Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Monday, January 16, 2017
Simon Says
I don't want anyone to miss Montreal Simon's great take on what some consider the Twilight Zone's scariest and most memorable episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." Simon really nailed it, especially if you remember that episode.
.. good for Simon .. He's a solid and reassuring trooper.. unfailingly hard working.. and never a doubt where his heart lies.. As far as the reality of Trump, Simon like so many of us are.. a mouse squeak in a Coliseum full of elephants.. or better said.. mastadons. Its hard to imagine how or who can fence in the Drama Queen Trump. Certainly 99 % of mainstream media is enjoying the free ride, free lunch of daily ready made news via screen grabs of the Twitler..
I still think the biggest dent will come from the JCS - Joint Chiefs of Staff .. and likely in the very first meeting. Whether one appreciates or respects the savvy of the military leaders or not.. I suspect there will be a quiet but implacable disrespect for such a buffoon. Of course the JTS are following the 'news' .. the ludicrous & loud loutish crude pronouncements. The fabulous idea that he Trump knows more that the Generals, the analysis etc. Perhaps some of them will stare down at his thousand dollar shiny shoes & think about the draft deferment he somehow claimed. Bone spurs y'say? Skipped West Point, or Annapolis for the tennis courts and country clubs.
This stuff just does not slide by.. and lurking deep in the military system.. are the Sargeants.. Oh right.. the ones who make the Colonels look good. If there's to be some insurrection, it will be started from those levels.. and the Generals know this. The staff sargeants, the command sargeants will be sitting with their feet up but their finders on the pulse of the enlisted men & women & working their astonishing back channels. And up the chain, the good lieutenants will struggle with the ethics of obeying 'without question' the distorted or even intentionally garbled commands coming down from on high..
That's how Civil Wars roll in the 3rd world.. its the Colonels. You just don't know how this may unfold.. but when push comes to shove, Trump and Bannon & Speaker Ryan may sprain some neck muscles as a tank platoon rolls up on the White House lawns some day soon or some truly salty Cavalry arrive from the clouds. Commander in Chief ? Its to laugh. There's a breaking point where the insult to America is just too much.. and letting a travesty such as Donald Trump have free rein is beyond the pale. The asshat cannot even name the States or point to them on a map of the USA, but hell, he's going to school the Generals and all the planning & logistics chiefs on how to defeat ISIL... and defend Israel.. Good grief !
I have wondered, Sal, where the point might lie at which America's intelligence, security and, even military, agencies struggle with their duty to the nation and their duty to the presidency. Every relationship has breaking points.
For now all we know is that there's a deep level of distrust. Where it goes from here - that's all uncharted waters.
NPov, Andrew Bacevich deals with the fundamentalist takeover of the US military, the army and air force especially, in "The New American Militarism." It's an important book and a worthwhile read.
Hi Mound....thanks for promoting my story, and I'm glad you liked my little cartoon. I have always been a huge fan of the original Twilight Zone series, and when I saw that brilliant TV guide review I just couldn't resist. At first I thought of repurposing another classic episode called To Serve Man, where some aliens come down to earth, and after impressing people convince a large number of them to come with them to visit their planet. Only to find out too late that the lofty sounding book To Serve Man is actually a cookbook. Which is what I believe many Trump supporters are going to find out when their great leader betrays them. But then I thought of the plane story and it better reflected what I think of the whole Trump story. The man is obviously a maniac, and yet so many Americans still don't seem to get that. I also must admit, that sometimes when staring out of the window of a plane at night, I check to make sure that the little gremlin isn't out there... ;)
No, Simon, I didn't like it. A bit more than than. It just resonated with me as little has lately. I remember seeing it in 1963 and, despite the incredibly crude costumery and such, it scared the living hell out of me. Then when you captured Trump as the gremlin I was truly gobsmacked. Well done and thanks,
Montreal Simon is senseless demagoguery. Two minutes hate. It's worthless because unlike editorial cartoons which typically make a point, his blogs only manipulate; they do not inform.
The main problem with inciting people to hatred, hysteria and fanaticism is that they only feel something is bad without actually knowing why. They are put in a position where they will accept any form of change – not actual change.
People hated the Reagan era. Bill Clinton expanded on it. People hated the Mulroney era. Chretien and Martin expanded on it. People hated the Bush Jr. era. Obomba expanded on it. People hated the Harper era. Trudeau Jr. is expanding on it.
Look at how hatred and partisan cognitive dissonance moved liberals further and further right over the last few decades: from postwar centrist Keynesians, to once-hated Friedmanian neoliberals, to once-hated warmongering neocons.
People need to focus on policy substance and demand specific solutions to their problems – i.e., get more involved in their democracy in an intelligent way. The more they ask for change, the more things stay the same.
Anon, the disparagement wasn't called for. I liked the graphic - on a number of levels. It captured a lot of how I feel about Trump. You used it to launch into a MS takedown.
Scotian, just let it go. What's the point? I've been called a lot worse and you have to expect that unless you want to blog about shrubbery and flowers.
That was my letting it go, just that. However, I like Simon, don't always agree with him, but he is as close to a friend in the blogging world as I form, so I felt a need to make a response. I know it isn't going to mean anything to anonymous, but it might to others, so I chose to do it.
Don't worry, I pick troll bait to respond to very carefully and infrequently, and only when it serves my purposes. This one did. You know me, that is NOT a typical reply from me to anyone, which was sort of the point.
As to being called much worse, we all have, but one still can occasionally feel the need to deal with a particularly odious, and vacuous, slam on a friend. That is what this was for me. Hells, I've been called worse, and then some, as I'm sure you've seen. *rolls eyes* Don't worry, I don't do flame wars, never really did, not even back in the pre-GUI internet days.
10 comments:
.. good for Simon .. He's a solid and reassuring trooper.. unfailingly hard working.. and never a doubt where his heart lies.. As far as the reality of Trump, Simon like so many of us are.. a mouse squeak in a Coliseum full of elephants.. or better said.. mastadons. Its hard to imagine how or who can fence in the Drama Queen Trump. Certainly 99 % of mainstream media is enjoying the free ride, free lunch of daily ready made news via screen grabs of the Twitler..
I still think the biggest dent will come from the JCS - Joint Chiefs of Staff .. and likely in the very first meeting. Whether one appreciates or respects the savvy of the military leaders or not.. I suspect there will be a quiet but implacable disrespect for such a buffoon. Of course the JTS are following the 'news' .. the ludicrous & loud loutish crude pronouncements. The fabulous idea that he Trump knows more that the Generals, the analysis etc. Perhaps some of them will stare down at his thousand dollar shiny shoes & think about the draft deferment he somehow claimed. Bone spurs y'say? Skipped West Point, or Annapolis for the tennis courts and country clubs.
This stuff just does not slide by.. and lurking deep in the military system.. are the Sargeants.. Oh right.. the ones who make the Colonels look good. If there's to be some insurrection, it will be started from those levels.. and the Generals know this. The staff sargeants, the command sargeants will be sitting with their feet up but their finders on the pulse of the enlisted men & women & working their astonishing back channels. And up the chain, the good lieutenants will struggle with the ethics of obeying 'without question' the distorted or even intentionally garbled commands coming down from on high..
That's how Civil Wars roll in the 3rd world.. its the Colonels. You just don't know how this may unfold.. but when push comes to shove, Trump and Bannon & Speaker Ryan may sprain some neck muscles as a tank platoon rolls up on the White House lawns some day soon or some truly salty Cavalry arrive from the clouds. Commander in Chief ? Its to laugh. There's a breaking point where the insult to America is just too much.. and letting a travesty such as Donald Trump have free rein is beyond the pale. The asshat cannot even name the States or point to them on a map of the USA, but hell, he's going to school the Generals and all the planning & logistics chiefs on how to defeat ISIL... and defend Israel.. Good grief !
I have wondered, Sal, where the point might lie at which America's intelligence, security and, even military, agencies struggle with their duty to the nation and their duty to the presidency. Every relationship has breaking points.
For now all we know is that there's a deep level of distrust. Where it goes from here - that's all uncharted waters.
The professionals at the Pentagon may be our best hope.
Lower ranks? Not so much.
It depends on how successful the Christianist takeover has been.
this is dated but relevant...
http://www.alternet.org/story/67385/the_evangelical_christian_takeover_of_the_military
a more recent link...
http://mycatbirdseat.com/2014/02/49899-philip-giraldi-old-testament-armed-forces/
NPov, Andrew Bacevich deals with the fundamentalist takeover of the US military, the army and air force especially, in "The New American Militarism." It's an important book and a worthwhile read.
Hi Mound....thanks for promoting my story, and I'm glad you liked my little cartoon. I have always been a huge fan of the original Twilight Zone series, and when I saw that brilliant TV guide review I just couldn't resist. At first I thought of repurposing another classic episode called To Serve Man, where some aliens come down to earth, and after impressing people convince a large number of them to come with them to visit their planet. Only to find out too late that the lofty sounding book To Serve Man is actually a cookbook. Which is what I believe many Trump supporters are going to find out when their great leader betrays them. But then I thought of the plane story and it better reflected what I think of the whole Trump story. The man is obviously a maniac, and yet so many Americans still don't seem to get that.
I also must admit, that sometimes when staring out of the window of a plane at night, I check to make sure that the little gremlin isn't out there... ;)
No, Simon, I didn't like it. A bit more than than. It just resonated with me as little has lately. I remember seeing it in 1963 and, despite the incredibly crude costumery and such, it scared the living hell out of me. Then when you captured Trump as the gremlin I was truly gobsmacked. Well done and thanks,
Montreal Simon is senseless demagoguery. Two minutes hate. It's worthless because unlike editorial cartoons which typically make a point, his blogs only manipulate; they do not inform.
The main problem with inciting people to hatred, hysteria and fanaticism is that they only feel something is bad without actually knowing why. They are put in a position where they will accept any form of change – not actual change.
People hated the Reagan era. Bill Clinton expanded on it. People hated the Mulroney era. Chretien and Martin expanded on it. People hated the Bush Jr. era. Obomba expanded on it. People hated the Harper era. Trudeau Jr. is expanding on it.
Look at how hatred and partisan cognitive dissonance moved liberals further and further right over the last few decades: from postwar centrist Keynesians, to once-hated Friedmanian neoliberals, to once-hated warmongering neocons.
People need to focus on policy substance and demand specific solutions to their problems – i.e., get more involved in their democracy in an intelligent way. The more they ask for change, the more things stay the same.
anon:
FU.
MS is NOT a senseless demagogue.
I'd defend him with more because I can, but I can tell in your case there isn't much point, your mind is made up.
So I am forced to start and finish with the same opinion of your comment regarding him...
FU
That is all, and if you knew/know me you would understand how rare a short, let alone profane, reply on anything is from me.
Anon, the disparagement wasn't called for. I liked the graphic - on a number of levels. It captured a lot of how I feel about Trump. You used it to launch into a MS takedown.
Scotian, just let it go. What's the point? I've been called a lot worse and you have to expect that unless you want to blog about shrubbery and flowers.
MoS:
That was my letting it go, just that. However, I like Simon, don't always agree with him, but he is as close to a friend in the blogging world as I form, so I felt a need to make a response. I know it isn't going to mean anything to anonymous, but it might to others, so I chose to do it.
Don't worry, I pick troll bait to respond to very carefully and infrequently, and only when it serves my purposes. This one did. You know me, that is NOT a typical reply from me to anyone, which was sort of the point.
As to being called much worse, we all have, but one still can occasionally feel the need to deal with a particularly odious, and vacuous, slam on a friend. That is what this was for me. Hells, I've been called worse, and then some, as I'm sure you've seen. *rolls eyes* Don't worry, I don't do flame wars, never really did, not even back in the pre-GUI internet days.
Post a Comment