Steve, In your dialog today, will you please spend a bit of time on the notion that a member of the military must only follow a LEGAL order? Whoever is flying the plane, or pushing the button on a destroyer, must take note of the fact that he too is committing a war crime, should he follow an order that is illegal and brings destruction upon civilian infrastructure. What would it look like for one of them to say "NO?"
Steve, you are spot on in your brief history of April and in the words that we must ponder while waiting. Thank you for all you do! I wrote to my Senator this morning with the same apprehension:
Senator,
I hope you had a good Easter. I don't think our President did.
Are you OK with the President's social media threats to Iran that would be war crimes if carried out and may be war crimes to even utter in that way? Are you OK with his TACO deadline strategy? Are you OK with changing the Epstein subject by going to war without a plan?
I'm not. I'm sickened by what's being done in my name as a United States citizen. If Iran was to be handled militarily, that would certainly have required strategy, planning, contingencies and consequence recognition. I see none of that. How about you?
I read some of your thoughts via your interview in the local paper. I do appreciate your willingness to be outspoken, to take members of your party to task when they perform poorly. I was, however, a bit dismayed at how deferential you are to President Trump despite your differing opinions about January 6, 2021, but I guess that's just politics.
The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution is also just politics.
I think it's time for you -- and your whole party -- to play some politics to avoid what's inevitable if you don't, and that's a new world order with the United States looking up as a war-criming also ran, a result none of us voted for and something unforeseen at the conclusion of the last administration.
I cannot imagine a person who would not be moved by this. In particular, that first image of earth from the moon. It is said that it inspired many in the environmental movement and led to the establishment of the EPA.
I CAN imagine a person who would not be moved by this and so can you. It would be a person with a ‘frozen’ conscience, someone whose ordinary human response had been harmed, impaired, impacted, cut-off, and stopped by who knows what — but most assuredly something quite awful, leaving the person in thrall to the forces of Death — seemingly helpless yet drawing in hundreds, perhaps thousands, even millions of others: all completely unconscious of their dark fate.
What would be a fully human response that might help undo this terrible harm, to attenuate and even reverse it?
These excerpts from an article in the New Republic describe perfectly where we are politically and just how dangerous the situation is. I dread the possibility that the "wild man" in the WH will drop nuclear bombs on Iran:
Trump has survived as long as he has in politics—indeed, he succeeded in the first place—because his support structures were unusually durable. The percentage of people in this country who not only were fine with nativist, authoritarian politics but openly embraced it shot Trump to the top of the GOP polls in late 2015 and has remained basically steady all these years. Millions of people still believe, with White House “spiritual adviser” (we have to put irony quotes around nearly everything these days) Paula White, that Trump is basically Jesus. The right-wing propaganda networks for whom he can do no wrong are still out there, marveling over his infallibility as fulsomely as ever. And of course the Republicans in Congress, with just a few exceptions, still praise him to the heavens.
The opposition arose not in Washington, but in Chicago and Minneapolis, and in the thousands of No Kings Day marches that brought eight million Americans out into the streets. And as Trump is not a normal American politician, this is not a normal political opposition. These millions of Americans aren’t merely against his policies, although they surely are that. They’re against his hatred and lawlessness and corruption, and the moral rot he’s spreading over this country like blight over trees.
A loyal army of followers, a huge disinformation network, and a party of soul-selling cowards can crowd out facts for a long time. But eventually, reality catches up. It’s finally happening. I’d say we should celebrate. But there now arises the question of how he’ll react as reality closes in on him. I fear we haven’t begun to see the worst.
Is "Dear Demented Leader" threatening to drop a nuclear bond on Iran? It sure sounds like it:
President Donald Trump has bumped up the timeline for the end of the Iran war, saying now that it will be over in “days” and if not, he’ll blow up the whole country. Trump made the comments during an interview with ABC News White House Correspondent Rachel Scott on Sunday.
Trump added, “It should be wrapped up in days because no sane group of people could stand the punishment that’s going to rain down on them if it’s not.”
When asked if he would move the deadline, he said “I don’t want to talk about it, they have plenty of time to make a deal. If they don’t want to make a deal — their whole country is gone.”
Yes, it would be a very good thing, but you and I, as the rest of the world knows, the US American citizen doesn’t really give a rat’s patootie about anything but their next Mocha FruFru from Starbucks and their next deliver of crap from Amazon!
What are folks mad about? The fall of human decency? Our place in history? The wonders of humanity? Hardly!
It’s the price of a gallon of gas. That price goes down by November, MAGA not only remains, but gets stronger!
I totally agree with you on your comments here! And to add, it’s all about the fall of techno/materialism which our oligarchs want to feed and continue to profit by - so unfortunately, due to that, all must be changed!
I feel such rage against my fellow Americans, who put this monstrous sociopath in power— even when his character was well known to them. All they gave a damn about was the price of gas. Well, now they’re going to be paying through the nose for it. That’s the only thing they care about, and of course, keeping women and people of color in subordination.
“Maybe next time we have an election more Americans will think more deeply.” Whenever I see the photo of that tiny blue orb floating in the blackness, I wonder why so many of its occupants so easily and often find themselves in the thrall of some deranged petty tyrant.
How I wish I were surrounded by folks that were intelligent enough to give your insightful post their attention and action. I'm afraid in my curmudgeon days (turning 71 next month), that I've lost hope in humanity, in large part, due to the dumbing down of our citizens. It seems like I'm in a constant rerun of 'Idiocracy'. Reading your missives gives me hope, but I must admit it keeps dwindling based on the total inaction of our elected officials.
I don’t get the outrage for this Easter post of Trump’s. He has done literally thousands of worse things just since 2015. Nothing will happen as long as the Republicans are on board for his stuff.
The 1968 astronauts meant well and thought that the words of the Christian Bible were the right words for the moment. They were not. Neil Armstrong’s words were not attached to any religion or god and are more powerful.
"We will have to see" does not build confidence or faith. We will see is a gamble at best. I am sick of the gambling mentality. It reeks with corruption like this administration. Yesterday I read a story where Don Jr joked about gambling on the rescue or capture of the downed Airman. I hope he was joking but if he has any of his father's traits then I would bet he made the bet on the Airman. I will leave it to you to question if he won or lost money on the Airman.
Seeing Earth from Space is still a wonder to me. I remember the first time I saw the first shot of earth from Apollo 8. I was a boy and as a boy, I dreamed of adventure. Star Trek was on weekly and I watched every episode. It was thrilling to think of all the different worlds and civilizations to learn from. I never once thought of attacking without provocation. No that was not the American way. Until it has become the American way. Trump has made America in his image. Not great again but corrupt, impulsive and self-serving. I am not proud of this version of Trump's America and I don't believe our Forefathers would be proud either. America has lost its wonder.
This is a poignant and haunting post. I did not realize that so many significant events occurred in April. Thank you once again, Steve, for the history lesson.
The month is young and we stand at a potential crossroads of disaster. This time we are the ones led by a maniac who is threatening to commit war crimes. Let us hope that we'll make it through without that occurring. In my fantasies I imagine that there are career intelligence officials who are secretly plotting to overthrow this sick, twisted, psychotic regime.
I was reflecting yesterday on the need to call the 25th. Besides having a short term impact on the war, assuming JD Vance is against it, it would have long term impact. It's the only way to look like we are still a functional country.
It is widely agreed that Trump started his war because of one word: "Epstein" (https://www.opednews.com/populum/page.php?f=Trump-s-War-on-Iran-Some-Iran_Iran-War_Trump-Against-Democracy_Trump-And-Iran-260405-925.html). It may have gone on to other ego needs of his, but the achievement of the type of "regime change" in Iran that Trump is demanding (and the wide-eyed Cold Warrior John Bolton is demanding [see The New York Times, April 6, 2026]) has been achieved historically only by full military occupation of a nation (see World War II). And, oh yes, the only way that the US can guarantee the "opening of the Strait" is by having US military forces occupy both sides of it, indefinitely. Small boats, armed with small mines, can keep it functionally blocked indefinitly.
Steve, In your dialog today, will you please spend a bit of time on the notion that a member of the military must only follow a LEGAL order? Whoever is flying the plane, or pushing the button on a destroyer, must take note of the fact that he too is committing a war crime, should he follow an order that is illegal and brings destruction upon civilian infrastructure. What would it look like for one of them to say "NO?"
Columbine also happened in April, intentionally on Hitler’s birthday.
Steve, you are spot on in your brief history of April and in the words that we must ponder while waiting. Thank you for all you do! I wrote to my Senator this morning with the same apprehension:
Senator,
I hope you had a good Easter. I don't think our President did.
Are you OK with the President's social media threats to Iran that would be war crimes if carried out and may be war crimes to even utter in that way? Are you OK with his TACO deadline strategy? Are you OK with changing the Epstein subject by going to war without a plan?
I'm not. I'm sickened by what's being done in my name as a United States citizen. If Iran was to be handled militarily, that would certainly have required strategy, planning, contingencies and consequence recognition. I see none of that. How about you?
I read some of your thoughts via your interview in the local paper. I do appreciate your willingness to be outspoken, to take members of your party to task when they perform poorly. I was, however, a bit dismayed at how deferential you are to President Trump despite your differing opinions about January 6, 2021, but I guess that's just politics.
The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution is also just politics.
I think it's time for you -- and your whole party -- to play some politics to avoid what's inevitable if you don't, and that's a new world order with the United States looking up as a war-criming also ran, a result none of us voted for and something unforeseen at the conclusion of the last administration.
Sincerely,
Your constituent
I cannot imagine a person who would not be moved by this. In particular, that first image of earth from the moon. It is said that it inspired many in the environmental movement and led to the establishment of the EPA.
I CAN imagine a person who would not be moved by this and so can you. It would be a person with a ‘frozen’ conscience, someone whose ordinary human response had been harmed, impaired, impacted, cut-off, and stopped by who knows what — but most assuredly something quite awful, leaving the person in thrall to the forces of Death — seemingly helpless yet drawing in hundreds, perhaps thousands, even millions of others: all completely unconscious of their dark fate.
What would be a fully human response that might help undo this terrible harm, to attenuate and even reverse it?
April 17th approaches, the 47th day of the war.
What an excellent reply.
These excerpts from an article in the New Republic describe perfectly where we are politically and just how dangerous the situation is. I dread the possibility that the "wild man" in the WH will drop nuclear bombs on Iran:
Trump has survived as long as he has in politics—indeed, he succeeded in the first place—because his support structures were unusually durable. The percentage of people in this country who not only were fine with nativist, authoritarian politics but openly embraced it shot Trump to the top of the GOP polls in late 2015 and has remained basically steady all these years. Millions of people still believe, with White House “spiritual adviser” (we have to put irony quotes around nearly everything these days) Paula White, that Trump is basically Jesus. The right-wing propaganda networks for whom he can do no wrong are still out there, marveling over his infallibility as fulsomely as ever. And of course the Republicans in Congress, with just a few exceptions, still praise him to the heavens.
The opposition arose not in Washington, but in Chicago and Minneapolis, and in the thousands of No Kings Day marches that brought eight million Americans out into the streets. And as Trump is not a normal American politician, this is not a normal political opposition. These millions of Americans aren’t merely against his policies, although they surely are that. They’re against his hatred and lawlessness and corruption, and the moral rot he’s spreading over this country like blight over trees.
A loyal army of followers, a huge disinformation network, and a party of soul-selling cowards can crowd out facts for a long time. But eventually, reality catches up. It’s finally happening. I’d say we should celebrate. But there now arises the question of how he’ll react as reality closes in on him. I fear we haven’t begun to see the worst.
https://newrepublic.com/article/208633/trump-presidency-collapse-truth-social-iran?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tnr_daily
I hope Steve just goes full tilt on this one:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/us/fema-gregg-phillips-waffle-house-teleportation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Y1A.9fQU.XRVkvkRWUr2K&smid=nytcore-ios-share
Is there anyone in the entire Trump regime who is not BAT-SHIT CRAZY?
Is "Dear Demented Leader" threatening to drop a nuclear bond on Iran? It sure sounds like it:
President Donald Trump has bumped up the timeline for the end of the Iran war, saying now that it will be over in “days” and if not, he’ll blow up the whole country. Trump made the comments during an interview with ABC News White House Correspondent Rachel Scott on Sunday.
Trump added, “It should be wrapped up in days because no sane group of people could stand the punishment that’s going to rain down on them if it’s not.”
When asked if he would move the deadline, he said “I don’t want to talk about it, they have plenty of time to make a deal. If they don’t want to make a deal — their whole country is gone.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-doubles-down-iran-threat-164902420.html
May 1st: national economic boycotts!!!
Yes, it would be a very good thing, but you and I, as the rest of the world knows, the US American citizen doesn’t really give a rat’s patootie about anything but their next Mocha FruFru from Starbucks and their next deliver of crap from Amazon!
What are folks mad about? The fall of human decency? Our place in history? The wonders of humanity? Hardly!
It’s the price of a gallon of gas. That price goes down by November, MAGA not only remains, but gets stronger!
I totally agree with you on your comments here! And to add, it’s all about the fall of techno/materialism which our oligarchs want to feed and continue to profit by - so unfortunately, due to that, all must be changed!
I feel such rage against my fellow Americans, who put this monstrous sociopath in power— even when his character was well known to them. All they gave a damn about was the price of gas. Well, now they’re going to be paying through the nose for it. That’s the only thing they care about, and of course, keeping women and people of color in subordination.
“Maybe next time we have an election more Americans will think more deeply.” Whenever I see the photo of that tiny blue orb floating in the blackness, I wonder why so many of its occupants so easily and often find themselves in the thrall of some deranged petty tyrant.
How I wish I were surrounded by folks that were intelligent enough to give your insightful post their attention and action. I'm afraid in my curmudgeon days (turning 71 next month), that I've lost hope in humanity, in large part, due to the dumbing down of our citizens. It seems like I'm in a constant rerun of 'Idiocracy'. Reading your missives gives me hope, but I must admit it keeps dwindling based on the total inaction of our elected officials.
I don’t get the outrage for this Easter post of Trump’s. He has done literally thousands of worse things just since 2015. Nothing will happen as long as the Republicans are on board for his stuff.
I
The 1968 astronauts meant well and thought that the words of the Christian Bible were the right words for the moment. They were not. Neil Armstrong’s words were not attached to any religion or god and are more powerful.
"We will have to see" does not build confidence or faith. We will see is a gamble at best. I am sick of the gambling mentality. It reeks with corruption like this administration. Yesterday I read a story where Don Jr joked about gambling on the rescue or capture of the downed Airman. I hope he was joking but if he has any of his father's traits then I would bet he made the bet on the Airman. I will leave it to you to question if he won or lost money on the Airman.
Seeing Earth from Space is still a wonder to me. I remember the first time I saw the first shot of earth from Apollo 8. I was a boy and as a boy, I dreamed of adventure. Star Trek was on weekly and I watched every episode. It was thrilling to think of all the different worlds and civilizations to learn from. I never once thought of attacking without provocation. No that was not the American way. Until it has become the American way. Trump has made America in his image. Not great again but corrupt, impulsive and self-serving. I am not proud of this version of Trump's America and I don't believe our Forefathers would be proud either. America has lost its wonder.
This is a poignant and haunting post. I did not realize that so many significant events occurred in April. Thank you once again, Steve, for the history lesson.
The month is young and we stand at a potential crossroads of disaster. This time we are the ones led by a maniac who is threatening to commit war crimes. Let us hope that we'll make it through without that occurring. In my fantasies I imagine that there are career intelligence officials who are secretly plotting to overthrow this sick, twisted, psychotic regime.
I was reflecting yesterday on the need to call the 25th. Besides having a short term impact on the war, assuming JD Vance is against it, it would have long term impact. It's the only way to look like we are still a functional country.
It is widely agreed that Trump started his war because of one word: "Epstein" (https://www.opednews.com/populum/page.php?f=Trump-s-War-on-Iran-Some-Iran_Iran-War_Trump-Against-Democracy_Trump-And-Iran-260405-925.html). It may have gone on to other ego needs of his, but the achievement of the type of "regime change" in Iran that Trump is demanding (and the wide-eyed Cold Warrior John Bolton is demanding [see The New York Times, April 6, 2026]) has been achieved historically only by full military occupation of a nation (see World War II). And, oh yes, the only way that the US can guarantee the "opening of the Strait" is by having US military forces occupy both sides of it, indefinitely. Small boats, armed with small mines, can keep it functionally blocked indefinitly.
Thank you, Steve.