Sep 23, 2022·edited Sep 23, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
From the Post article: "As women hugged their husbands and young men boarded buses to leave for 15 days of training before potentially being deployed to Russia’s stumbling war effort in Ukraine..."
The Nazis gave the Volkssturm 30 days training in 1945, and that was insufficient. 15 days is about long enough to find out how to operate an AK-47, but with no knowledge of how to deploy to put the weapon to useful use.
The US Marines put an infantryman through a 4 month boot camp, then six months of Advanced Infantry Training. At that point the infantryman is considered more of a threat to the enemy than to his fellow Marines.
It won't matter how many years in prison they put in the law for people surrendering and deserting. A man with 15 days' training in an operational environment, assuming he isn't killed by the enemy when he does something stupid that he doesn't even know is stupid/dangerous to his continued existence, will surrender, run away or desert the first opportunity.
And putting political opponents of the war in the army is a great way to turn the army into a shell of itself, with a large contingent ready to kill their officers and noncoms. You'd think someone in what passes for the upper ranks of this alleged Russian "army" would have read about the Russian Army in World War I.
This "mobilization" will be a bigger fakakte than Czar Nicholas' mobilization in 1914 was.
Sycophancy being an even greater component of promotability in Russia than in this country one wonders what remains of military ability in the notional upper ranks of their army and if any of them have the stones to stand up to Putin and his chekists.
My son retired after 20 years in the Army, 15 of those years as a Special Forces soldier. When I asked him why he wanted to be in SF, he said he wanted to be with the best of the best. He had enough to do, focusing on the enemy in front of him; he didn’t want to worry about the “yahoos” behind him on his own side. Think how lost and terrified those conscripts are going to be. It’s criminal to send people into war with no training. Two weeks is hardly enough time for them to realize they are in the military.
Don't worry, they have ways of letting you know within a matter of minutes that you are no longer in civilian life. Trust me on that (and your son). :-)
Let me see if I have this right: White Christian Nationalists are supporting a delusional would-be tyrant who steals from the public, cheats on his wives, cheats on his taxes, cheats students at his faux Trump University, lies to his lenders, lies to his investors, lies to to the public, lies to his lawyers, and lies to himself, (he once increased his height to 6 foot 3 inches in one of his annual presidential health check-up so that he would not be obese" according to the height-weight chart.) Here's the link:
And, he supports the enemies of our country and the enemies of democracy. He welcomes the support of Putin (especially with elections) and trusts Putin more than he trusts the American Government.
The White Christian Nationalists support Trump even though he doesn't attend church, eschews Christian morals or habits, and continuously sins with no repentance and no guilt, including stealing, bearing false witness, coveting, adultery, and putting the love of money ahead of love of God. He has sold his soul for a mess of pottage.
His erstwhile "Christian" base should reconsider: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36
Trump is leading his family and willing followers into perdition.
Nicely done, Captain. But the m**therF***ker never had a soul. He is a malignant narcissist demonstrating schizoidal / magical thinking. The “Christian” base sieg heils to every Repug’s delight. Their violation of Church and State should be addressed by IMMEDIATE changes to their tax status--their mega church, tv syndicated BS is a FOR PROFIT operation. And then, there is the matter of that farce, “Citizens United . . . .”
I haven't read the bible in awhile, but as I recall, when the Anti-Christ appears, the people he attracts are the ones who most call themselves "Christian."
Rose Aguilar’s exquisite show Your Call (KALW 91.7FM) has served us richly for years! Rose is phenomenal. Tuesday’s guest was Elie Mystal, a strong voice in the public square of social justice politics. He is the Justice correspondent for The Nation.
the dynamics of the current reactionary majority on the Supreme Court interfaced with the Constitution, itself not without flaws.
He effectively explains why the Supreme Court is at the heart of any issue we wish to see furthered for the benefit of society. No issue stands alone. The Supreme Court is at the center of it all.
Elie Mystal says expand the Supreme Court or cede the next 30 years of US law to six conservative justices.
This is wonderful to know. I’m not able to listen regularly but I’ve never listened with any disappointment whatsoever. Every show is stellar, informative, inspiring, and shows us so many topics worth pursuing if we only had the time! This is great news. Thanks for posting.
Putin has sowed the seeds of his own destruction with this "mobilization". Which is beginning to sound more like random harvesting of humans to be thrown at a very motivated and well trained adversary.
Russian generals might as well substitute these poor guys for artillery shells and lob them into Ukraine.
It's as if Putin has learned nothing from history. It's a repeat performance. He has the hubris of Hitler, the isolation from reality of Trump and the audacity of Stalin. And the stone cold lack of concern for his fellow humans. This is Satan. Or Sauron or Morgoth...
I see little difference between Putin and Trump. They are both megalomaniacs obsessed with money and power. They are both psychopaths. They both have never been reality based. They both come from dysfunctional families where mental and emotional abuse were prevalent. They both were unloved as children. They both have it in their power to cause enormous damage to people and property.
They both rule with fear and threats. They both attract people who admire strongman personalities. They both surround themselves with weak, ingratiating people who are evil and dysfunctional in their own right.
What I still can't wrap my head around is why the vast majority of reality-based people don't rise up and demand that these EVIL autocrats be arrested, prosecuted and punished with impunity. It is somewhat understandable in Russia, but it is not at all understandable in the U.S. In my view, the legal system has been severely compromised. It needs desperately to be rejuvenated so that everyone believes no one is above the law and justice will be served. Thankfully, I read more and more that it is imperative that Trump and all the Republicans who have committed treason be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law or this devastating episode in history will be repeated.
The MSM has been abysmal at describing the extent of the damage and the ramifications to the country and in many respects to the entire world because of one man and his party's obsession with power. All these people deserve to rot in hell for the blood they have on their hands and the harms they have committed to millions of Americans.
Sep 23, 2022·edited Sep 23, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I think that in fact a president, when in office, can take even classified documents (with limitations obviously) with him on trips or even to his home. But there are stringent security requirements to doing this, locked safes and the like. Biden addressed this in speaking about taking documents home. It can be done:
"Depending on the circumstance. For example, I have, in my home, a cabined-off space that is completely secure. I'm taking home with me today today's PDB. It's locked. I have a person with me - military with me. I read it, I lock it back up, and give it to the military."
That doesn't mean that the documents have been "declassified" but trump, not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, thinks they have been. and that's why he can take them to, say, a meeting with British Prime Minister or whoever. And that just the act of asking to take them along magically "declassifies" them (and presumably they get reclassified when returned to wherever they are normally stored). This obviously is not how it works. And it certainly doesn't let former presidents do this.
That may be what he meant by sending them to Mar A Lago. Possibly he DID legally take/get them there on occasion. (Whether he then legally STORED them is a whole 'nother question.) But the statute is real clear that he can't keep them.
Everyone is assuming that he took stuff when he left office. How much did he take before he left, and just tossed in a box or a drawer and left them? The ability of foreign agents to see them might have been for a much longer time than we think.
Presumably taking a classified document somewhere requires "checking it out" like a library book and there must be logs of what is supposed to be there but isn't. Rather like a detective checking something out of the evidence locker. Combing the records must be a formidable task because each agency has its own storage locations and logs. I've found multiple procedural descriptions for places like the Department of State and the DOD (but not bothered to absorb them). So whoever gets the document to the president upon his request is the one doing the checking out.
I've tried to find information about the exact steps a president takes to get his hands on a classified document, since they are obviously not filed in the Oval Office. Does he call someone and say "hey, I want to see Document X you described in the Daily Briefing?" If so, who goes and gets it? Unfortunately Google is so full of current opining on Mar A Lago that the answer to this simple question appears to be buried multiple pages deep. Does anyone know?
Your asking a key question. Which documents were selected and why ( we know he didn’t read them) and what was he going to do about them. Mark Meadows was deeply involved in this.
Trumps word salad merits the famous quote by the principal in the movie Billy Madison ( with some editing )…..
Mr. Trump, what you've just said is one of the most insanely SELF INCRIMINATING things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now SMARTER for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may THE INDICTMENT BEGIN.
Thank you once again Robert for compiling and sharing the important news of the day— especially appreciated since we are traveling out of the country but want to stay abreast of the fraught political moments as they unfold. We are returning in time to mail our postcards to voters and go to GA to canvas before the midterms! With great appreciation to you and Jill, and optimism for the Rule of Law and our Democracy to survive,
This: "...you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or WHEREVER you’re sending it." My guess is that documents have been sent elsewhere...the Kremlin, Saudia Arabia, other Trump properties?
As the Buddha famously pointed out 2500 years ago: "Fortune changes like the swish of a horse's tail." Donald J. Trump and his legion of MAGA miscreants are experiencing the truth of this statement as the mountain of reactionary Republican horse manure crumbles under the evidence-based scrutiny of the American legal system, an institution many had feared was hopelessly corrupted by Mammon's demonic wiles. Trump and the seditious propositions of the Republican Party over the last few years are now being pulverized and deposited in the compost bin of history by lawyers and judges of integrity, some ironically appointed by the Devil himself, with the intention to further nourish the fragile flower of liberty so seditiously jeopardized by fascist attempts to undermine the Constitution. The assault on women by the illegitimate Supreme Court was apparently the last straw in the GOP's war on Democracy, a blow to the body politic that's succeeded in waking the people up and reminding them that Liberty cannot be sustained without their active participation. We must now carry this awareness of our political surroundings to the polls along with the hard-learned denouement firmly in mind that as Thomas Jefferson said: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
There is hope! If you have time, please watch the recording of the Democracy 2022 Youth Film Challenge. See what our future talented youth leaders are creating. They are standing up for our democracy. Enjoy!
Glad to see a plug for Jews United for Democracy. It's an amazingly well produced and most informative show. America at a Crossroads is among my favorite go-to sources on a regular basis.
A few other words in Trump's interview with Hannity caught my attention. After he said "...because you're sending it to Mar-a-Lago...", he added "...or wherever you're sending it". After years of listening to his tortured phrasing, it would seem that those last few words were included for a reason. Where else was he sending classified information? To other people? Outside the U.S.?
Like most Americans I am tired of reading and hearing about Trump and the classification of top secret papers. Most of us both Democrats and Republicans know he is guilty and the only question left is will he be indicted and when. More importantly we are not paying attention to the candidates running for office. Voters or people like those reading this must ask voters to read and understanding how your House of Representatives voted on key legislation starting with the certification of the election. It’s not about party it’s about how legislators voted on proposed bills that impact the lives of each of us everyday. Every representative that voted against certifying the election violated their oath of office and the constitution and we must hold them accountable. It’s not about what they are saying and promising now it’s what they have actually done. Listen to the ads and ask what is this candidate promising to deliver and what is their platform. We have had enough of empty promises.
It is interesting to see how Hannity has hitched and the re-hitched his horse to the Trump bandwagon of imaginary laws and conceits. I wonder if he is able to survive the Trump apocalypse; live to twist the truth another day. He's made more than enough money to retire comfortably in Palm Beach.
From the Post article: "As women hugged their husbands and young men boarded buses to leave for 15 days of training before potentially being deployed to Russia’s stumbling war effort in Ukraine..."
The Nazis gave the Volkssturm 30 days training in 1945, and that was insufficient. 15 days is about long enough to find out how to operate an AK-47, but with no knowledge of how to deploy to put the weapon to useful use.
The US Marines put an infantryman through a 4 month boot camp, then six months of Advanced Infantry Training. At that point the infantryman is considered more of a threat to the enemy than to his fellow Marines.
It won't matter how many years in prison they put in the law for people surrendering and deserting. A man with 15 days' training in an operational environment, assuming he isn't killed by the enemy when he does something stupid that he doesn't even know is stupid/dangerous to his continued existence, will surrender, run away or desert the first opportunity.
And putting political opponents of the war in the army is a great way to turn the army into a shell of itself, with a large contingent ready to kill their officers and noncoms. You'd think someone in what passes for the upper ranks of this alleged Russian "army" would have read about the Russian Army in World War I.
This "mobilization" will be a bigger fakakte than Czar Nicholas' mobilization in 1914 was.
Sycophancy being an even greater component of promotability in Russia than in this country one wonders what remains of military ability in the notional upper ranks of their army and if any of them have the stones to stand up to Putin and his chekists.
One of my “favs” to look for in comments. Nice work, TCinLA!
Check out That's Another Fine Mess! :-)
My son retired after 20 years in the Army, 15 of those years as a Special Forces soldier. When I asked him why he wanted to be in SF, he said he wanted to be with the best of the best. He had enough to do, focusing on the enemy in front of him; he didn’t want to worry about the “yahoos” behind him on his own side. Think how lost and terrified those conscripts are going to be. It’s criminal to send people into war with no training. Two weeks is hardly enough time for them to realize they are in the military.
Don't worry, they have ways of letting you know within a matter of minutes that you are no longer in civilian life. Trust me on that (and your son). :-)
Let me see if I have this right: White Christian Nationalists are supporting a delusional would-be tyrant who steals from the public, cheats on his wives, cheats on his taxes, cheats students at his faux Trump University, lies to his lenders, lies to his investors, lies to to the public, lies to his lawyers, and lies to himself, (he once increased his height to 6 foot 3 inches in one of his annual presidential health check-up so that he would not be obese" according to the height-weight chart.) Here's the link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/01/16/doctor-says-trump-is-6-3-239-pounds-and-the-internet-has-so-many-athlete-comparisons/
And, he supports the enemies of our country and the enemies of democracy. He welcomes the support of Putin (especially with elections) and trusts Putin more than he trusts the American Government.
The White Christian Nationalists support Trump even though he doesn't attend church, eschews Christian morals or habits, and continuously sins with no repentance and no guilt, including stealing, bearing false witness, coveting, adultery, and putting the love of money ahead of love of God. He has sold his soul for a mess of pottage.
His erstwhile "Christian" base should reconsider: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36
Trump is leading his family and willing followers into perdition.
Nicely done, Captain. But the m**therF***ker never had a soul. He is a malignant narcissist demonstrating schizoidal / magical thinking. The “Christian” base sieg heils to every Repug’s delight. Their violation of Church and State should be addressed by IMMEDIATE changes to their tax status--their mega church, tv syndicated BS is a FOR PROFIT operation. And then, there is the matter of that farce, “Citizens United . . . .”
Tax the "hell" out of the church!
Absolutely. And the mega corporations busy raising prices. Just those two would pay for infrastructure in Jackson and Puerto Rico.
OMG Dawna 😱. You took the words right outa my mouth. I love you 🤗. I guess the WITCH has been FOUND . My thoughts and prayers are with IT.
… but, Hillary’s emails
Yes, he apparently told Hannity that Hillary’s emails were the object of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. What?
I haven't read the bible in awhile, but as I recall, when the Anti-Christ appears, the people he attracts are the ones who most call themselves "Christian."
Rose Aguilar’s exquisite show Your Call (KALW 91.7FM) has served us richly for years! Rose is phenomenal. Tuesday’s guest was Elie Mystal, a strong voice in the public square of social justice politics. He is the Justice correspondent for The Nation.
elie mystal - Google Search
https://www.google.com/search?q=elie+mystal&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
Rose gives him the full hour to explain
the dynamics of the current reactionary majority on the Supreme Court interfaced with the Constitution, itself not without flaws.
He effectively explains why the Supreme Court is at the heart of any issue we wish to see furthered for the benefit of society. No issue stands alone. The Supreme Court is at the center of it all.
Elie Mystal says expand the Supreme Court or cede the next 30 years of US law to six conservative justices.
You can listen here:
https://www.kalw.org/podcast/your-call
The next to last sentence has been Mitch’s plan for decades
I found "Your Call" is also on Apple Podcasts and I think I will be tuning in to Rose Aguilar often. Thank you Katherine!
This is wonderful to know. I’m not able to listen regularly but I’ve never listened with any disappointment whatsoever. Every show is stellar, informative, inspiring, and shows us so many topics worth pursuing if we only had the time! This is great news. Thanks for posting.
Putin has sowed the seeds of his own destruction with this "mobilization". Which is beginning to sound more like random harvesting of humans to be thrown at a very motivated and well trained adversary.
Russian generals might as well substitute these poor guys for artillery shells and lob them into Ukraine.
It's as if Putin has learned nothing from history. It's a repeat performance. He has the hubris of Hitler, the isolation from reality of Trump and the audacity of Stalin. And the stone cold lack of concern for his fellow humans. This is Satan. Or Sauron or Morgoth...
I see little difference between Putin and Trump. They are both megalomaniacs obsessed with money and power. They are both psychopaths. They both have never been reality based. They both come from dysfunctional families where mental and emotional abuse were prevalent. They both were unloved as children. They both have it in their power to cause enormous damage to people and property.
They both rule with fear and threats. They both attract people who admire strongman personalities. They both surround themselves with weak, ingratiating people who are evil and dysfunctional in their own right.
What I still can't wrap my head around is why the vast majority of reality-based people don't rise up and demand that these EVIL autocrats be arrested, prosecuted and punished with impunity. It is somewhat understandable in Russia, but it is not at all understandable in the U.S. In my view, the legal system has been severely compromised. It needs desperately to be rejuvenated so that everyone believes no one is above the law and justice will be served. Thankfully, I read more and more that it is imperative that Trump and all the Republicans who have committed treason be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law or this devastating episode in history will be repeated.
The MSM has been abysmal at describing the extent of the damage and the ramifications to the country and in many respects to the entire world because of one man and his party's obsession with power. All these people deserve to rot in hell for the blood they have on their hands and the harms they have committed to millions of Americans.
Yes and yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes...and yes!
Hear hear.
I think that in fact a president, when in office, can take even classified documents (with limitations obviously) with him on trips or even to his home. But there are stringent security requirements to doing this, locked safes and the like. Biden addressed this in speaking about taking documents home. It can be done:
"Depending on the circumstance. For example, I have, in my home, a cabined-off space that is completely secure. I'm taking home with me today today's PDB. It's locked. I have a person with me - military with me. I read it, I lock it back up, and give it to the military."
That doesn't mean that the documents have been "declassified" but trump, not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, thinks they have been. and that's why he can take them to, say, a meeting with British Prime Minister or whoever. And that just the act of asking to take them along magically "declassifies" them (and presumably they get reclassified when returned to wherever they are normally stored). This obviously is not how it works. And it certainly doesn't let former presidents do this.
That may be what he meant by sending them to Mar A Lago. Possibly he DID legally take/get them there on occasion. (Whether he then legally STORED them is a whole 'nother question.) But the statute is real clear that he can't keep them.
Everyone is assuming that he took stuff when he left office. How much did he take before he left, and just tossed in a box or a drawer and left them? The ability of foreign agents to see them might have been for a much longer time than we think.
Presumably taking a classified document somewhere requires "checking it out" like a library book and there must be logs of what is supposed to be there but isn't. Rather like a detective checking something out of the evidence locker. Combing the records must be a formidable task because each agency has its own storage locations and logs. I've found multiple procedural descriptions for places like the Department of State and the DOD (but not bothered to absorb them). So whoever gets the document to the president upon his request is the one doing the checking out.
I've tried to find information about the exact steps a president takes to get his hands on a classified document, since they are obviously not filed in the Oval Office. Does he call someone and say "hey, I want to see Document X you described in the Daily Briefing?" If so, who goes and gets it? Unfortunately Google is so full of current opining on Mar A Lago that the answer to this simple question appears to be buried multiple pages deep. Does anyone know?
Very good question that warrants a separate investigation.
Your asking a key question. Which documents were selected and why ( we know he didn’t read them) and what was he going to do about them. Mark Meadows was deeply involved in this.
Trumps word salad merits the famous quote by the principal in the movie Billy Madison ( with some editing )…..
Mr. Trump, what you've just said is one of the most insanely SELF INCRIMINATING things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now SMARTER for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may THE INDICTMENT BEGIN.
Thank you once again Robert for compiling and sharing the important news of the day— especially appreciated since we are traveling out of the country but want to stay abreast of the fraught political moments as they unfold. We are returning in time to mail our postcards to voters and go to GA to canvas before the midterms! With great appreciation to you and Jill, and optimism for the Rule of Law and our Democracy to survive,
Shelley Rosenstein
Thanks for doing your part!
This: "...you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or WHEREVER you’re sending it." My guess is that documents have been sent elsewhere...the Kremlin, Saudia Arabia, other Trump properties?
As the Buddha famously pointed out 2500 years ago: "Fortune changes like the swish of a horse's tail." Donald J. Trump and his legion of MAGA miscreants are experiencing the truth of this statement as the mountain of reactionary Republican horse manure crumbles under the evidence-based scrutiny of the American legal system, an institution many had feared was hopelessly corrupted by Mammon's demonic wiles. Trump and the seditious propositions of the Republican Party over the last few years are now being pulverized and deposited in the compost bin of history by lawyers and judges of integrity, some ironically appointed by the Devil himself, with the intention to further nourish the fragile flower of liberty so seditiously jeopardized by fascist attempts to undermine the Constitution. The assault on women by the illegitimate Supreme Court was apparently the last straw in the GOP's war on Democracy, a blow to the body politic that's succeeded in waking the people up and reminding them that Liberty cannot be sustained without their active participation. We must now carry this awareness of our political surroundings to the polls along with the hard-learned denouement firmly in mind that as Thomas Jefferson said: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
Dear Readers,
There is hope! If you have time, please watch the recording of the Democracy 2022 Youth Film Challenge. See what our future talented youth leaders are creating. They are standing up for our democracy. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/752595902
Thanks so much!
Catherine Tatge
Glad to see a plug for Jews United for Democracy. It's an amazingly well produced and most informative show. America at a Crossroads is among my favorite go-to sources on a regular basis.
A few other words in Trump's interview with Hannity caught my attention. After he said "...because you're sending it to Mar-a-Lago...", he added "...or wherever you're sending it". After years of listening to his tortured phrasing, it would seem that those last few words were included for a reason. Where else was he sending classified information? To other people? Outside the U.S.?
Like most Americans I am tired of reading and hearing about Trump and the classification of top secret papers. Most of us both Democrats and Republicans know he is guilty and the only question left is will he be indicted and when. More importantly we are not paying attention to the candidates running for office. Voters or people like those reading this must ask voters to read and understanding how your House of Representatives voted on key legislation starting with the certification of the election. It’s not about party it’s about how legislators voted on proposed bills that impact the lives of each of us everyday. Every representative that voted against certifying the election violated their oath of office and the constitution and we must hold them accountable. It’s not about what they are saying and promising now it’s what they have actually done. Listen to the ads and ask what is this candidate promising to deliver and what is their platform. We have had enough of empty promises.
It is interesting to see how Hannity has hitched and the re-hitched his horse to the Trump bandwagon of imaginary laws and conceits. I wonder if he is able to survive the Trump apocalypse; live to twist the truth another day. He's made more than enough money to retire comfortably in Palm Beach.
Bravo!! Thank you so much for all your work and humor. It serves to lighten up a really pathetic chain of events that threaten our democracy
Thank you for including the link to the conversation with Laurence Tribe -- I was hanging on every word!!