Trump's fatal flaw is his boundless ego. Men like President Lincoln and Martin Luther King, in fact all great men, not only are inspired by noble goals but also realize they need the support of the public and important institutions to achieve those goals.
Trump thinks he can get whatever he wants, which is always more power, wealth, recognition, and fame for himself (the Strait of Trump?) by exercising the economic and political might of the United States against other nations as well as its citizenry. He fails to realize that tyranny leads to misery and misery leads to rebellion and rebellion ultimately brings the tyrant to justice.
Other nations will not forever tolerate his arbitrary use of tariffs and military might to bend others to his will. In fact, many are seeking economic deals with nations other than the U.S. as in the case of Canada, our major trading partner. The people of the U.S. are overwhelmingly giving Trump's plans to create a plutocracy, with corruption enriching him and monuments to him on every corner at the expense of the social safety network, a big thumbs down.This regime can't end soon enough
86 Christian nationalism, MAGA, Project 2025 Trump and his inner circle.
He is also causing other nations and their wealthy investors to abandon the dollar in favor of trading in other currencies. That cannot be considered to Make American Great as before or into the future.
There are technically not any Christian Nationalists. They don’t exist.
They’re fascists plain and simple. The only differences are that they have different secret hand gestures / salutes and they wear different uniforms.
They are neither Christian nor nationalist. They are Nazi fascists which dupe people with their own version of ( a ) religion. Jesus would have told them to pluck their ( evil ) eyes out and or tossed over their money changing tables in front of the temple.
Not so long ago, it was not uncommon to hear the Address recited from memory. So common in fact, that many a rote exercise dulled the impact of an exquisitely precise summation on the subject of liberty and the sacrifices necessary to preserve it.
If memory serves, it is inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial which I last visited at age six in 1964. A connection was formed on that day that has lasted a lifetime. I look forward to the next installment of this series.
DJT had some thoughts about Robert E Lee, the greatest villain in American history, the other day. He thinks that he was a great general and if not for Gettysburg he may have led the South to overthrow the United States government. It should come as no surprise to any of us that DJT admires Robert E Lee so much, since they both tried to overthrow the government. Too bad they didn’t punish Lee severely at the time, but since they didn’t we have DJT, who also should have been punished severely for trying to overturn the 2020 election.
Most are aware of the slimeball that CNN keeps on the payroll And so aggravated that viewers turn the channel where the goofball shows up Steve Schmidt over at The Warning substack channel nails it when he views Jennings not as controversial but more a symptom of what MSM has become
”For more than a decade, American media institutions have made a series of catastrophic decisions. They decided that the rise of Donald Trump was good for ratings They decided that every outrageous lie deserved a counterpoint rather than a correction They decided that “balance” meant platforming bad faith alongside good faith, as though the two were morally and intellectually equivalent”
“They created a new class of television personality — performers, not analysts. Agitators, not thinkers People who learned very quickly that the more extreme the claim, the more secure the booking”
“Scott Jennings isn’t an outlier He’s a product of a system that has told him, over and over again, that there will be no consequences That no matter how far he goes, how untethered from reality his arguments become, there will always be another segment, another chair, another paycheck”
Well said Steve Schmidt(https://bit.ly/4cLklEW) But CNN is now owned by the Ellison group so fat chance Jennings will go anywhere but up at CNN How does Anderson Cooper tolerate this?? For a paycheck? WE the People deserve better from MSM but won’t get it WE get our news and viewpoints from places like Substack now
Very well said Steve, based on one of the most important, if not the most important speech in American history. It was given at a watershed moment, an inflection point in our nation’s then short life. Today we face another watershed moment- democracy and its attendant freedoms or autocracy ruled by a few who make all choices and decisions for us. The choice is ours…
This is what should readed and discussed at every history class. Posted as as reminder of the the cause of freedom bury in the ground.
The sacrifice given so our country and visions would survive for the betterment of all it citizens.
The values of the American system are the best in the world. Freedom for the betterment of all humanity. These values have been betray, stain and twisted by greedy and self obsorb by the worst of us.
Great writing. I agree that Lincoln said in 261 words more than anyone could imagine or match in since then! We, as students in the 1950's and 60's, had to memorize "The Gettysburg Address," be able to recite it and to understand Lincoln's probable intent. Lincoln was a VERY interesting person. Did history make the man or the man the history? IMO, in so many cases, it's 50-50. A person draws on so many parts of their experiences, morals, philosophy, ethics, drive, intellect, flexibility, determination, resilience, courage to meet and take action in moments of great consequences in their life and our nation's history.
Becca: I agree. Lincoln and Grant were great figures in our history, especially for their heartfelt efforts to free the slaves, an effort for which successors of theirs fell somewhat short of in the longer term as we witness, with the current fascism which we noe face.
Your question: Did history make the man or the man the history, for these two I would say 50:50. Lincoln and Grant made giant strides to free the former slaves. Prior to that and continuing after that they were two among the many agents of manifest destiny a term which has been interpreted in respect to westward expansion of the US boundary but also domination as an adversary over other nations. (see: https://www.britannica.com/event/Manifest-Destiny/The-end-of-Manifest-Destiny)
That westward expansion was at the greatest cost, and to the detriment of Native Tribes which one can only imagine. A lot of it resulted from a basic racial and cultural hatred and intolerance comparable to that against blacks and other non-Europeans which we have seen on display through our history. Native tribal traditions and territorial holdings, inter-tribal relationships as well as treaties with which many had entered with the US government were all routinely violated, especially where non-Indian settlers willingly violated the terms of such treaties, without being sanctioned by the US Army. Many tribes were forcefully removed from the traditional homelands and moved to remote reservations. The introduction of diseases by non-Indian settlers, sometimes by intent also decimated many populations of Native Americans. This had began since the earliest settlement by Colonists entering the eastern coast from Europe.
The policies to remove Tribal children from their homes and families to send them to tribal schools was an extreme policy to strip the children and ultimately their tribes of their cultural identity. They forbid these children to continue the use of their native language, unique tribal identity and religious beliefs.
I agree with your historical renditions of the inhumanity here in USA and evident everywhere mankind sets a foot. I have always consider humans as a species-homo sapiens. I have not elevated humans to the top of the food chain, totem pole. As a realist, mankind is trying to survive, gain territory, assets, power, control, safety by whatever means possible. Sometimes, groups of humans band together to do 'good' and 'evil' things according to the morals of times. Females, slaves, any minority in an area have always been targets for humans to own, control, benefit from while ignoring their common humanity. I look at humans in the almost exact way I study, watch behavior of animals, insects, all other forms of life trying to survive in their environments. Humans are not extraordinary except for their opposing thumb, speech, brain. We are brainy, animals IMO and should be smarter, better than WE are by now. Humans have ruined so much during their existence on Earth and not added much compared to what we have taken. Sorry to say there are not many pure heros in USA, world history. Every action of mankind however advantageous leaves some destruction of something, someone. Is this a "zero sum" world? "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?" You and I will never know the outcome but I hope the inner beast is tamed and controlled somehow.
I value the words and deeds of Lincoln as the most important example to recall in our hour of need. Lincoln was himself surrounded by doubters, double agents, and people openly aligned against the cause for which he gave his last full measure. We are part of history, and we are not helpless, as Lincoln so beautifully illustrated. On with the new Birth of Freedom.
I can remember reading it in my grade school classes in the 1950's in Ellensburg, Washington. I can also remember one of my best friends at that time, a member of the Yakima Indian Tribe was in a class with me when the teacher was teaching American History.
She spoke of America being first settled by Europeans on the east coast. My friend Ken raised his hand and corrected her saying that Native American Tribes were already inhabiting this continent.
MAGA is always looking for greatness in the past, imagining some halcyon days of yore when America was perfect and ignoring all of the ugliness that went along with it. America is at its best when we look forward to a future where we can be a better nation. Lincoln recognized that we will always be a work in progress and resting our our laurels just encourages the worst of us to claw back the progress we have made.
Trump's fatal flaw is his boundless ego. Men like President Lincoln and Martin Luther King, in fact all great men, not only are inspired by noble goals but also realize they need the support of the public and important institutions to achieve those goals.
Trump thinks he can get whatever he wants, which is always more power, wealth, recognition, and fame for himself (the Strait of Trump?) by exercising the economic and political might of the United States against other nations as well as its citizenry. He fails to realize that tyranny leads to misery and misery leads to rebellion and rebellion ultimately brings the tyrant to justice.
Other nations will not forever tolerate his arbitrary use of tariffs and military might to bend others to his will. In fact, many are seeking economic deals with nations other than the U.S. as in the case of Canada, our major trading partner. The people of the U.S. are overwhelmingly giving Trump's plans to create a plutocracy, with corruption enriching him and monuments to him on every corner at the expense of the social safety network, a big thumbs down.This regime can't end soon enough
86 Christian nationalism, MAGA, Project 2025 Trump and his inner circle.
And particularly “47”. Can’t happen soon enough, as it seems we all say! TU for your post.
He is also causing other nations and their wealthy investors to abandon the dollar in favor of trading in other currencies. That cannot be considered to Make American Great as before or into the future.
'Christian' nationalism = NAT C. H/T to Timothy Richley for that appropriate identification.
There are technically not any Christian Nationalists. They don’t exist.
They’re fascists plain and simple. The only differences are that they have different secret hand gestures / salutes and they wear different uniforms.
They are neither Christian nor nationalist. They are Nazi fascists which dupe people with their own version of ( a ) religion. Jesus would have told them to pluck their ( evil ) eyes out and or tossed over their money changing tables in front of the temple.
Beautifully stated.
Have gotten great response to your CINO appellation. Timothy Richley came up with NAT C, for nationalist christian.
Not so long ago, it was not uncommon to hear the Address recited from memory. So common in fact, that many a rote exercise dulled the impact of an exquisitely precise summation on the subject of liberty and the sacrifices necessary to preserve it.
If memory serves, it is inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial which I last visited at age six in 1964. A connection was formed on that day that has lasted a lifetime. I look forward to the next installment of this series.
I doubt that TFG has ever even read the Gettysburg address. He is not capable of comprehending it in the least.
DJT had some thoughts about Robert E Lee, the greatest villain in American history, the other day. He thinks that he was a great general and if not for Gettysburg he may have led the South to overthrow the United States government. It should come as no surprise to any of us that DJT admires Robert E Lee so much, since they both tried to overthrow the government. Too bad they didn’t punish Lee severely at the time, but since they didn’t we have DJT, who also should have been punished severely for trying to overturn the 2020 election.
Scott Jennings: A Symptom Of MSM Degradation
Most are aware of the slimeball that CNN keeps on the payroll And so aggravated that viewers turn the channel where the goofball shows up Steve Schmidt over at The Warning substack channel nails it when he views Jennings not as controversial but more a symptom of what MSM has become
”For more than a decade, American media institutions have made a series of catastrophic decisions. They decided that the rise of Donald Trump was good for ratings They decided that every outrageous lie deserved a counterpoint rather than a correction They decided that “balance” meant platforming bad faith alongside good faith, as though the two were morally and intellectually equivalent”
“They created a new class of television personality — performers, not analysts. Agitators, not thinkers People who learned very quickly that the more extreme the claim, the more secure the booking”
“Scott Jennings isn’t an outlier He’s a product of a system that has told him, over and over again, that there will be no consequences That no matter how far he goes, how untethered from reality his arguments become, there will always be another segment, another chair, another paycheck”
Well said Steve Schmidt(https://bit.ly/4cLklEW) But CNN is now owned by the Ellison group so fat chance Jennings will go anywhere but up at CNN How does Anderson Cooper tolerate this?? For a paycheck? WE the People deserve better from MSM but won’t get it WE get our news and viewpoints from places like Substack now
Very well said Steve, based on one of the most important, if not the most important speech in American history. It was given at a watershed moment, an inflection point in our nation’s then short life. Today we face another watershed moment- democracy and its attendant freedoms or autocracy ruled by a few who make all choices and decisions for us. The choice is ours…
This is what should readed and discussed at every history class. Posted as as reminder of the the cause of freedom bury in the ground.
The sacrifice given so our country and visions would survive for the betterment of all it citizens.
The values of the American system are the best in the world. Freedom for the betterment of all humanity. These values have been betray, stain and twisted by greedy and self obsorb by the worst of us.
Great writing. I agree that Lincoln said in 261 words more than anyone could imagine or match in since then! We, as students in the 1950's and 60's, had to memorize "The Gettysburg Address," be able to recite it and to understand Lincoln's probable intent. Lincoln was a VERY interesting person. Did history make the man or the man the history? IMO, in so many cases, it's 50-50. A person draws on so many parts of their experiences, morals, philosophy, ethics, drive, intellect, flexibility, determination, resilience, courage to meet and take action in moments of great consequences in their life and our nation's history.
Becca: I agree. Lincoln and Grant were great figures in our history, especially for their heartfelt efforts to free the slaves, an effort for which successors of theirs fell somewhat short of in the longer term as we witness, with the current fascism which we noe face.
Your question: Did history make the man or the man the history, for these two I would say 50:50. Lincoln and Grant made giant strides to free the former slaves. Prior to that and continuing after that they were two among the many agents of manifest destiny a term which has been interpreted in respect to westward expansion of the US boundary but also domination as an adversary over other nations. (see: https://www.britannica.com/event/Manifest-Destiny/The-end-of-Manifest-Destiny)
That westward expansion was at the greatest cost, and to the detriment of Native Tribes which one can only imagine. A lot of it resulted from a basic racial and cultural hatred and intolerance comparable to that against blacks and other non-Europeans which we have seen on display through our history. Native tribal traditions and territorial holdings, inter-tribal relationships as well as treaties with which many had entered with the US government were all routinely violated, especially where non-Indian settlers willingly violated the terms of such treaties, without being sanctioned by the US Army. Many tribes were forcefully removed from the traditional homelands and moved to remote reservations. The introduction of diseases by non-Indian settlers, sometimes by intent also decimated many populations of Native Americans. This had began since the earliest settlement by Colonists entering the eastern coast from Europe.
The policies to remove Tribal children from their homes and families to send them to tribal schools was an extreme policy to strip the children and ultimately their tribes of their cultural identity. They forbid these children to continue the use of their native language, unique tribal identity and religious beliefs.
I agree with your historical renditions of the inhumanity here in USA and evident everywhere mankind sets a foot. I have always consider humans as a species-homo sapiens. I have not elevated humans to the top of the food chain, totem pole. As a realist, mankind is trying to survive, gain territory, assets, power, control, safety by whatever means possible. Sometimes, groups of humans band together to do 'good' and 'evil' things according to the morals of times. Females, slaves, any minority in an area have always been targets for humans to own, control, benefit from while ignoring their common humanity. I look at humans in the almost exact way I study, watch behavior of animals, insects, all other forms of life trying to survive in their environments. Humans are not extraordinary except for their opposing thumb, speech, brain. We are brainy, animals IMO and should be smarter, better than WE are by now. Humans have ruined so much during their existence on Earth and not added much compared to what we have taken. Sorry to say there are not many pure heros in USA, world history. Every action of mankind however advantageous leaves some destruction of something, someone. Is this a "zero sum" world? "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?" You and I will never know the outcome but I hope the inner beast is tamed and controlled somehow.
The trouble is that humans are brainy- but they are not wise - with a few exceptions including Steve Schmidt.
I value the words and deeds of Lincoln as the most important example to recall in our hour of need. Lincoln was himself surrounded by doubters, double agents, and people openly aligned against the cause for which he gave his last full measure. We are part of history, and we are not helpless, as Lincoln so beautifully illustrated. On with the new Birth of Freedom.
Thanks a lot for making me cry this morning.😢
Thank you Steve.
We memorized it in high school English and it has not lost its beauty.
I can remember reading it in my grade school classes in the 1950's in Ellensburg, Washington. I can also remember one of my best friends at that time, a member of the Yakima Indian Tribe was in a class with me when the teacher was teaching American History.
She spoke of America being first settled by Europeans on the east coast. My friend Ken raised his hand and corrected her saying that Native American Tribes were already inhabiting this continent.
I've read it before, but it gave me goosebumps this time.
Bravo, Steve, bravo!!
MAGA is always looking for greatness in the past, imagining some halcyon days of yore when America was perfect and ignoring all of the ugliness that went along with it. America is at its best when we look forward to a future where we can be a better nation. Lincoln recognized that we will always be a work in progress and resting our our laurels just encourages the worst of us to claw back the progress we have made.
Great post. Thanks Steve.