Update from the Sunland
No.1194
25.11.24 – 1.12.24
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The president-elect [who shall no longer be named] has begun his common saber-rattling months before he will take the oath of office; after all, he is a wanna-be dictator / strongman. He says he intends to impose a 10% tariff on all goods from the PRC and a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico.
Let us be very clear here! A tariff is a tax payable by We, the People. If all the American citizens who voted the president-elect [who shall no longer be named] were so concerned about inflation, the prices of things, the economy, and their general welfare, then those citizens are (or should be) in for a real shock. The president-elect is going to raise prices even more. Congratulations. What an achievement! I hope every single one of you is happy with what you have imposed upon this once grand republic.
I must add here that tariffs are just another form of isolationism, or perhaps more properly, ‘it’s my way or the highway.’ Such arrogance is not, and never has been, a means to enhance relationships. Tariffs are directly intended to separate us from our allies and international markets—isolationism.
I unabashedly confess my ignorance and perpetual education. I recently learned a new Latin phrase (for me)—Deus Vult.
The history of the phrase goes back quite a way. On 27.November.1095, Pope Urban II issued his plea at the Council of Clermont to wrest control of the Holy land and specifically Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turk Muslims; this became the First Crusade. His audience at that declaration reportedly cheered loudly—Deus Vult. The phrase became the motto and battle cry of the crusaders as they strived to fulfill the pope’s objective. The chant remained in use through the ninth and last crusade (28.May.1291).
Deus Vult is ecclesiastical Latin for “God wills it.” In classic Latin, it is more properly Deus id vult, with the same meaning.
As is so often the case, historic symbols are commandeered for contemporary purposes by one group or another. So, it is with the crusader’s battle cry. Today, the phrase is commonly used by Christian nationalists and white supremacists in the United States of America. Presumably, those factions hijacked the phrase and adopted it to signify that it is God’s will that they must control the instruments of state to impose their beliefs on everyone . . . after all, it is God’s will. To use such a phrase and implied justification suggests they (or their leaders) have received a direct message from God to carry out the domination of everyone to fulfill the objective of that message. Therein lies the rub!
Peter Brian ‘Pete’ Hegseth, the presumptive nominee to be secretary of Defense for president-elect [who shall no longer be named], has a tattoo on his inner right bicep in large gothic script—Deus Vult. That tattoo is in addition to a large Jerusalem Cross tattoo on his right chest (photographs available), another staunchly Christian symbol. [FYI Note: Many learned people allege that the Nazi crooked cross swastika was derived from the Jerusalem Cross. I can find no evidence to substantiate that claim, other than the physical similarities, but those images are not proof of the derivation. Versions of the crooked cross can be documented back at least six millennia, far earlier than the crusades.] Regardless, the Christian motto and symbology have distinct meaning today, by virtue of their usage by ultra-right Christian nationalists and white supremacists. After all, it is God’s will to make the United States a Christian nation, exclusively for their believers. Hegseth does not get cover or rationalization by the history. We know today’s usage, and he lives in today.
Such religious symbology, especially with body markings, is (or should be) an automatic disqualification for holding any public office (including secretary of Defense). Hegseth, like any other citizen, enjoys the blessings of freedom of choice. He can ink himself with whatever tattoos he wishes, but that does not absolve him of the consequences. However, as a public servant, swearing an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution (not some two-bit dictator), he must hold and maintain a clear position of impartiality. None of the social factors must enter his actions; one of those social factors is religious affiliation. An ultra-right Christian nationalist declaration is just such a disqualifier. While I am only guardedly optimistic that the U.S. Senate will reach the obvious conclusion to reject the president-elect’s nomination, I must hold considerable doubt given the makeup of the new Senate.
Now, to be clear and emphatic, I do not know whether Hegseth is a Christian nationalist and/or a white supremacist. What I do know is, he has inked his body with near millennia-old crusade symbols that have been commandeered by American, ultra-right, Christian nationalists and white supremacists. When I listen to and read his words, I hear opinions and positions that are quite common among the ultra-right in the United States. The combination of words and symbology is equivalent to guilt by association, i.e., if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. At the bottom line, Hegseth does not have my vote (if I had a vote) for confirmation as our future secretary of Defense. No person who holds or represents ultra-right Christian nationalist and/or white supremacist affinity or affiliation should ever be allowed anywhere even remotely close to any public office at any level, set aside the leader of our national defense establishment—period, full stop, shut the front door, drop the mic.
Boise State University women’s volleyball team decided to forfeit it scheduled conference match against San Jose State University. They claimed their action was in protest of an unidentified, alleged, transgender player on the San Jose State team. My simple question, did they examine her genitalia and medical history? If so, how did they do so without violating that person’s fundamental right to privacy? If Boise State wishes to forfeit any match for any reason they wish, that is their choice; they are free to do so.
That said, men should not be competing in women’s sports events, period. On the flip side, a transgender woman should not be denied the opportunity to compete in women’s sport events or use women’s facilities.
Criteria must be established to define the transition of a transgender person and an independent, unbiased, medical board created to validate scientifically that a transgender woman has satisfied all the prerequisites to qualify as a transgender woman. A simple statement of transition is simply not enough. We owe it to all female athletes to protect their privacy and dignity, and the integrity of their sports. Conversely, all transgender citizens in any state deserve our respect, support, and encouragement.
Supremacist factions of various forms have existed in this country since before we became a republic. Most exclusive factions were based on religion, which is odd since the original European immigrants fled their homelands to escape religious persecution and to enjoy religious freedom. [I suppose freedom for those factions was meant to be freedom for them rather than anyone else.] However, their parochial beliefs were suppressed by a variety of means . . . until the ascendency of Little Fingers, who has publicly sanctioned and emboldened such ultra-right groups. Yes, his believers are part of America and always have been, but they are the antithesis of the American ideals enshrined in the preambles of the Declaration and the Constitution. Like all of us, they are entitled to believe what they wish. Where they get crosswise with the Constitution is when they seek to impose their beliefs on other citizens.
Since [the person who shall no longer be named] has reenergized the ultra-right wing on the political spectrum to sustain his grift of the American people, that faction sought to make DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) an obscenity. DEI is a natural effort to eliminate the social factors from our public life. Like so many of the ultra-right-wing’s efforts, they seek to set us back in social evolution decades if not centuries. We need DEI throughout our society. We need to condemn the ultra-right for their actions. They are wrong!
While I am at it, I also believe strongly that ‘woke’ is a good, beneficial, and necessary effort to awaken We, the People, to the need for an aggressive societal initiative over generations to recognize history and to bring true equality to ALL citizens of this republic.
The enabled ultra-right-wing must be rendered back to the shadows where they once dwelled. All people are equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable right that among those rights are Life, Liberty, Privacy, and their freedom of choices in pursuit of Happiness. That is the American ideal that has driven this republic for centuries. It must not fade as the con-man-in-chief and his ultra-right supporters seek to regress our societal advances centuries.
The hits just keep coming. President-elect [who shall no longer be named] has chosen Kashyap Pramod Vinod ‘Kash’ Patel to replace current Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Asher ‘Chris’ Wray, who Little Fingers has publicly declared he intends to dismiss immediately upon becoming president. Patel is a dedicated conspiracist, who sees a bogeyman behind every rock and a staunch loyalist MAGAt believer. Patel has publicly stated, “The biggest problem the FBI has had, has come out of its intel shops. I'd break that component out of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state. And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You're cops. Go be cops.” Patel went on, adding, “We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.” Patel’s public statements speak volumes about the potential nominee as well as self-disqualification to be FBI director.
You know, I must also add, Little Fingers and all the other criminals in his orbit could have easily avoided coming under the scrutiny of the FBI and other federal agencies—DO NOT VIOLATE THE LAW! Little Fingers and far too many other MAGAts chose to violate the law (after all, they truly believed the law does not apply to them), They must suffer the consequences [well, except for the con-man-in-chief, who has escaped justice (for now)].
With each of the president-elect’s nominations and professed selection moves us closer to autocracy and worse dictatorship. We shall soon be solely dependent on a few true American patriots in the U.S. Senate to defend the Constitution, our beloved republican democracy, and the republic itself. Benjamin Franklin’s admonition after the Constitutional Convention steps closer with each action by Little Fingers—“A republic, if you can keep it.” We are dreadfully close to failing that challenge and losing our republic. Such are the consequences of not voting.
To remain consistent, president-elect [who shall no longer be named] has nominated another convicted felon to be U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law. To be clear, in his previous term, [the person who shall no longer be named] pardoned the senior Kushner for his felonious crimes. It is looking more and more like this will be the only administration in U.S. history composed of felonious criminals. These are the consequences of far too many American citizens withholding their votes. We have what we have. We, the People, elected him. Now, we must brace ourselves to endure the developing storm.
Late Sunday, President Biden decided to pardon his son, Hunter. As a father, I can certainly understand why he chose to issue that specific pardon. However, as a concerned citizen, I must condemn his choice. I do agree with the president that Hunter was subjected to inordinately harsh prosecution for simple, common crimes. Yes, Hunter did knowingly violate the law, but he also paid his tax bill with interest and penalties, like many of the rest of us have done from time to time. He also lied on this application to purchase and possess a firearm, for which he also suffered the consequences. That said, President Biden was wrong for issuing that pardon to his son. Life goes on.
Comments and contributions from Update no.1193:
Comment to the Blog:
“It probably matters that SpaceX belongs to Elon Muskrat, who has massive conflicts of interest right now. He has interested Tiny in cutting the government like Muskrat destroyed Twitter.
“No doubt the House Ethics Committee report on Matt Gaetz is lurid, but full information on Epstein Island is surely far worse, and Epstein Island might explain some of the weirdness in our government in recent times.
“I’d love to see Netanyahu, Gallant, and al-Masri arrested. Clearly, most of the world shares my opinion of them. I’ll remind your readers that Netanyahu stands accused of criminal activities at home as well.
“I’ll note that ‘filtering out the drivel’ on the news channels isn’t common. It’s worth studying how news media were regulated in the 1900s. Understand that legal changes that matter to the oligarchs are made quietly while our attention is on social issues.”
My response to the Blog:
Perhaps so! Let us be clear, a man with no conscience, no morality, no integrity, no compassion for anyone other than himself, has no concern whatsoever with the myriad conflicts of interest Musk brings to the task he has been given. [The person who shall no longer be named] apparently believes he was given a monstrous mandate by We, the People, to dismantle much of the federal government and seriously disrupt the operations of whatever is left. I agree fully with your opinion. If Tiny achieves his objectives, the federal government will look a lot like the destruction at Twitter ‘X.’ Oh, for joy, for joy!
I also agree with your assessment of the likely content of the House Ethics Committee report on the immorality of Gaetz. Like his idol, he may well escape justice and accountability for his actions. I do not know if we will ever see the facts about Epstein or Gaetz, but we can always hope.
You are quite correct. As with Tiny, Netanyahu is hiding behind the mantle of leadership, and he has escaped justice so far. At this point, it looks like both of them will get away with their crimes.
OK. I can accept your opinion regarding the news media and the distraction of We, the People, by deflection. The reality is that so many American citizens have succumbed to the con-job of Little Fingers and will likely be sad observations by historians on the downfall of the once grand American republic.
There is always hope, until there isn’t.
Another contribution:
“I know it has been awhile since I have interacted with your forum. With that in mind, I wanted to commend your change of tack on the Israeli/Palestinian affair. While you were always correct that Hamas planned and perpetrated this matter, planned and perpetrated the deadly assault into Israel and are responsible for their actions. But the wholesale slaughter of Palestinians through bombs and starvation cannot be ignored, there must be a line we do not cross. There should have been a line Israel did not cross, specifically with their recent history (I know you are uncomfortable with the genocide label, however a great many learned folks are not). I have long wondered if this was not the inevitable conclusion of the Israeli state, the long outsized power of the Ultra-Orthodox, and the absolute reluctance of all parties to attend to the overarching issues of the Old City and refugee return. It is a true shame that so many people have died to satiate the arrogance, and pride of so few men.
“Let this madness end!”
My reply:
You can contribute to the Update forum anytime the urge strikes. I am grateful for your contribution to last week’s Update.
Thank you for the credit of changing tack regarding the Israeli/Palestinian affair. With respect, I do not think I have. I have tried very hard to separate the antics of Netanyahu and his supporters from the responsibility of the Israeli government to protect the Israeli people . . . much like I must separate the shenanigans of our president-elect from the duty of the United States of America. They are both criminals; they will always be criminals, but they were duly elected to carry out the duties of the government’s chief executive.
I have along condemned the actions of the ultra-right-wing in Israel and in the United States. They are not the nations, but they do wield an extraordinary amount of power and influence. They voted; many of the rest of us did not.
Yes, I remained highly critical of the actions of right-wing governments in Israel that sanctioned the squatter-rights approach to settlements in the West Bank. Now, that same right-wing group is suggesting that Israel should simply annex the West Bank. I see that suggestion in exactly the same light as I do Putin’s annexation of Crimea in Ukraine—wrong, wrong, wrong!
I emphatically agree with your “arrogance and pride of so few men.” The Israeli right-wing is essentially the same as the United States right-wing, the Russian right-wing, the Chinese right-wing, and all the other ultra-nationalist groups at work in contemporary life.
I can only hope saner minds will eventually prevail in Israel, Russia, China, and the United States. But, today, we have what we have. We, the People, elected a convicted criminal, serial abuser of women, and dedicated con-artist to be our president. We must now suffer the consequences of that tragic mistake. Hang on. Keep the faith. This too shall pass.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
