Update no.1210

 Update from the Sunland

No.1210

17.3.25 – 23.3.25

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

 

To all,

 

We reached and passed the spring equinox, when days and nights are equal in both hemispheres. The astronomical instant signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. We continue our journey around the Sun.

 

The follow-up news items:

-- The first crewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft launched in early June 2024 [1169]. The crew was Captain Barry Eugene ‘Butch’ Wilmore, USN, a graduate of U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, assigned as the Starliner pilot, and with him was Captain Sunita Lyn ‘Suni’ Williams (née Pandya), USN (Ret.) [USNA 1987], also a graduate of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, assigned as the mission specialist for the Starliner mission. Both crewmembers are experienced NASA astronauts. The Starliner mission was planned to be 10 days to prove the craft. Once they made it to space, NASA lost confidence in the new crew transport vehicle and decided to abandon a crew return attempt in the malfunctioning vehicle. They brought the faulty spacecraft back to Earth safely without the crew. Wilmore and Williams were stranded on the International Space Station (ISS). After 289 days in space, the crew finally made it home on Tuesday, 18.March.2025, landing in the Gulf of Mexico (and yes, the name remains as it has been for 400 years), south of Tallahassee. The fateful mission demonstrated the resiliency of human beings, but it practically an indictment against Boeing. Regardless, it done! The crew is finally home safely.

 

President [no name] demanded Ukraine sign over US$500B (yes, that is billion with a ‘B.’) of their mineral resources to the United States in payment for the military and intelligence assistance the country has provided to the Ukrainian people in their fight to defend their country and expel the Russian invaders. The president’s obscene demand is quite akin to a neighbor allowing you to use his garden hose to fight a fire on your property, and then when the fire is out demanding 20 per centum of your property as ‘payment’ for the use of his hose. [No name] is attacking Ukraine the same as Russia is, just in a different manner. This president is an immoral, unethical, dispassionate person who barely qualifies as a human being. I hope President Zelensky is strong enough to resist the con-man’s extortion. And we have four years of this bullshit to deal with before we can hope to regain some sense of sanity, normalcy, and peace.

 

A week after he was inaugurated, President [no name] signed Executive Order No. 14183, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” To be blunt, this order is yet another judicial intervention in one of the latest in a never-ending stream of disgusting immoral actions cloaked in motherhood, apple pie, and the American flag. On 26.February.2025, new SecDef Hegeseth, ever the faithful lapdog, issued a policy directive implementing [no name]’s executive order. Together, they are known as the Military Ban. The presidential action prohibits citizens suffering the burden of gender dysphoria, gender identity confusion, or other gender related anomalies.

U.S. District Judge Ana Cecilia Reyes of the District of Columbia, a Uruguayan-born naturalized citizen, and an accomplished lawyer and judge heard preliminary arguments in the case of Talbott v. United States [USDC DC Civil Action No. 25-cv-00240 (ACR) (2025)]. Judge Reyes wrote a 79-page treatise illuminating the see-saw history of discrimination against citizens who volunteer to serve in the defense of the nation and suffer gender dysphoria. While she analyzes the law relative to this case, it is a couple of sentences in conclusion that perfectly summarizes the presidential action. “The Military Ban is soaked in animus and dripping with pretext. Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.” [emphasis mine]

The worst part of the Military Ban remains who decides and by what criteria? How do we determine what is in a person’s mind, thoughts, feelings, or in their heart. The Military Ban is unenforceable except by some capricious, random, emotional terms, which are about as far away from due process of law as anyone can get. The extent of hypocrisy is mind-boggling. They argue on one hand that service should be merit based. And in the exact same instant, they argue for discrimination based on a very private and personal aspect of a person’s character. The judge offered snippets of testimony in court on this issue. As would be expected, defense counsel offered no facts or even substantive evidence to support the Military Ban other than the current administration wants it.

Judge Reyes order blocks the implementation of the Military Ban indefinitely. As she noted in her analysis, the Plaintiffs are likely to succeed  in the case against the government in this issue. From my perspective, Judge Reyes is spot on the money in her assessment. The president’s action and Hegseth’s position as a direct accomplice are nothing but animosity toward a small fraction of our population. I recognize and understand their disapproval of transgender individuals; that is their right. What I cannot and never will accept, support, or understand is their moral projection on all citizens regardless of their performance in their work. What the administration is doing is wrong in every possible form. [No name] and his sidekick Hegseth are very bad people who are abusing their power to degrade and humiliate a very small fraction of free people like some disgusting demonstration of their machismo.

 

I was taught (some might say indoctrinated) that every Marine is a rifleman first and foremost—clerk, cook, pilot, officer, does not matter. Every Marine is a rifleman. Marines are taught to be expert marksman, to make every shot count. Every Marine is taught to kill the enemy. One bullet, one kill. Marines are also taught to keep fighting until the enemy is vanquished or surrenders. This warrior ethos says absolutely nothing about any single or combination of the social factors.

One of the most effective snipers in history was Lieutenant Lyudmila Mykhailivna Pavlichenko—a woman. Her gender had absolutely nothing to do with her effectiveness as a combat sniper. I challenge anyone to articulate or demonstrate how a person’s gender, gender identity, or anatomical characteristics reflect upon their ability to perform combat tasks.

I do not care a twit about how an individual sees themselves, or how they identify, or who they choose to sleep with. What I care about is how well they can shoot or fly an aircraft.

 

I am all in favor of the administration deporting criminal gang members who entered this country illegally. What I cannot support is the executive unilaterally deciding who will deported. Here is a salient and cogent question. What is the administration decided to include political opponents, judges that rule against him, or naturalized citizens who disagree with him? Who is to stop him?

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1209:

Comment to the Blog:

“It’s ironic that the U.S. Secretary of State doesn’t know the practical value of foreign aid (or doesn’t admit it).

“The picture of MAGAts as schoolyard bullies works for me. The DNC Democrats play the role of a well-off kid that reliably gives up his lunch money and occasionally takes a punch. Progressives are trying to change all that, but the coward with the money refuses to lead as long as Daddy replaces the money. That picture explains the entire U.S. situation. For functional purposes, the MAGAts’ leaders have no policy or philosophy.

“The law doesn’t enable ICE to revoke Mahmoud Khalil’s green card. That requires an immigration judge.

“If ‘Satan’ exists, it isn’t a consideration for the U.S. Government. Also, hatred is not a bit Christlike, per the Synoptic Gospels.

“I disagree about the budget resolution. That budget will cause great harm to Americans.”

My response to the Blog:

Indeed, it is quite ironic. It is also far beyond that level. Rubio knows better. He knows what U.S. international aid means to so many people around the world. What is far worse to me is the obvious public demonstration that Rubio is willing to compromise his beliefs, experience, knowledge, and principles at the behest of [no name]. To me, that is far more dangerous and ominous. It means there are no boundaries, no checks, no resistance to the wannabe-dictator. Rubio is just another worthless tool being used by the con-man to extend his grift.

I can agree with your analogy. The corrupting influence of money is well known, understood, and we appear impotent to deal with thanks in no small part of the Supreme Court’s abysmal Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission [558 U.S. 310 (2010); 21.1.2010] [424] decision.

Correct. The USG has initiated judiciary proceedings to do just that. When it comes to non-citizens (which Khalil is), the executive has considerably more authority to act. Yes, like in so many instances, just because a president has the authority does not mean he should use it.

I know of no scripture in any religion that equates freedom of choice as Satan’s work. I surmise that such belief is the work of flawed men seeking absolute control over other people. It is also one major aspect that separates the United States from the dicta of religion. This republic and created and sustained by freedom of choice, even though it is constantly under pressure from moral projectionists among us. It is all about control.

I do not like the CR either. Yet, as Senator Schumer properly illuminates, a government shutdown is far worse.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“I’m less concerned with Rubio’s morals (if any) than with the USA’s loss of status worldwide.

“The President doesn’t have direct authority to revoke Green Cards. Only immigration judges can do that.

“I still disagree with you (and Schumer) on the effects of the Continuing Resolution versus a shutdown.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

I am with you on that one. Republicans have a long history of being isolationists. They apparently feel hiding behind some perceived moat is a safe position to take. It was Republicans that rejected the Versailles Treaty [1920], that supported and participated in the “America First” movement in 1941, and now we have the contemporary version with [no name] as their fearful leader. I erroneously saw Rubio as a principled man. My foolish perspective was debunked in toto. As I said previously, he is just another MAGA tool to be used by the con-man.

Once again, yes, you are correct, but that is not going to stop him from trying. He defied a judge’s ruling and injunction, although he fallaciously claims he did not. It seems [no name] has adopted Jackson confrontational stance. “[Chief Justice] John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."

We are entitled to disagree, my friend. This episode is another example of the best choice available. I sure hope all those folks who did not vote in 2024 remember all the chaos and destruction when it comes time to vote in 2026.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)