The Trump TACO played out as (personally) expected, but…
[edit] It probably goes without saying, but by “US Military” I sure do not mean the military industrial complex, which IMO is a massive boondoggle, filled with grifters throughout the supply chain. A blight. A bloated pig far more wasteful than most other government-associated waste. I am a former manufacturing guy, remember.
It was probably not a disgrace to Trump, himself a product of the Tabloids and later, reality TV. It was grotesque theater. It was the great negotiator, negotiating. First he desecrated Easter, and in the process, Christianity and Islam. Then he doubled down with genocidal rhetoric. The Art Of The Deal, as administered by an aging egomaniac.
But the story that will be buried here is that even if Trump were serious beyond rhetoric, our military was not going to allow war crimes to happen. Period. Despite the firings of top Generals by Trump’s made-for-TV sidekick at DoW, our commanders are schooled in honor and strict codes. Real Americans were not going to let it happen.
Yesterday was a busy day as I finally had my last day of annual dread, getting the tax man over with. I also had a couple personal matters to attend to. I also had more than one loved one expressing anxiety about Trump’s threats. I advised he’s gonna TACO, it’s just a morbid and unhinged form of negotiation. But until that proved out, the anxiety persisted.
Despite the busyness of the day, my mind kept going to the soldier I have sort of adopted at the Mount Feake Cemetery. Thinking about what he and his brothers fought for.
Sometime over the winter I was walking through the cemetery, saw his stone was tipped over again and his flag in the mud. I cleaned his flag, put it back up and then wrenched my back putting the stone back up. Walking through there recently, I saw the stone still up and the flag flying. But I need to get on the cemetery staff to get that thing fixed permanently, as they told me they’d do last year.
Here’s the most recent photo of the Sergeant in the “Yankee Division” who, along with his mates, died in France in 1918. He is the first in the foreground.
Here is the picture from the post linked above, showing the broken stone. The diagonal crack is secure, but the crack at the bottom remains the culprit.
I am going to keep resetting this stone as long as I need to, but also get the staff to fix it once and for all. It’s a simple goal, but absolutely vital. This is our history.
Unfortunately, Trump will be our history too. A bone-spurred, draft-evader with a rich daddy, now the commander in chief. My wife and I still hold in safe-keeping the uniform of her WWII naval aviator “Grampy” Stoughton Atwood, one of the most principled men I’ve ever met, completely proud to be American.
These are the people I think of when the Trump TACO plays out on the world stage.
Trump is making me money with the TACO. Going all the way back to 2025’s Tariff theatrics, I have been able to “play” off of him much more often than not. But this goes way beyond markets. Ploy or not, this latest barrage of vile tweets (or whatever Truth Social calls its posts) has brought America to a new low.
It’s unfortunate that honorable people like our military leaders have to operate under this made-for-TV lunacy. They and those who came before them deserve better.
“our military was not going to allow war crimes to happen. Period.” Gary, for Christ’s sake, the whole ‘excursion’ was a war crime – an unprovoked attack, started in the middle of negotiations, with “decapitation” strikes, and soon followed by a heinous ‘double-tap’ bombing of a girls’ school, killing about 165 girls – followed by bombings of more schools, hospitals, apt buildings and bridges. Also, the sinking “for fun” of an unarmed ship, and leaving the survivors to drown, something the Nazis usually didn’t do. You’re a no-BS guy on investing, let’s not BS about our war-criming military actions.
You’ve got a point there, PJ. But there is a line somewhere. The military serves the president and that dink at his side. But there is a line. I don’t think for one minute the majority of commanders are happy about having to do their jobs under this regime. But my whimsical journey down memory lane may well be an artifact of the past.
It’s really sad that recently we consistently elect the worst of us to lead us. It’s a global phenomenon too.
It does really call into question how free of shenanigans the last election was. Some reports of ghost counties being counted etc. not that the end of bidens term wasn’t a ss. But to have a cabal set in systematically dismantling ever check and org we have to sustain democracy looks suspect. Oh well all empires fall. Peace and profits lol
I wish you would keep your sick TDS to yourself. I won’t ever be renewing my subscription to you.
It’s simple. Let me know your real email instead of the fake one that came with this comment, so I know who you are and can send you on your way, refund in hand. Do it now.
I am still waiting. If you are truly a subscriber I wish to clean you out of the base. Get on it! Your prorated refund awaits.