust Trump to execute any intelligent plan with honesty and integrity.
"The entire mentality of absolute hard power dominance (and the testosterone-hyped, juvenile mentality of adolescent-minded officials such as Hegseth) no longer approximates international reality."
AND he is too stupid to know how stupid he really is. Poster boy for Dunning-Kruger effect.
I still have not forgiven him for Signal-gate; putting our military members in danger so he could swagger around the unsecure chat pretending to be a cool guy.
He needs to go back to the infantry and straight into a hot war zone so we can all see what he's truly made of.
Hegseth should be removed. Confidence is not high that he is either capable or qualified to lead our military. The only problem remaining, would be whether or not his replacement would be any improvement. It didn't work well in the Department of Justice.
Exactly.
Because "good" people won't work for a fascist felon.
Rubin reports:
"- nearly 60 percent of Americans describe themselves as “uncertain” or “frustrated” by the war;
- 76 percent feel the war has been harder (to put it mildly!) than Trump predicted;
- 67 percent want to end the conflict now;
- 60 percent grasp that Trump is not leveling with them about the war; and
- over 60 percent think the war is going very or somewhat badly."
In other words:
- 40% are not uncertain or frustrated by the war
- 24% feel the war has not been harder than Trump predicted
- 33% don't want to end the conflict now.
- 40% don't grasp the Trump is not leveling with them about the war
- and 40% think the war is going well or somewhat well
That is a shocking indictment of the American people. Layer those numbers on his regime's recent push to dismantle the ICC (International Criminal Court) and outrageous vindictive push to increase tariffs on 80 countries, and you have a the perfect storm for establishing a nazi-esc dictatorship in your country.
A wise man recently said, " America is not like this because of Trump is president. Trump is president because America is like this".
Trump never has and never will do anything to better the lives of our citizens (except for donors and the one percent). All he cares about is enriching himself, interfering with the election process, and taking revenge on anyone who ever crossed him. He has offended all our (former?) allies and praises dictators. He started a war with Iran for no reason and his personality will not allow him to step back; and has caused economic chaos at home an abroad. His MAGA supporters are stuck in a cult and will go down with Trump.
Will some prominent Democrat please step forward and start organizing the 'Project 2029 that we so desperately need? We just cannot just run against the awful MAGA policies and destruction and tRumps chaos, corruption, and cruelty. We have to run on what we plan to do to reverse and repair all that. Americans want to hear a coherent plan out of the Dems who would be elected this cycle. The People want and expect to be spoken to as adults and they want to see an expertise based plan.
For me, reversing everything Trump has done at home and abroad is a plan, and you can call it Repair America.
"The way out of this mess is..." to declare bankruptcy like he always does when his businesses fail.
“60 percent grasp that Trump is not leveling with them about the war;…”. This means that an appalling 40% of Americans do not understand or accept that Trump and Hegseth, etc. are lying to them. On one hand it’s fair to accuse that 40% of ignorance, stupidity, naivety, gullibility, and irrationality. On the other hand, this is a powerful indictment of the media, and I don’t just mean the obvious mass manufacturers of ignorance and hate, Breitbart, Sinclair, NewsMax, and Fox “News.” I mean all of corporate media.
Can we even trust a CBS generated poll any more considering the current leadership?
Those of us of a certain age will never see the healing of these wounds. That my friends is heartbreaking.
It will also take years to undo the damage Trump has done to our governmental institutions and programs.
It will take still longer to restore our allies' respect and trust.
None of them have a clue what they're doing. It's not like we have a dotard emperor who's surrounded himself with capable grey cardinals to tell him what he doesn't know. Our dotard is a wretched, greedy little criminal purposely surrounding himself with creeps, assholes, little boys, scalawags and dirt bags even scummier and nastier than he is. A true kakistocracy on wheels.
"Donald Trump...... — has been exposed as an absurd fantasy."
Trump's whole life is a fantasy!
Thanks for a great article, Ms. Rubin! Excellent job!
His life may be a fantasy for him, but a nightmare for the rest of us.
Thank you for providing some desperately needed sanity.
A sane foreign policy approach would repudiate Trump’s demented view, which relies on spheres of influence, forever wars, and neo-colonial occupation.
World War 1 was, from the perspective of the soldier, pound-for-pound the bloodiest in history (from the civilian perspective, World War 2 wins that booby prize). And you know what-- the 3 things mentioned above were precisely among the causes of World War 1! It was a case of both sides backing and blundering into a war that neither side needed, nor even wanted. Not only that, but when it started in 1914, everyone figured it would last 4-6 weeks before everyone came to their senses and settled things-- but it went on for over 4 bloody years, and managed to scar the psyche of a whole generation of world leaders and citizens.
I smell another World War 1 coming on, at least if there's no change of majority in Congress and then until a sane adult will become President.
You'd think other people would make those obvious parallels, wouldn't you? I don't know a single historian who wouldn't argue that beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs, unchecked militarism, neo-imperialism and the absence of rules of the game *weren't direct factors that led to World War I.
Two thoughts here:
1. "...we will need to devise an intelligent response to a changed world order. " How about cooperation? Could that work?
2. "...Trump’s demented view, which relies on spheres of influence, forever wars, and neo-colonial occupation" And don't forget kickbacks, grifts, and gold-plated gifts.
..."we will need to devise an intelligent response to a changed world order."
That would require intelligent leadership, something that is entirely lacking in this regime, and something that is at a premium in Congress, in general.
Without a functioning Congress, Trump cannot be muzzled. We had better get it together as a nation and make the midterms a powerful statement and the means to a Trump-free America.
I have said for years that unless Trump is removed and arrested and Vaughn and Miller are held accountable for Project 2025, our government will continue to crumble.
America is now an Autocratic Fascist state.
We now reap the reward of our inaction.
Our children will also find themselves on the receiving end of OUR NEW FASCIST STATE.
Vaughn? Didn't you mean Russell Vought?
Such a clear assessment. Thank you for your work in this world.
Thank you Jennifer. A great article. Your last sentence really sums it up. Hope you are doing well.
Another secular sermon from Jen. Amen.
And, our blinders still seem to be on.
Well, not Jen’s audience. But when the media distorts the truth or actively lies, a corrupt government will be taking advantage. Let’s hope common sense and self-preservation are not completely lost.
Talk gets us nowhere, Sus.
He never should have been allowed to run.
He should be removed and arrested immediately.
Never should have, if only … our national obituary?
Preaching to the choir, alas.