Sep 29, 2023·edited Sep 29, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss
As a Military Veteran whose family has served our Militaries since the American Revolutionary War, I have never put much faith and trust in authentic Republican support of our Military. They like to send the Troops out to wage their wars. But, send them back only as healthy as when they were sent out. Or, dead. Case in point: Some years ago, Dick Cheney was interviewed by Barbara Walters about the Iraq War. Walters asked Cheney, "But, what about the 4,000 KIA?" Cheney: "Well . . . they volunteered." That touched a raw nerve and set me off. Then there is Mitt Romney, when asked if one of his FIVE sons might serve our Military. Romney: "No. They are too busy serving me." Hubris on steroids for the guy who said he "loves" cheesy grits in order to try to be "one of us".
The Republican Party has long relied on its myth as a fan and supporter of our Military. The last true, blue Republican was Dwight Eisenhower. Perhaps, George H. W. Bush. (In a pinch.) And now, we have an ex-president (cough, cough) who suggests the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, be executed. Forget that Iraq was an illegal war orchestrated by Bush 2 and Cheney. Forget that Veterans must nearly beg for decent medical services. The last good soldier on the Republican front was John McCain. The pompous self-adulation shared among too many Republicans simply gives testimony to just how vile, vulgar, and deceptive they really are when our Military is in the conversation.
Steven, I will continue to say it: Joe Biden was made for the moment. What a great speech! Through his life experience, and his willingness to set aside retirement to fight and give all to preserve what we hold dear in this country is amazing.
And yet, a sizable minority in this country choose to follow a criminal, charlatan, cartoonish, carnival barker who brings out the worst in people and drag down what was once the party of Lincoln and one time progressiveness (Teddy Roosevelt) to the level we see it today is utterly dispiriting.
President Biden is a good man. The contrast between he and trump is glaring. The Republican party is imploding before our eyes. We need to kick them to the curb by voting BLUE everywhere possible.
Outstanding article! My question is this, what’s in it for them, those that are trying to dismantle our military? Why? What will they gain? Money? Publicity? Is it a distraction from Trump’s legal charges? Who is their leader? Why would this band of traitors want to dismantle and weaken our military? Let’s find the answer to the why.
Afraid the answer is outright nihilism stemming from changes they do not like because of their inherent insecurity and frustration they failed to achieve what others have. This is the same group where deaths of despair have skyrocketed as well. As for politicians stirring the pot, they are just malignant narcissists looking to grift off the attention they get in the media just like the the fat orange guy. And the grift is beyond money, it is the grift of being an energy vampire to suck in the negative energy of those getting angry over whatever topic it is (“woke”, abortion, race, rural v urban).
What a wonderful way to start my day. Steven, you have expressed exactly what I've been feeling for a very long time. I believe President Biden's speech yesterday, is a clear statement of what the intentions of todays MAGA Republican Party is, and a call for what we all need to do to stop it. Never forget, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter". MLK
The coming election isn't about the economy, age, or political chaos. It's about a choice. Will Jan. 20, 2025 be the end of American Democracy, or an affirmation and renewal of the greatest American experiment.
Pres Biden finally started to take the gloves off and explain what we need to do. I hope he expands this tactic of educating the public about our Democracy by now explicitly talking about the consequences each of us will lose with a trump style Authoritarian regime. By explicit I mean the loss of freedom of speech, of press, of public gatherings, of the practice of certain religions, and what subjects can be taught and read in our schools.
I do not believe Tuberville's obstinate stance has anything to do with the morality of abortion. He is a member of the Church of Christ which supports abortion and contraception. I think it has to do with money, racism , continued reelection, and attention. Republicans approve of $826.4 B military spending, a quarter billion more than Biden administration calls for,(while attacking "woke" spending ) yet, paying for a service member to cross state lines to get an abortion would be excessive spending of tax money. I would call this an excuse. The policy of the new Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Brown, is to increase military diversity, especially in the upper ranks. Tuberville is against this saying the test should just be ability. Thus is he accused of white supremacy although he says whites are just Americans. It is interesting that Brown, the Sect'y of Defense, Lloyd Austin, & Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Norvel Dillard are all three, black men. The congressman represents one of the most racist, red states in America even though many military installations are located there. Since the state only requires a person to live there one day in order to run for office, Tuberville actually lives in a Florida mansion, another red state. How better to call attention to oneself and continue to be reelected. He fully supports trump(who recently said he is not against all abortion, but he lies and just drifts whichever way the wind is blowing.) who, after calling for death to Gen. Milley, has his picture posing/admiring a glock pistol with his picture on it, saying he would like to buy it - illegal for a felon.With Putin as his mentor, should he be reelected and become America's dictator, remember that Trump Tower (the highest bldg after 9/11 he boasted) has some very high windows.
Just as Democrats are increasingly united in calling for the resignation of Menendez, so should Republicans close in on Tuberville .My brother, an Air Force officer, resigned, went to seminary at Emory, then relisted as a chaplain for life, and worked for the betterment of servicemen, must be , as they say, turning over in his grave. While both successful football coaches, Joe Paterno called old Tommy, Mr. Rogers , claiming him to be so friendly. Well, it's not a beautiful day in the military neighborhood.
I hope Gooberville is tossed out by the seat of his pants! He is obnoxious and a menace. Soon, we must alert our Congress members that we refuse to allow one person to hold the entire country hostage.
I was glad to see President Biden strike back at MAGA extremists in his Arizona speech, and I hope he continues to bang that drum. I only wish the mainstream media had covered the event more broadly. The contrast between him and TFG is so striking, I have a hard time imagining how anyone could support Trump.
As you always do @StevenBeschloss, you presented the situation accurately and fairly. I think the quote by Sec of Defense Lloyd Austin was a perfect response to Tuberville. I cannot fathom how any elected official, of any political party, would do anything to weaken our national defense. Respect for those who serve is paramount in my mind and should be paramount for anyone who serves in government. To withhold promotions or funds from the military, as a protest for giving the military the right and the funds to travel if they want/need an abortion is beyond my comprehension. New to me was the MTG quote. That made me even more sad. My biggest outrage of the week probably was when 45 said that he thought General Milley should be killed. Really ??? I kept thinking that maybe I hadn't heard the news correctly, until I heard the story several more times on different newscasts. Someone who has spent decades, his entire career, putting himself on the line to defend our country. Yes, I watched President Biden give his speech in AZ about the dedication of the McCain library. That brought back horrible memories of when 45 disrespected McCain. All of this disrespect from 45 who never served 1 day in the military. He actually never served anyone ever, except himself in anything he did. His real estate business, corrupt as we now really know it was, was not to provide housing and retail space for others, while making an honest salary for himself, but just to enrich his own pockets ILLEGALLY, by valuing his properties however he chose to get the best loan rates and the best insurance rates. Sorry for the digression. Back to the military, the GOP has been disgraceful this week with respect to the military. I just received a pop-up on my computer screen that McCarthy's latest bill to keep the government open failed in his own caucus - did he think that all of those promises he made to the far right MAGA wing of his party in order to get the speakership on the 15th round of voting wasn't going to have repercussions in the weeks and months that followed. So many people will be hurt if our government shuts down for even a short time. Back to the military again, we want them to stay vigilant on their jobs always, 24/7/365. However, if the government shuts down we will be asking them to do that without getting paid. They and their families may be living paycheck to paycheck. They do o not have the resources that McCarthy has. What happens next ??? Wow @StevenBeschloss, I guess I really had to vent on this very rainy Friday afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity.
My thoughts are that people are finally beginning to see (other than the MAGAs who are totally blind to the truth) that what Trump and his minions in Congress are really doing. This isn't politics, its actually sedition - the overthrow of the American government and Constitution. Everything these MAGA elected officials are doing is a conspiracy to overthrow our government - nothing more, and I believe it is being orchestrated by Putin and his minions of truth and freedom. Biden's speech at John McCain's library groundbreaking may have been his best yet, finally naming names and actually saying that what Donny and his gang of misfits are actually doing - insurrection. They do not want compromise, they want to destroy it and create a dictatorship with Donny being the fearless leader. What a crock of shit!
There are days when it is just too difficult to read about the insane, vengeful Republican party. Today is one of those days for me. Catch you on the next article.
Thank you for this fine article. You have been steadily stating the truth about Trump and the GOP and this is one of your finest efforts, this time by placing them alongside President Biden for people to see the stark contrast. We live in very dangerous times. Please be safe.
Sincerely,
Steve Dundas
Author of “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Religion and the Politics of Race in the Civil War Era and Beyond”
Phrases like crossing the Rubicon and imploding come to mind. A carnival barker is entertaining. A sadist is just a sadist and that produces fear and loathing. Hopefully that makes sense and is correct.
Steve… One thing that bothers me is that you and so many others leave out that this is about the Bannon/Putin agreement to weaken and destroy America and its democracy so that Putin and Russia can emerge as the world leader. All of Europe is at risk, as is all of North America, and probably South American democracies, when the United States falls. Yes, there are those in the Republican Party who have been anti-regulation and pro-small government for a long time, but now they are Bannon-style anti-government, which is also in lockstep with Putin’s desires to take over as much of the world as he can. United States and the whole world is in grave danger and somebody has to reach any still sane Republicans out there.
Thanks… It drives me crazy that people on MSNBC put a ? around it… Why are they doing this? Why are the Republicans…? Even MSNBC does not typically point to Bannon and Putin. I don’t know if Americans who genuinely are patriotic will ever understand that they are being unpatriotic. There’s no way they could understand that if they don’t get the proper news.
Like many families, my brother, dad, uncles and grandfathers served in the military. I have a family member serving now and a daughter-in-law who served. One of my uncles was captured at Normandy and spent the rest of the war in nazi POW camps.
The leader of the “opposition” party showed he had no respect for the military in 2015. John McCain was a living hero, a leader and well respected. Given DJT’s character, avoidance of military service, and disrespect for everyone, his disparagement of McCain was not nearly as shocking as the acceptance of his words by many veterans.
A red flag went up for me as I watched interviews where veterans and “pro-military” voices laughed it off. There really were no boundaries. Perhaps we should have expected the now constant undermining and attacks on the military. It was the military leadership that held the line during DJT’s administration right down to its last gasp. Its leaders have told the world (or at least those who listen) how perilous those years were. That is not the enabling role carved out for the military by the unhinged faction of the GOP that is dragging the party with it.
Proving once again: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” - James Baldwin
Thank you. This well-defines Republicans in every quarter. Kevin McCarthy is the kingpin of that ignorance with power.
As a Military Veteran whose family has served our Militaries since the American Revolutionary War, I have never put much faith and trust in authentic Republican support of our Military. They like to send the Troops out to wage their wars. But, send them back only as healthy as when they were sent out. Or, dead. Case in point: Some years ago, Dick Cheney was interviewed by Barbara Walters about the Iraq War. Walters asked Cheney, "But, what about the 4,000 KIA?" Cheney: "Well . . . they volunteered." That touched a raw nerve and set me off. Then there is Mitt Romney, when asked if one of his FIVE sons might serve our Military. Romney: "No. They are too busy serving me." Hubris on steroids for the guy who said he "loves" cheesy grits in order to try to be "one of us".
The Republican Party has long relied on its myth as a fan and supporter of our Military. The last true, blue Republican was Dwight Eisenhower. Perhaps, George H. W. Bush. (In a pinch.) And now, we have an ex-president (cough, cough) who suggests the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, be executed. Forget that Iraq was an illegal war orchestrated by Bush 2 and Cheney. Forget that Veterans must nearly beg for decent medical services. The last good soldier on the Republican front was John McCain. The pompous self-adulation shared among too many Republicans simply gives testimony to just how vile, vulgar, and deceptive they really are when our Military is in the conversation.
AMEN, Vince!!
Thank you! 😊👏
Steven, I will continue to say it: Joe Biden was made for the moment. What a great speech! Through his life experience, and his willingness to set aside retirement to fight and give all to preserve what we hold dear in this country is amazing.
And yet, a sizable minority in this country choose to follow a criminal, charlatan, cartoonish, carnival barker who brings out the worst in people and drag down what was once the party of Lincoln and one time progressiveness (Teddy Roosevelt) to the level we see it today is utterly dispiriting.
President Biden is a good man. The contrast between he and trump is glaring. The Republican party is imploding before our eyes. We need to kick them to the curb by voting BLUE everywhere possible.
Outstanding article! My question is this, what’s in it for them, those that are trying to dismantle our military? Why? What will they gain? Money? Publicity? Is it a distraction from Trump’s legal charges? Who is their leader? Why would this band of traitors want to dismantle and weaken our military? Let’s find the answer to the why.
Afraid the answer is outright nihilism stemming from changes they do not like because of their inherent insecurity and frustration they failed to achieve what others have. This is the same group where deaths of despair have skyrocketed as well. As for politicians stirring the pot, they are just malignant narcissists looking to grift off the attention they get in the media just like the the fat orange guy. And the grift is beyond money, it is the grift of being an energy vampire to suck in the negative energy of those getting angry over whatever topic it is (“woke”, abortion, race, rural v urban).
What a wonderful way to start my day. Steven, you have expressed exactly what I've been feeling for a very long time. I believe President Biden's speech yesterday, is a clear statement of what the intentions of todays MAGA Republican Party is, and a call for what we all need to do to stop it. Never forget, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter". MLK
The coming election isn't about the economy, age, or political chaos. It's about a choice. Will Jan. 20, 2025 be the end of American Democracy, or an affirmation and renewal of the greatest American experiment.
Pres Biden finally started to take the gloves off and explain what we need to do. I hope he expands this tactic of educating the public about our Democracy by now explicitly talking about the consequences each of us will lose with a trump style Authoritarian regime. By explicit I mean the loss of freedom of speech, of press, of public gatherings, of the practice of certain religions, and what subjects can be taught and read in our schools.
I do not believe Tuberville's obstinate stance has anything to do with the morality of abortion. He is a member of the Church of Christ which supports abortion and contraception. I think it has to do with money, racism , continued reelection, and attention. Republicans approve of $826.4 B military spending, a quarter billion more than Biden administration calls for,(while attacking "woke" spending ) yet, paying for a service member to cross state lines to get an abortion would be excessive spending of tax money. I would call this an excuse. The policy of the new Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Brown, is to increase military diversity, especially in the upper ranks. Tuberville is against this saying the test should just be ability. Thus is he accused of white supremacy although he says whites are just Americans. It is interesting that Brown, the Sect'y of Defense, Lloyd Austin, & Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Norvel Dillard are all three, black men. The congressman represents one of the most racist, red states in America even though many military installations are located there. Since the state only requires a person to live there one day in order to run for office, Tuberville actually lives in a Florida mansion, another red state. How better to call attention to oneself and continue to be reelected. He fully supports trump(who recently said he is not against all abortion, but he lies and just drifts whichever way the wind is blowing.) who, after calling for death to Gen. Milley, has his picture posing/admiring a glock pistol with his picture on it, saying he would like to buy it - illegal for a felon.With Putin as his mentor, should he be reelected and become America's dictator, remember that Trump Tower (the highest bldg after 9/11 he boasted) has some very high windows.
Just as Democrats are increasingly united in calling for the resignation of Menendez, so should Republicans close in on Tuberville .My brother, an Air Force officer, resigned, went to seminary at Emory, then relisted as a chaplain for life, and worked for the betterment of servicemen, must be , as they say, turning over in his grave. While both successful football coaches, Joe Paterno called old Tommy, Mr. Rogers , claiming him to be so friendly. Well, it's not a beautiful day in the military neighborhood.
I hope Gooberville is tossed out by the seat of his pants! He is obnoxious and a menace. Soon, we must alert our Congress members that we refuse to allow one person to hold the entire country hostage.
I think you are spot on.
I was glad to see President Biden strike back at MAGA extremists in his Arizona speech, and I hope he continues to bang that drum. I only wish the mainstream media had covered the event more broadly. The contrast between him and TFG is so striking, I have a hard time imagining how anyone could support Trump.
As you always do @StevenBeschloss, you presented the situation accurately and fairly. I think the quote by Sec of Defense Lloyd Austin was a perfect response to Tuberville. I cannot fathom how any elected official, of any political party, would do anything to weaken our national defense. Respect for those who serve is paramount in my mind and should be paramount for anyone who serves in government. To withhold promotions or funds from the military, as a protest for giving the military the right and the funds to travel if they want/need an abortion is beyond my comprehension. New to me was the MTG quote. That made me even more sad. My biggest outrage of the week probably was when 45 said that he thought General Milley should be killed. Really ??? I kept thinking that maybe I hadn't heard the news correctly, until I heard the story several more times on different newscasts. Someone who has spent decades, his entire career, putting himself on the line to defend our country. Yes, I watched President Biden give his speech in AZ about the dedication of the McCain library. That brought back horrible memories of when 45 disrespected McCain. All of this disrespect from 45 who never served 1 day in the military. He actually never served anyone ever, except himself in anything he did. His real estate business, corrupt as we now really know it was, was not to provide housing and retail space for others, while making an honest salary for himself, but just to enrich his own pockets ILLEGALLY, by valuing his properties however he chose to get the best loan rates and the best insurance rates. Sorry for the digression. Back to the military, the GOP has been disgraceful this week with respect to the military. I just received a pop-up on my computer screen that McCarthy's latest bill to keep the government open failed in his own caucus - did he think that all of those promises he made to the far right MAGA wing of his party in order to get the speakership on the 15th round of voting wasn't going to have repercussions in the weeks and months that followed. So many people will be hurt if our government shuts down for even a short time. Back to the military again, we want them to stay vigilant on their jobs always, 24/7/365. However, if the government shuts down we will be asking them to do that without getting paid. They and their families may be living paycheck to paycheck. They do o not have the resources that McCarthy has. What happens next ??? Wow @StevenBeschloss, I guess I really had to vent on this very rainy Friday afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity.
My thoughts are that people are finally beginning to see (other than the MAGAs who are totally blind to the truth) that what Trump and his minions in Congress are really doing. This isn't politics, its actually sedition - the overthrow of the American government and Constitution. Everything these MAGA elected officials are doing is a conspiracy to overthrow our government - nothing more, and I believe it is being orchestrated by Putin and his minions of truth and freedom. Biden's speech at John McCain's library groundbreaking may have been his best yet, finally naming names and actually saying that what Donny and his gang of misfits are actually doing - insurrection. They do not want compromise, they want to destroy it and create a dictatorship with Donny being the fearless leader. What a crock of shit!
There are days when it is just too difficult to read about the insane, vengeful Republican party. Today is one of those days for me. Catch you on the next article.
Understood. Try to read the last section that highlights Biden's speech. He addresses that vengefulness, but also offers his idea for a path forward.
Steven,
Thank you for this fine article. You have been steadily stating the truth about Trump and the GOP and this is one of your finest efforts, this time by placing them alongside President Biden for people to see the stark contrast. We live in very dangerous times. Please be safe.
Sincerely,
Steve Dundas
Author of “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Religion and the Politics of Race in the Civil War Era and Beyond”
Thank you, Steven. Much appreciated.
Phrases like crossing the Rubicon and imploding come to mind. A carnival barker is entertaining. A sadist is just a sadist and that produces fear and loathing. Hopefully that makes sense and is correct.
Steve… One thing that bothers me is that you and so many others leave out that this is about the Bannon/Putin agreement to weaken and destroy America and its democracy so that Putin and Russia can emerge as the world leader. All of Europe is at risk, as is all of North America, and probably South American democracies, when the United States falls. Yes, there are those in the Republican Party who have been anti-regulation and pro-small government for a long time, but now they are Bannon-style anti-government, which is also in lockstep with Putin’s desires to take over as much of the world as he can. United States and the whole world is in grave danger and somebody has to reach any still sane Republicans out there.
I do from time to time, but agree that it's useful to note the continuing impact Bannon has. Thanks for noting it.
Thanks… It drives me crazy that people on MSNBC put a ? around it… Why are they doing this? Why are the Republicans…? Even MSNBC does not typically point to Bannon and Putin. I don’t know if Americans who genuinely are patriotic will ever understand that they are being unpatriotic. There’s no way they could understand that if they don’t get the proper news.
Like many families, my brother, dad, uncles and grandfathers served in the military. I have a family member serving now and a daughter-in-law who served. One of my uncles was captured at Normandy and spent the rest of the war in nazi POW camps.
The leader of the “opposition” party showed he had no respect for the military in 2015. John McCain was a living hero, a leader and well respected. Given DJT’s character, avoidance of military service, and disrespect for everyone, his disparagement of McCain was not nearly as shocking as the acceptance of his words by many veterans.
A red flag went up for me as I watched interviews where veterans and “pro-military” voices laughed it off. There really were no boundaries. Perhaps we should have expected the now constant undermining and attacks on the military. It was the military leadership that held the line during DJT’s administration right down to its last gasp. Its leaders have told the world (or at least those who listen) how perilous those years were. That is not the enabling role carved out for the military by the unhinged faction of the GOP that is dragging the party with it.