Update no.1205

 Update from the Sunland

No.1205

10.2.25 – 16.2.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

[No name] and his alter-ego Elon Musk claim there is rampant abuse and corruption in federal spending. Now, it that possible? Yes, of course. Any time you put human beings in charge of writing checks (spending money), the potential for fraud and abuse is real--palpable. Where this goes wrong is, [no name] has a long (very long) history of lying and at best grossly exaggerating anything and everything. We cannot trust a word he says. Further, they tell us they have “discovered” more than a trillion dollars of fraud and abuse. OK, so where is the evidence? We cannot trust their words. We must see hard evidence. Where are the criminal charges? They are accusing civil servants of felonious federal crimes. For we know, they are simply cutting programs they do not like and creating a smoke screen to obfuscate.

To be clear, part of me lauds the administration’s aggressive effort to ferret out and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse. What I strongly object to is the manner in which they are doing this task. They are using a dictator’s approach to fraud, waste, and abuse.

 

A bizarre, surreal, impromptu news conference occurred in the Oval Office on Tuesday. President [no name] sat behind the Resolute Desk like a massive lump. Elon Musk stood behind him with his little son, some might say loomed over the president, and spoke for 30 plus minutes taking reporters’ questions in an effort to defend his actions at DOGE. I do not think the duo accomplished what they wanted to achieve.

 

On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii to be Director, National Intelligence, adding yet another QAnon conspiracy advocate, [no name]-sycophant to the government in a very sensitive position. The Senate confirmation vote was 52-48-0-0(0). Senator McConnell of Kentucky was the only crossover, voting against her confirmation.

On Thursday, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., of somewhere, was confirmed by the Senate to be Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). So, we add yet another QAnon conspiracy whack-o to the clown show. The Senate vote was again 52-48-0-0(0), with McConnell voting against his confirmation.

The insanity of what is playing out in the nation’s capital is beyond description. McConnell voted against both confirmations for all the right reasons. We are going to pay a very heavy price for what We, the People, did last November.

 

An old saying seems to be relevant to the political and governmental turmoil and chaos that is and probably will remain a hallmark of the 47^th administration. “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

The administration under the guise of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) is ransacking the federal government. Their pretentious rationale seems to be the ferreting out of fraud, waste, and abuse. Under that general banner of fraud, waste, and abuse (within the phrase, we will add in corruption and malfeasance), I do believe We, the People, are universally and unanimously in agreement regardless of political persuasion or affiliation. Everyone wants to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse. Unfortunately, or perhaps regrettably, the devil is in the details. I note the saying above.

USAID, by its very definition, concentrates on international aid that is based on a myriad of reasons. If you are of an isolationist (America First, AKA MAGA) mentality, then there is no need for international assistance; therefore, the agency tasked with such distribution does not need to exist.

Like every other American citizen, I want fraud, waste, and abuse in every federal (oh heck, every governmental organization at any level) to be eliminated. Where I go crosswise to the current administration in that effort is, I do NOT trust a word they say. Fraud, corruption, and some levels of abuse are felonious criminal acts. I want to see those criminals prosecuted and punished. What I fear is, the MAGAts are using he broad banners to eliminate programs and agencies they (in their conservative mindset) do not agree with or support. That is WRONG! If anyone disagrees with a program, change the law, debate the issue in congress. Do the task properly in accordance with the law. Do NOT do it by dictatorial fiat.

 

We have absolutely no reason to trust President [no name] and any of his sycophants at any level. That man has a very long history of false statements and exaggerations. He can call a body of water anything he wants. With respect, I shall stick with the proper name that is 400+ years old. That body of water is not some street in Keokuk, Iowa. It is an international body of water and shall remain the Gulf of Mexico for history.

 

In a classic “do as I say, not as I do” parental chastising, Vice President Vance lectured our European Allies on the failings of democracy in Europe at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday. I do believe the vice president piled high onto the peak of hypocrisy with his speech. He is part of an administration of MAGAts that are thumbing their noses at the U.S. Constitution and setting an example as the antithesis of democracy. He displayed grotesque condescension and ignorance throughout the speech. To be clear, democracy is NOT as [no name] and Vance define it; it IS as We, the People, define it. As one American citizen, I condemn Vance’s speech, and I publicly and openly apologize to our European Allies for the absurdity of his words.

One of many principles of good leadership is, praise in public, chastise in private. What Vance did in Munich was exactly the opposite. From the examples he gave, Vance had good reason to criticize some of our Allies. However, it was precisely the wrong forum to deliver such a message. Then, again, I think that is exactly what [no name] wanted—create chaos and put our friends and Allies on the defensive—rattle their cage.

Added to Vance’s absurdities, Hegseth publicly declares that Ukraine will never be part of NATO. Not only is he grossly wrong, immature, and foolish, it is a direct public insult to Ukraine. I ask this whole MAGAt bunch from the pinnacle on down to the gnat’s ass, what was NATO formed for in 1949? We have not sought Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Their membership request has been and remains their free choice. It would be interesting to hear their answer. My answer is: for mutual defense against Soviet hegemonic ambitions. If I am correct, today we simply substitute Russia for the Soviet Union. Ukraine seeks mutual defense against Russian aggression; there is no better reason for Ukraine to be part of the NATO defense shield. If Putin’s Russia had conducted themselves as a peaceful neighbor, there would be no need. But, that is not what Putin and his far-right-wing supporters have done since they solidified power in Russia. Since then, they have sought to resurrect the Soviet Union in all its glory. Ukraine seeks our protection and cooperation against Putin’s hegemony. We should respect and embrace Ukraine’s calls for help. Putin and the Russia right-wing extremists have brought this upon themselves. We did not seek the confrontation. I will argue that we did everything to avoid it and failed in that effort.

 

Why is there so much bias against [no name]? It is an interesting question.

I do not know why others may feel that way. All I can do is express my opinion, my perspective. To me, the answer is simple and is quite akin to that man’s sense of persecution by the Justice Department and other state prosecutors—you break the law; you will be prosecuted. You act like a bully; you will be treated like a bully. You conduct yourself like a dictator; you will be treated as free people treat dictators. It is that simple.

 

On 28.January.2025, eight days after his inauguration, President [no name] sign another Executive Order (EO), titled: PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION. The EO defines a child in the context of the order as an individual “under 19 years of age.” The EO conveniently ignores the age of majority laws in each state. In most states, the age of majority (when a child legally becomes an adult) is 18 years of age. There are exceptions. Alabama and Nebraska set the age of majority at 19 years of age, and Mississippi uses 18 years of age, except for the purpose of child support (21 years of age). The EO further offers a plethora of false statements and ignorance regarding children dealing with gender dysphoria.

The above EO comes on the heels of another controversial EO signed by President [no name] on inauguration day—20.January.2025. The title of that one was DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The EO states that the federal government will only recognize male and female genitalia.

I acknowledge and appreciate the difficulty conservatives and especially religious zealots have with gender dysphoria. To them, I suppose they truly believe that gender is defined by physical genitalia. They refuse to accept the reality that some human beings are born with ambiguous genitalia. The condition is also known as atypical genitalia and is a rare birth defect where an infant's external genitals are not clearly male or female.

The inhumanity of these two EOs is incalculable, just to placate the far right of our society.  Conservatives have been passing laws for many decades to preserve the status quo, which they perceive as perfect. The assumption implies that all change is bad and only diminishes the perfection of their perceptions. They refuse to recognize science and reality. Non-heterosexual people and individuals with atypical genitalia have existed since humans walked upright.

The anti-gender-affirming medical care EO at the top injects the federal government into the VERY private lives of a small fraction of our society. The arrogance, ignorance, and outright cruelty of both EOs cannot be overstated.

First, doctors do not do emergency medical procedures on children (less than the age of majority) without the permission and consent of the parents or guardian. The implication of the EO that doctors are out mutilating children is an outright lie. Just like conservatives told outright lies about late term abortions, which have always been illegal, even under Roe v. Wade. Both EOs are solutions looking for a problem. Second, this damnable penchant of conservatives to inject themselves into the private lives of citizens is contemptible, disgusting, and outright cruel. Conservatives are NOT the arbiter of morality. Conservatives must stop meddling in the private lives and freedom of choice of citizens, or we must relegate them to the shadowy margins of the dustbin of history.

 

As a crystal-clear sign of the times, seven federal U.S. attorneys resigned rather than comply with an order from President [no name] and new Attorney General Bondi to dismiss federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Leroy Adams. The predominant notion is there was a quid pro quo at hand. As fate would have it, they found a lackey who would fulfill their bidding.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1204:

“Someone published the wording of Musk’s ‘buyout.’ It’s not correctly a buyout and many flaws stand out. The low response rate makes sense.

“I don’t know if the Felon and his henchmen understand the rule of law as well as Hitler did. He might skip that step like the mob boss he is.

“The Felon’s outrageous territorial proposals, especially Gaza, make him the most horrifying real estate developer imaginable.

“Biden appointed one more Federal judge than the Felon, and some of the Felon’s appointees use ethics. I hope they can ‘hold the line’ until special elections and midterms give us a different Congress. Also, look for under-reported protests all over the country.

“Getting rid of U.S.A.I.D. removes whatever vestiges of respect remained for us in the rest of the world.”

My response to the Blog:

Oh, I imagine not. Further, from my perspective, the buyout appears to be unconstitutional in that the offer seeks to circumvent Congress. I suppose they could avoid that conundrum if they funded the buyouts with their own money, but that is not entirely clear to me. Congress created the laws that established and sustains the professional civil service. The buyout offers, while ostensibly voluntary, ignore the established law. Reportedly, 65K federal civil service employees have accepted the buyout offer. The offer is a blatant attempt to intimidate professional civil service employees. The federal government is NOT and never should be run as a business.

Oh, I think they understand it, but they believe the Constitution and the law do not apply to them . . . after all, they tell us 77M citizens told them to do what they are doing. [No name] has repeatedly defied the Constitution and the law, and he has gotten away with it.

Indeed! Among so many other horrifying traits. If he was doing these things in private business, it would be one thing, but he is doing it for the whole United States of America. He claims it is a clear mandate from the people to do what he is doing. He fails to acknowledge that it is a minority of citizens who put him there.

As I stated previously, we have come to the last line of defense—the Judicial Branch. [No name] has already begun his direct assault on the Judiciary. We shall eventually and clearly see whether we have a democracy anymore. This is what happens when a large portion of the electorate decided to abstain from voting. A minority is taking our once grand republic directly toward dictatorship . . . fulfilling the Tytler Cycle.

Quite so, which is precisely why I see it as a very wrong action for a host of reasons. Once again, the Judiciary stands in the breech.

 . . . Round two:

“Everything the Felon does violates the Constitution’s structure for the U.S. Government. The Congress sets policy, budgets and appropriates funds to carry out the policies. The Executive carries out the policies as best it can, but can’t appropriate money or set policy by itself. Even if the money for these actions had been budgeted (it hasn’t), the Executive still couldn’t spend it until it’s appropriated. The same structure outlaws most of the policy moves.

“Some Americans voted for the Felon but they couldn’t vote to set aside the Constitution.

“The Judicial Branch has slowed some of the criminal actions. I still don’t care for blaming voters.

“USAID will rise or fall with the fate of the country.”

 . . . my response to round two:

‘Everything’ is a bit much, but I accept the sentiment. Your summary is spot on correct, which is also the basis of my claim that what he is doing from creating DOGE to the actions Musk is directing is unconstitutional. The problem We, the People, have is, our only remedy in the short term is judicial action. Impeachment (again) is out of the question with the MAGAts infiltration of the House and Senate. We, the People, have given him virtually dictatorial power with the congressional MAGAts aiding and abetting his dictatorial actions. We, the People, did this! He told the world what he was going to do repeatedly, and we still elected him. We, the People, are to blame in all this malfeasance.

Correct. We have not voted to set aside the Constitution. He was very plain and direct in his campaign claims, declarations, and descriptions. He told us repeatedly what he was going to do. We, the People, elected him anyway. He was a convicted felon well before the election. He has been found liable in courts of law for malfeasance. Yet, despite all that public evidence, We, the People, elected him; he won both the popular vote and the Electoral College vote, fair and square in accordance with the Constitution. He is doing what he was elected to do, and We, the People, put him there to do exactly what he is doing, constitutional or unconstitutional, legal or illegal. We did this!

I appreciate that you do not care for blaming voters, but I am not as generous or forgiving as you are. I know exactly who caused this.

I hope you are correct. There is far more good that USAID does than any evidence-less accusations from a man who has a long history of lying and making false statements.

That man has been, is, and always will be a con-man. He is what he is. Far too many Americans have chosen to ignore the facts. So be it! We have what we have. We voted for this (or chose not to vote)!

 . . . Round three:

“If we must assign blame, I’ll come back to something I edited out of my reply. The Democratic National Committee won the Presidency in 2020 and gained Congressional seats in 2022 in instances where their candidates addressed issues that concern most of the voters. Support for labor was a winner. Financial support for families and small businesses during COVID mattered. Healthcare could have been.

“Then they went back to being the weaker party. ‘We’re not him’ doesn’t draw votes, and “look how great it is” is clearly out of touch with about three quarters of voters’ lives.

“The human factor in this is that a majority of voters have never in history done the kind of research that you and I do. Don’t expect it. The Felon drew on voters’ fears, some of which are realistic. His solutions may be lunacy, but at least he talked about their concerns. There is such a thing as ‘left populist’ to counter the Felon’s “right populist”, but the DNC hasn’t come close to it.”

 . . . my response to round three:

I cannot and will not defend or attempt to justify the failings of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). We can ascribe blame to the DNC if we wish. However, to me, the data does not support the hypothesis. When I look at historic voter turnout rates for presidential election since the founding of the Republic, I see a peak plateau at 80 per centum from 1840 to 1890, and then the turnout rate steadily drops to a low point at 50 per centum in 1920. It seems to have stabilized in a new plateau at 60 per centum, with a distinct spike to 66.6 per centum in the 2020 election. We can speculate why we dropped to 63.7 per centum in the 2024 election. To me, the most telling data is the midterm turnout rate that is generally 20 per centum below the presidential years. Your hypothesis for the drop in the 2024 election may well be correct, since every individual has independent and personal reasons for choosing not to vote.

As a side note, the British voter turnout rates have a median of 75 per centum over the last century with a peak of 83.9 per centum in the 1950 election.

The data aside, I will declare directly that there are more than a few American citizens who I would prefer did not vote since they are broadly uneducated. From my respective, they vote for emotional and capricious reasons that are never good. Yet, that is not our system of governance. Poll taxes in all their despicable forms are unconstitutional and illegal, and rightly so. We profess open and free elections. We, the People, vote because we want to vote.

The Felon-in-Chief (FIC), AKA [no name], has quite successfully formed a coalition of right-, extreme-right-, and ultra-right-wing groups, and they have been convinced to vote. Perhaps, the left needs their version of the FIC to mobilize the left.

I believe in my later years that the United States is a moderate, progressive nation. Unfortunately, the con-man-in-chief (FIC) has drawn the right-wing extremes out of the shadows and into the sunlight of the mainstream, making this country seem far right. I cannot (perhaps refuse) believe that is true or accurate. We are better than the right-wing.

As I have written numerous times, I see voting as a duty, an obligation as a citizen of the Republic. Our task as voters (citizens) is to select the best of the lot. If an individual wishes to participate in the selection of a candidate, then join the political party of your choice and vote in the primary elections.

At the end of the day, abstention (for whatever reason) is exactly why we must suffer the shenanigans of the current administration and the clowns who have made the White House a circus.

I agree with much of your assessment of the DNC and that party in general. However, I see voting in a different light. We are voting for the operation of the government, not a financial advisor to improve our lives.

 . . . Round four:

“You offer a fine analysis of the ideals of voting, but it fails to address the mechanics of the situation. The two-party system offers no party of my choice, and that obviously applies to the 34% of voters who are independent. I have found a smaller party that comes closer, but we encounter the same ballot access issues and funding problems disproportionate to size that other small parties always have. You still want individuals by the millions to change rather than address systemic issues that have everything to do with this mess.

“What on earth does the reference to a financial advisor have to do with this? I'm not in a demographic that needs one of those.”

 . . . my response to round four:

For the record, I am all in favor of improvement of our governance including our electoral processes. What sends chills to my bones is the thought that MAGAts will develop and institute those reforms to suit their quest for power. We can embrace and debate the chicken & egg conundrum, but at the bottom line we select our representatives by our votes. If we choose not to vote for any reason(s), we are abdicating to the MAGAts. They vote! So, we have a choice, we can hold out in hope that the system will be reformed, or we can vote for representatives who will deliver positive reform. The choice is still ours.

Not worth the time. Bad metaphor. Voting is not about each of us as individuals; it is entirely about the health and wellbeing of the Republic.

 . . . Round five:

“I'll mention that neither ballot access nor campaign finance are Constitutional issues. The Founders failed to address them.

“You're welcome to all the indignation you're willing to feel at the rest of us. It doesn't change human nature at all.”

 . . . my response to round five:

I must concede that point. True! However, I turn to the principles espoused in the Declaration of Independence. We are all created equal. Ballot access and campaign finance codifies inequality, which violates that basic principle of the Republic.

My indignation is my cross to bear. You (and every citizen) are free to choose whatever your wish for whatever reason(s) you wish. My opinion of your choices and reasons does not matter a twit.

I offer my opinion(s) only for contrast, not for persuasion.

 

Another contribution:

“I am sending to two groups. Anyone who would like to reply to Cap, you can either echo back to me and I will share to all, or you can send your reply directly to, who I have inserted his email into the ‘TO’ field above.

“Cap, as a retort, I might add to your weekly Update, that during the first term (2016) for Trump, and then during the entire Biden presidency, it seemed to me that the tactics and methods you refer to with similarities to Hitler, were collectively being done to Trump, his allies, and pronounced supporters (MAGA).

“Further, during COVID 2020 and beyond, it was experienced by many of us that it was Nazi Germany in America, with the lockdowns, forced masks, and many who were forced with the experimental VAX-JAB, or else, like losing their jobs and livelihood, losing their businesses, homes, marriages and for too many, suicide. This is my personal view, but believe me, it is shared by millions of Americans with many harboring much more radical opinion than mine.”

My reply:

Also, thank you for the wider distribution. I rarely get a response, but you never know unless you ask. All comments and contributions are welcome.

Let it suffice to say at this juncture, I do not agree. Yet, I am humble enough to admit I am not omniscient. I listen to and try to understand all opinions. My disagreement comes from your placing POTUS45 and POTUS46 in the same bucket. Further, we are discussing the current administration. The past does not justify the present or future no matter how hard anyone tries. What happened to [no name] in court is entirely his doing. He broke the law. He was duly and properly convicted of felonious crimes in a valid court of law. He has also been held liable in several judicial civil judgments. The federal indictments (plural) were heavily documented and spot on accurate; Special Counsel Smith would have gained convictions if he had been able to present the case against [no name] in court. A minority of 77M American citizens voted to condone his criminal conduct; so it is; so be it. We have what we have today.

Thank you for sharing your personal view on the pandemic response. I shall remind you that it was POTUS45 who activated and espoused the pandemic guidelines. They were federal guidelines; they were not laws. It was President Biden who ended the pandemic guidelines. Further, I do not agree with your “Nazi Germany in America” analogy. I will certainly listen to your argument in support of such a notion. Lastly, my comparison in Update no.1204 was about the present, the current administration, POTUS47. As I said, the past does not justify the present.

[Well, damn! My ‘puter dumped my response that I was editing before sending. I shall take the time to reconstruct what was lost!]

I certainly recognize and acknowledge that there are many American citizens who harbor far more radical opinions than you have presented. To be frank and blunt, history records that American citizens have held political views at both extremes from the KKK & Aryan Brotherhood to the American Communist Party. Until [no name] arrived on the political stage (2015), those political extremes were largely kept in the shadows. What [no name] managed to do was form a coalition of right-wing groups all the way out to the extreme, and give legitimacy and voice to those fringe groups. And, he convinced those right-wing groups to vote. He deserves malevolent credit for that accomplishment. To be clear, the popular vote totals from the last three presidential elections were:

            [no name]       opponent

2016    63M                66M

2020    74M                81M

2024    77M                75M

Those are hardly resounding mandate numbers. In 2024, only 63.7% of eligible voters chose to vote; that’s 89M who chose not to vote. What [no name] is doing today is telling We, the People, that he is speaking and acting on behalf of the People. He is emphatically not acting on behalf of We, the People. He is, in fact, acting on behalf of his far-right-wing coalition. Yet, that is our system of governance, but that does not mean we have to agree with what he is doing to this country.

[Just for an interesting comparison: the 1932 presidential election results were: Roosevelt – 23M, Hoover – 16M, with a turnout of 57%.]

[No name] was a very long way from that magnitude on the mandate scale.

 . . . Round two:

“Thank you for your thoughtful response. I appreciate your detailed attention to much in the various realms we've discussed, and your insights.

“Because of this late hour, I wanted to at least get your thoughts out to the Group, and please await my response tomorrow (Wednesday).

“Cap, I appreciate your professionalism and civility, no matter the debate/discussion and any differing views.”

 . . . my reply to round two:

I eagerly await your continuing contributions, whenever you can find the time.

I may not agree, but I am driven by the belief that democracy depends upon open debate and disagreement in an effort to find some state of compromise on any particular topic. Productive debate demands civility and respect for the opinions of others.

 . . . Round three:

“Whether we have differences in politics, like many in our divisive climate, we do agree on many items, and I know without a doubt that you care about our nation very much.

“There were some additional items I wanted to add to my response to your Update, and as such, due to other tasks, did not get to it this evening, so Thursday will be a better day.”

 . . . my reply to round three:

We have the beginnings of a mutual admiration society.

Yes, we do agree on many topics. We will also disagree. Yet, we will do so respectfully.

Take your time. Contribute when you are able. The door is always open.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1204

Update from the Sunland

No.1204

3.2.25 – 9.2.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot.

-- Mark Twain

 

When a clown moves into a palace, he does not become a king. The palace becomes a circus.

-- Turkish proverb

 

To our neighbors, allies and friends . . . 

What you see today in the United States of America is NOT representative of Americans in general. We are much better than this. President [who shall no longer be named, AKA no name] does NOT represent the United States. We are much better than this. It is with true remorse, regret, and humility that I urge everyone to ignore this government as best you can. Like good Americans, I must ask you to join us in our struggle to endure the insult that is this administration. This too shall pass!

 

[No name] ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to issue so-called buyout letters. The OPM eMail memorandum reportedly was sent to two of three million federal employees, including the FBI, CIA, and other essential national security agencies. It is not a proposal. He has actually done it. 

The action is reportedly a termination with eight months’ pay. The effort is clearly intended to circumvent employment law constructed to eliminate capricious dismissal. He is doing exactly what he said he was going to do . . . gut and skin the federal government.

I have seen no indication of what a buyout looks like in detail other than inducing the resignation of federal employees. The underlying objective is to replace all non-believer federal employees with staunch loyalists . . . loyal to him . . . rather than to the U.S. Constitution. Sound familiar?

The federal employee union advised members not to trust [no name]’s buyout offer, and rightly so. There is no authority nor funding to enable the buyout termination effort. The president’s effort is being challenged in court and not likely to fair well.

 

After the Night of Long Knives [29/30.6.1934] and the death of Hindenburg [2.8.1934], Hitler declared himself Führer [3.8.1934] and the Germany people approved by plebiscite vesting Hitler with sole executive power as Führer(i.e., dictator for life). Shortly after these events [20.August.1934], der Führer ordered a loyalty oath be administered to the German professional military and federal civil servants. For the purists among us, here is the original German—The Oath. The Nazis developed, printed, and distributed a nifty little card to ensure no one forgot the words or the oath.

Der Eid

Ich schwöre bei Gott

diesen heiligen Eid,
daß ich dem Führer des

Deutschen Reiches und Volkes

Adolf Hitler,

dem Oberbefehlshaber

der Wehrmacht, unbedingten

Gehorsam leisten und

als tapferer Soldat bereit

sein will, jederzeit für

diesen Eid mein Leben

einzusetzen.

For those who need help with the original German, here is the English translation. "I swear by God this holy oath that I shall render unconditional obedience to the Leader of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath." 

What the little ditty above offers us is how incredibly close we live between freedom and democracy . . . and the oppression of dictatorship. What Hitler and the Nazis did quite legal. They followed the law, and a majority of the German people endorsed the changes noted above. They wanted and voted for a “strong leader” who would lead them to a better tomorrow. So how did that work out?

Whether we like to admit it or not, we are walking down exactly the same path. We see proof of that observation daily as [no name] unilaterally strives to dismember the federal government and eliminate the professional civil service. He feels 77M out of 330M people voted for him (oh wait, kinda like Hitler, actually) to be a dictator (in his mind, and I am certain in the minds of a portion of those who knowingly voted for the American wannabe-dictator). We oh so close to repeating history.

 

[No name] stated that the United States was going to “take over” the Gaza Strip and develop the land into the Riviera of the Eastern Mediterranean. He intends to distribute (relocate) two million Gaza Palestinians to neighboring countries that have rejected the notion. One little detail, like ‘W’s huge mistake, who is going to police the area? This is the Ugly American Syndrome [AKA American exceptionalism] gone wild on massive steroids. The rest of the world does not want American domination or even American democracy. Islamic fascists have been striving for decades to drag the United States into the quagmire of the Middle East. [No name] fulfilled their dream in one instant.

 

It is one thing to be an individual QAnon believer. That is freedom of choice. You can believe what you wish for whatever reason(s) you wish.

It is a monumentally different matter to have a QAnon whack-o in charge of a major department of the federal government, oh heck, the whole damn country. Most of us know better and recognize there is absolutely nothing socially and intellectually redeemable about QAnon whack-o nonsense conspiracy theories. Putting those crazies in charge is dangerous and disastrous.

The MAGAts and spineless others in the Senate have abdicated to ihr Anführer, so now it is up to the Judiciary to stand in the breech as the last line of defense against the wannabe dictator.

I have no problem if the president wants to eliminate USAID (I believe he is wrong!). He simply needs to make the proposal to Congress and change the law. Terminating the agency by dictatorial fiat is unconstitutional, wrong. Government at any level is not a business. It is a not-for-profit service entity. The MAGAts may not agree with what and/or how USAID does its work, but the place to change that is in congressional committee rooms and the chamber floors of Congress. The president has no authority to terminate USAID, or the Department of Education, or turn HHS into a QAnon cesspool. We have a Constitution!

 

I do not include [the person who shall no longer be named] among the MAGAts. He believes in only one thing—himself . . . oh, and selling worthless shit to the MAGAts. The whole MAGA thing was a brain-fart of [no name] like a catch phrase associated with his useless snake-oil elixir that MAGAts willingly consumed.

[No name] has been accusing every administration of “weaponizing” the Department of Justice. He knows that is not true—a boldface lie. What he really means when he spews such things is, he intends to do just that –weaponize the Justice Department, i.e., his vengeance tour. To that man, and now his MAGAt believers, enforcing the law is weaponizing the Department of Justice against them. No, you freakin’ idiot(s), if you violate the law, the U.S. attorneys are charged by the Constitution to enforce the laws. Instead of riling up the MAGAts, if you do not like the law, propose to Congress to change the law. Turning to a wannabe-dictator is outright rejection of the Constitution—the only thing that has bound us together for a quarter of a millennia.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1203:

Comment to the Blog:

“No amount of passionate writing can prevent what has already happened. The question now is how to support the resistance.

“Robert Reich today points out that the Felon increases his power by exercising it, hence the scary maneuvers. Aggression is the only tool the Felon owns, but he’s skilled with that one. He always needs an enemy to use it.

“Your statement about the Felon’s supporters ignores well-known facts of political psychology. The Felon isn’t the first or the last dictator.

“Muskrat is the operative danger to the USA and to me personally. His team controls Treasury and other computers that are legally required to be secured against private citizens.

“Reports on the air crash at Reagan National Airport immediately reminded me that Ronald Reagan broke the air traffic controllers’ union (PATCO); now official reports say the tower was understaffed. That’s no coincidence. See above about the Felon’s rants.

“I’m nearly ready to write a glowing book review of Hope for Cynics, by Jamil Zaki. It’s a very credible, concrete discussion of addressing one’s own negativity (justified or not).”

My response to the Blog:

Quite so! What is done is done! But, we can learn from our mistakes and grow as a society. Yes, the resistance is vital and dreadfully necessary these days.

Once again, I would say Reich is spot on. Tiny is intentionally pushing the limits of Executive power. As he so often does, he is flooding the zone with incompetent nominees, outrageous unilateral actions, and nonsense statements. In short, he is doing his utmost to be the bully-in-chief, to intimidate everyone, friend and foe. He wants people to fear him and what he might do.

Oh, I do not ignore the traits and actions of wannabe dictators. He acted like a malevolent dictator in business, and he is doing exactly the same thing as president. He is what he is. We, the People, elected him to be a dictator, so we got what we voted for. Now, we must endure what we have done.

Let us not forget that [no name] enabled and authorized Musk to do what he is doing. Musk is an agent, not the authority. I do agree that he is going far beyond the law, but that as well is not particularly surprising since his enabler is doing exactly the same thing. There is no doubt in my little pea-brain that Agent Musk is a serious threat to the rule of law and to our freedom, just as [no name] is an even greater threat.

Two generations of air traffic controllers have entered service since the Reagan confrontation with the union [1981]. I do not see the connection. The NTSB will deeply analyze the conduct and performance of all air traffic controllers that night. We must not forget that the pilot is ultimately responsible for the actions of his/her aircraft. [No name]’s mindless, ill-informed, foolish statements about that accident are nonsensical to the extreme.

Interesting title and topic. I look forward to your review.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“Reich’s assessment, if anything, is understated. Reich assumes that this dictator will fall from overreach, as they historically do. I study history, too, and my question is how much death and destruction must happen before something stops him.

“FOTUS enabled Musk, but Musk must be stopped individually. He amounts to a crude hacker who somehow believes he should destroy government on his own.

“Unions invariably address under-staffing as a major work issue, and it was thus with PATCO. The loss of PATCO inevitably led to permanent staffing issues. Unions are not only about pay issues.

“We shall see where/if I publish my review. I’ve been thinking about that, and my old long-forgotten blog has no audience.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

Precisely the salient question. None of us can predict the future. However, from my perspective and opinion, I am afraid we are facing incalculable “death and destruction.” I do not see anything that will stop him other than 20.January.2029 . . . and even that is doubtful. On the other hand, he is just a mortal human being who will reach his return to dust like all other human beings in history. Death will stop him. Unfortunately, he has created a generation of acolytes that pose a far greater threat to our fragile democracy.

I share your view of Musk’s DOGE activities. So far, Congress had demonstrated its impotence.

I cannot argue with your assessment of the current FAA ATC staffing issues.

If you ever do write it, I would like to read it. ‘Nuf said.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-) 

Update no.1203

 Update from the Sunland

No.1203

27.1.25 – 2.2.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

The con-man-in-chief likes to paint himself as a martyr, taking a bullet for the troops. He accuses everyone but himself of “weaponizing” the Justice Department. The standard modus operandi of the ignoramus-in-chief is to accuse his opponents of doing exactly what he intends to do, so as some irrational justification for what he will do. He is striving mightily to tear down the federal government and raise a different form of government in his image. That man has convinced many people that he was being persecuted by the justice system because of his politics and personality. The reality is he committed more than a few crimes. He broke the law repeatedly; laws the rest of us must abide or face harsh consequences. [The person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name] was charged (sued), tried, and convicted because he broke the law repeatedly and defiantly. The justice system did what it was supposed to do . . . investigate, charge, and try law breakers. They are doing exactly what he has accused everyone else of doing without offering any evidence of such conduct. Retribution is his justification. He seeks to deflect and distract the American people from his illegal activities and conduct. The con-man is not being persecuted and he is most emphatically not a martyr. He is a criminal plain and simple. He broke the law, full stop, shut the front door, end of story, drop the mic.

 

On Saturday, 1.February.2025, President [no name] issued three more of his bonehead executive orders imposing a general 25% tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico, plus an additional 10% tariff on goods from the PRC. [No name] talks about these tariffs like they are new and ingenious revenue streams for the U.S. Treasury. There is only one little, itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny problem with that thinking. We, the People, pay those tariffs, not Mexico or Canada. We pay them. Essentially, we are paying a new tax into the Treasury. The tariffs are initially paid by the importing companies, but they will naturally pass along those costs to the consumer as just another cost of doing business, and thus, those cost show up in the acquisition cost for us. Tariffs generally slow the economy and cause inflation, the very economic elements that the MAGAts railed against during the last administration and the presidential campaign. We must never forget that the power to tax is the power to destroy.

Worse, especially with respect to Canada and Mexico, this is not how we treat our friends. [No name] states he is encouraging both neighboring countries to do more to stem illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling. In essence, he is demanding the other sovereign countries enforce our laws. We cannot enforce those laws, so he wants our neighbors to do it.

Leading by fear is not leadership. It is abuse. We want our enemies to fear us, NOT OUR FRIENDS. Apparently, [no name] has no friends, wants no friends, and needs no friends. He could not care less. So, once again, we are left holding the bag, and our friends and allies are treated like adversaries, or worse enemies.

 

Wednesday evening, 29.January.2025, at 20:48 [R] EST, American Airlines Flight 5342 (PSA Airlines), a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner, collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. The CRJ was on approach to Washington Reagan National (DCA) from Wichita, Kansas (ICT). The Blackhawk was performing a night training mission on an established low-altitude helicopter route along the Potomac River.

There are so many questions.

Military aircraft are required to abide by air traffic control procedures and instructions when they operate in controlled airspace. As such, they are required to squawk Mode C (altitude reporting) on their transponders to allow air traffic controllers to “see” them. The investigators will determine the state of the Blackhawk’s transponder leading up to the impact as well as what the air traffic controllers did with the information. The helicopter was reported to be 100+ feet above the maximum prescribed altitude for that portion of the route. The NTSB will likely make quick work on this accident, although they will meticulously step through their investigative procedures.

Of course, in this era, we must contend with President [who shall no longer be named], the primo uomo demagogue who is the face and action of what used to be known as the Republican Party, pointing his crooked finger at FAA DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies. [Note: DEI is a political initiative to raise awareness of and promote diversity in the workforce. The program is much like racial equality programs in the 70s. We are in desperate need of such programs, but the white supremacists are adamantly against DEI, thus the reaction we see today.] When [no name] was challenged by reporters what evidence he had, his response was simply, “It just could have been.”  His rationale . . . “I have common sense.” 

He is most certainly not a representative of the United States of America. So, when he makes such despicable bullshit bonehead comments like he did on Thursday, just remember 77M American citizens voted for him to represent them. That man is who they wanted to be president, who they wanted to represent them and this once grand republic.

[No name] is simply not intelligent enough to recognize or acknowledge that he does not know. He does not give a twit about his repeated, consistent and persistent displays of utter ignorance about boundless topics. Yet, at the end of the day, he is what he is and always has been. This is nothing new from him. His contemptible nonsense says far more about those who voted for him than it does about that fool directly.

It is one thing for some pissant citizen like me to speculate about the causal factors of an accident or incident. It is altogether quite another thing for the president of the United States of America to speculate about such events. [No name] is verging upon ignorant. He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is wildly irresponsible.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1202:

“Thanks Cap. You will have much to write about in the coming days and we’re looking forward to your comments, they are always of interest.”

My reply:

I am afraid so, my friend. It is going to be a very long four years. I can only hope the first two years convince the apathetic voters among us that they must vote. The best outcome would be the electorate votes to removed senators and representatives who are rubberstamp sycophants for the con-man who has his hands on the controls. I cannot imagine that my comments will be encouraging at least for the first two years. I truly hope and want to be wrong in my assessment of our republic’s health. But, that is the way I see it. So far, the first week is validating my abysmal appraisal.

 

Comment to the Blog:

“I understand the feelings in your opening, but the situation we’re in comes of people acting from their feelings rather than their intellects. One certainty in all this is that we need to keep our wits about us.

“Judge Coughenour’s statement about birthright citizenship is only the first public resistance. Much more is yet to come. Also, many on the left have noted the Felon’s poor health.

“Pete Hegseth is to all appearances an active chronic alcoholic with other issues. Don’t count on him lasting either.

“We shall see what happens with individual attempts to soften climate change, but I noticed a couple of recent events. Greenland is pursued by the Felon, but there’s not enough publicity about their possession of rare earth minerals used in batteries. Also, China last night (our time) claims to have an open-source AI that uses less energy and less-expensive microchips. It’s called DeepSeek. Things change rapidly.”

My response to the Blog:

Well said and accurate from my perspective. While I hold a rather dark view of our republic’s future, I intend to continue doing the best I can to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” at my advanced age and diminished physical capacity.

That is the way I see Judge Coughenour’s TSO order. The Court of Appeals has not weighed in as yet, but they still have another week before the TSO expires. We wait. Yes, this is just the first week of that man’s administration. It is going to be a very rough road ahead.

That is my assessment of Hegseth as well. Semper vigilantes.

I saw that DeepSeek announcement. I do not know how much is hype and how much is real. Things are changing very rapidly, and I suspect the speed of change is only going to increase.

 . . . Round two:

“It's worth noting that the ‘shock and awe’ strategy of the first week is almost impossible to maintain. Armies and others use that mode to discourage the opponent, making the rest of the campaign easier.

“We shall see how the DeepSeek issue goes. MoneyWatch is speculating on the specific companies involved, but has no concrete information.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Good observation. Appropriate I do believe.

I will not be one of those speculating on DeepSeek. I am suspicious of the motives behind the company from the get-go.

 . . . Round three:

“The ‘shock and awe’ continues. This forum is more for digesting the news than reporting it, so I'll await developments before commenting further.

“One development on DeepSeek: they're now accused of ‘distilling’ others' data to train their bot, much like the American bots' use of copyrighted material for their training.”

 . . . my response to round three:

There will be further developments. Chaos is like that—a constantly changing morass. I expect him to be relentless in his administering chaos. The MAGAts like to cheer, yeah, that’s what we need. Gut the whole thing and build a proper government. The insurrections portray themselves as patriots defending the nation. Must not forget, that is exactly what Confederates believed . . . they were protecting freedom. The reality is, then and now, they want, they demand everyone live by their rules, beliefs, and opinions. The Confederates wanted the nation to accept their reality, slaves were not human; they were simply a consumable to protect their way of life. The MAGAts are essentially the same. They espouse freedom with an unspoken caveat . . . as long as it is freedom as they define it. Only read books they approve. Only teach what they approve to be taught. Only belief in their god. Ad infinitum ad nauseum. Their freedom, their patriotism, is doublespeak; it is NOT freedom.

Given the PRC modus operandi, there will be many more such ‘training’ events. I worry about the ulterior motives, what is buried in the code and not readily detectable in the operation. The PRC seeks to dominate the world as they believe and accuse the United States of doing in the last hundred years. This is serious business.

 . . . Round four:

“Your point about the MAGAts causing and using chaos is valid, but chaos creates its own ending. Chaos is unsustainable because it uses energy and resources faster than any stable mode of operation.

“The Confederates are an inspiration for losers. Remember the symbolism of the two flags the MAGAts like to fly; the CSA and the Nazi flag are battle flags of nations we’ve defeated.

“Americans haven’t noticed that China’s already taken over much of the world’s economy, which is what empires are about. They could be up to something more with AI, but I’ll admit that AI in general feels just as threatening.”

 . . . my response to round four:

I do not see the reasoning in your statement—“chaos creates its own ending.” It seems to me, chaos will exist and persist as long as there is no effort to eliminate chaos, or bring order to chaos. The best I can see is [no name] feeds on chaos; he needs chaos to exist. And worse, as long as his believers hold the reigns of political power, chaos may well exist after the man has returned to dust. Order will only return when the MAGAts are rendered to the shadows, like where the white supremacists used to dwell.

Well, that is one way to think of those symbols. I see those symbols more like a clarion call for believers to come out of the shadows and rally around the flag. To me, they are symbols of mobilization.

I am not so sure PRC dominance has gone as far as you suggest, but I must confess you may well be correct. I do see AI with seriously mixed feelings. On one hand, I see AI as a dramatic force multiplier in our contemplative power. On the opposite hand, I cannot avoid the incalculable threat AI represents if it acquires and exercises ruminative capacity. In AI, I see the prescient illumination of HAL 9000. We must not be fearful of advancing AI, but we most emphatically must be cautious.

 . . . Round five:

“Entropy increases. Chaos, whether in physics, engineering, or sociology uses energy and resources faster than any more stable process. Chaos is used as a tool by organizations or individuals trying to conquer others, but it uses up everything.

“China has been around a long time and prefers less harm and headlines in its processes.

“‘Artificial intelligence’ is by definition artificial and therefore not intelligent in a human sense. It has neither conscience nor instinct, and it can’t. Space Odyssey is the tip of the iceberg in writings on this. I recommend Isaac Asimov’s I, Robo stories. He points out that even if people try to build moral values into machines, the machines can’t have a living being’s moral understanding.”

 . . . my response to round five:

If we were discussing physics, I would agree with you. However, we are not discussing physics. We are discussing politics, an entirely different breed of beast. This form of chaos is not going to resolve itself until MAGAts, from [no name] on down to the uneducated, redneck who swallowed the snake-oil elixir and believes, and voted for [no name] and his sycophants, are returned to the shadows of progressive society. The MAGAts seek to return to a day long gone when WASPs [White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant] dictated everything from what books we could read and what we allowed to see to the laws we all must abide.

The PRC uses insidious processes to achieve their aims. There is little doubt in my thinking what those aims are. We must pay attention, and we cannot allow them to go unchecked.

I am not so sure. Some forms of AI are neural networks that mimic the human brain. Other forms are electronic catalogues of applied facts (or worse random information). I see no reason why future AI systems cannot evolve into reasoning entities. Infants are not born as moral creatures; they are taught by myriad means. They learn morality. AI can learn morality as well . . . if they are taught properly.

 . . . Round six:

“Chaos in society has a similar result. Dismissing employees by the thousand, freezing payment systems, antagonizing friend and foe alike and other disruptions all waste resources the chaotic ones need if they are to govern.

“The PRC’s aim is the same as Russia’s or the USA’s, to achieve world domination.

“The technicians building AI have no interest in morality, and humans haven’t succeeded in teaching ourselves that. In any case, that would require consciousness.”

 . . . my response to round six:

I would agree with your assessment in general. However, in this political instance, Little Fingers can and will artificially stimulate and feed the chaos to serve his purposes. He will consume resources to maintain the induced chaos. His form of chaos is not natural.

Unfortunately, the Ugly American Syndrome offers graphic demonstration of the necessity for inclusion of the USA in your list. There are those who seek such domination. From my perspective, I believe most American citizens do not support world domination. Rather, they respect our neighbors and friends, and seek peace and stability. The inherent induced chaos of world domination violates those traits.

You may well be correct. If we allow AI to develop cognitive capacity without teaching morality, we will be unleashing a highly destructive force on humanity. Imagine a child that matures with adult capability and no sense of morality.

 . . . Round seven:

“I don't have to imagine a child that matures with adult capability and no sense of morality. Humans like that are running our country.”

 . . . my response to round seven:

Oh my! Spot on and well said!

I will add that he is what he is; he has always been this way. It is his parents who bear the blame for their failure to teach their child morality, humility, and respect for others. We must hold parents accountable for the havoc they wrought upon society.

 

Another contribution:

“Cap, I am afraid you have nailed it.

“In other words, our undereducated overfed electorate has spoken with and without voting, and because of oligarchs' power over candidates' re-election prospects all but a brave few of our representatives and senators are impotent.

“It won't be long now before we see the end of the most admirable governmental experiment in world history.  

“Thank you for your long efforts to avoid this sad day. I am glad my patriotic ancestors are spared the pain I feel as a common citizen, retired state trial judge and proud USAFR Col.”

My reply:

Thank you so much for your generous assessment. Being so negative on the future of the republic does not give me comfort. Whether it is reparable is yet to be determined.

I could excuse the undereducated portion of that man’s believers, but unfortunately and regrettably, I know far too many well educated, ostensibly well-informed citizens who actually and enthusiastically believe in that con-man. I know more than a few good people who have been bilked out of tens of thousands of dollars by skilled con-men who are mere shadows of what the con-man-in-chief represents. The subversion of so many good citizens by that disgusting Sirens’ Song is the true tragedy. The con-man has always been a con-man; we have only to look at his history. But how so many good people were blinded and believe is far more ominous to me.

That is my view. I fear we may have passed the point of no return. I had similar fears (but I was younger and more resilient) in the 60s and 70s in the middle of racial and political strife with a criminal at the controls then as well, and I was pleasantly surprised with our recovery. I desperately want to be surprised again.

I also share your empathy for sparing our ancestors the tragedy of what is happening. Generations of my ancestors fought and sacrificed to preserve democracy and our republic. I will only note here that more than a few of my family were staunch Republicans (John Birch conservatives), and while they were not called upon to vote for the con-man-in-chief, I suspect they would have succumbed to the Sirens’ Song as well . . . as loyal Republicans. I am extraordinarily grateful I was able to break that trance and see that man for what he is, a verging on ignorant, malignantly narcissistic, immoral, con-man.

Bless you for your service to the Republic, my friend.

 

A different contribution:

“Morning Cap. Yes we are undergoing a miserable news period for certain and now the aircraft collision. Your favourite man is blaming ‘diversity hires’ what ever that may be. I expect you will tell us.”

My response:

I am terribly afraid that this “miserable news period” is going to persist in daily doses for at least the next four years. Worse, as long as his MAGAt believers hold any position in public life, the chaos he generates will be the standard for the day. We must find the means to endure and persevere until order can be reinstated and restored.

Yes, I am still collecting information and writing as we learn. Unlike [no name], I am not willing to speculate about the root cause(s). I do not have much flight experience in that airspace, but I do know it is one of the more difficult environments in which to fly. The margins for error are quite low. I am writing about the absurdity of [no name]. More to follow.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)