In October, I made the point that the coming election will be decided by events that haven’t yet occurred, in a contest between two men around whom there is nothing new to learn.
“Deterrence is failing. Ambitious dictators are feeling emboldened in a new era in which they assess America as weak, decaying and indifferent. The American people are deeply divided. The American government is epically dysfunctional. The western alliance is filled with armies that are poorly equipped, trained, and absolutely unprepared to fight.”
Excellent paragraph and great newsletter, Steve. I have a question? Do you think our pathetic Senator from Alabama holding up the promotions of our 300 senior officers helped fuel the dysfunction in the military, leading to the mistake that led to 3 dead servicemen and women and 30 injured at Tower 22?
Everything tells me that TurDville and his religious wing-nut cadre in Congress are the culprits!
I also read about NATO preparing for a post-NATO world with Trump as our leader in 2028. Trump in the gift that keeps on giving to Putin. How anyone could think he isn’t an asset for Russia is absurd; especially giving his track record.
I never thought any US leaders who took the oath to defend our National Interests could ever put Trump’s personal interests above those of our nation; yet here we are. Trump betrayed the Kurds; destroyed our international reputation; and consistently shows why a man without a clue, shouldn’t be the leader of the free world.
Yet Trump and his cadre of sycophants in Congress prove time and again, why the downfall of America is becoming inevitable.
They care little of this country; putting self interest and power above all else.
3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks by Saudi terrorists, and we did nothing. Bush rounded up the Saudis and got them quickly out of the US. Three years later we invaded Iraq! Trump’s son-in-law got billions from the Saudis, and LIV Golf lives in the USA.
Yeah, we’re geniuses when it comes to retaliation!
Im sharing this with 2 of my sons, each living in a battleground state. Powerful and important question. It truly puts people on the spot to critically think and explain their reasoning for decision made.
Just as important, "what do you think is going to happen?"
I try not to project because it is a good way to feed fear. I am not saying we shouldn't prepare and ready ourselves but projection often leads to miscalculation and mistakes made. I believe your knowledge and insight of current situations around the globe are excellent. However, when response comes from the USA, I prefer it to come only after a cost of retaliation assessment is done. The Warhawks in the Republican party sicken me. Especially when they do not have America's best interests in mind when they blurt out their outrage. If they were serious they would not weaken us by supporting policies that only benefit bad actors like Putin, Xi and Iran. Biden is correct by gathering intelligence first then coming up with a plan to strike back decisively.
“Then we are off to the very familiar arms race of escalating allegations and insults, a despotism of irreconcilable individuals who prioritize their self-care above all else.”
Steve, I keep a political journal and have also written an entry in October 5, 2023. I add this to the conversation.
As the 2024 Presidential Election draws closer, the country faces what the results may mean for democracy. The time to worry about that has long passed. Our democracy has already suffered a lethal blow it may never recover from. We have not yet recovered from the Civil War over a century and half ago, and adding this new parallel situation only compounds a recovery of any kind.
What needs to be seriously looked at is, what the world faces with another Trump presidency. If Trump is elected, he is not going to want to ever leave office, and will do anything he can to see that he doesn’t. A dictatorship is the only route he can take to achieve this goal.
This is entirely possible, and if it comes about, the world is in deep trouble. It is more likely than not, Trump will attempt to form an alliance with Russia and China that will present a threat to the rest of the world. Such an alliance would concentrate power of such proportion that NATO would be dissolved and one by one European Countries and Asian Countries would be picked apart, and subjected to the alliance’s will. As key countries, such as Japan, South Korean, England and Germany, are being taken over, all the rest of the world would fall like dominos.
Of course, as soon as all the world is concentrated within the alliance, the alliance will become more unstable. Power knows no bounds. Soon the alliance will begin to compete and argue among themselves.
An alliance of dictators has no rational behavior and the results of inner conflict can only lead to self destruction for the alliance and the planet. Mental instability and nuclear weapons do not mix well. Such destruction would be a form of mercy for the populations living under such an alliance, certainly life would not be worth living under such circumstances. It would be justice served for the alliance elites.
The world order is at stake in the 2024 election and the country as well as the world needs to take seriously the consequences that lie ahead. Ukraine will be the canary in the coal mine. It will be the first to go, with others soon to follow. A global crisis is in the making, and it all starts here.
For a long time the United States has been the one stabilizer for world peace and world order. For all the good it has done, along with some of the bad, it is now going to negate all the good and plunge the world and the planet into ruin. What was once seen as the great hope for civilization is now its biggest threat. This country is a disgrace. For all its strength and power it cannot efficiently and quickly take out the threat that one home grown man poses within its borders, but instead has allowed it to grow and threaten the existence of the planet. It is beyond disgrace, it crosses the line of obscene negligence and counter to all this country ever said it stood for. Shame on us all. We have lost all credibility in the world and in the eyes of our national consciousness.
I agree that the world order is at stake in America’s 2024 election, and that the choice is between democracy and dictatorship. This makes it all the more important that Americans do NOT re-elect the clearly dictatorial monster, Donald Trump as POTUS.
But as a Canadian I do not agree that America is “beyond disgrace”.
Why? Look at us Canadians who are likely about to elect the extreme right-wing conservative Pierre Poilievre as our Prime Minister --- a far-right conservative acolyte who even denies the existence of climate change and will do nothing about it or any of our major problems. Poilievre just blames PM Trudeau’s liberal government for anything and everything, while offering absolutely no suggestions or policies to address any of our pressing problems in Canada.
This is equally disgraceful, and very damaging to all of us on our wonderful but vulnerable little planet that we call our Earth.
I am sad to say that I am ashamed of many of my fellow Canadians. But perhaps as in America, it is incredible stupidity that is the cause of all this widespread insanity.
And this leads to my further question of, Why are so many people so stupid most of the time??
I am embarrassed to say I know little about Canadian politics. Your insight about Pierre Poilievre will shatter the dreams of every Trump-despising American who secretly harbors the belief, "If Trump's elected again, I could always go to Canada--where they're sane."
I am sorry for disillusioning you folks about Canadians —- but perhaps we are a bit more sane than the many Americans who actually love the despicable Trump.
And I still have some hope that the despicable Poilievre will not be elected.
The four words I use when folks go off about Israel: what did (anyone) expect. Last night, on The Rachel Maddow Show, they ran clips of Donald's supporters speaking words like, 'Donald Trump as dictator all the way, this country needs a strong man to knock some sense into people (paraphrasing but you get the gist). Words - in many spaces - have been redefined and repurposed. Now, people seem to think 'dictator' is an acceptable thing to have as a leader of this country. After 25+ years of unregulated internet turning the world into a polluted upside down disaster, what did anyone expect.
"I write often about what might happen next . . . ". "Don't take my word for it . . .". Being of sound mind and judgement, I find your assessments, your painstaking judgements of the daily unfoldings, your speculations soundly concluded upon real events without the bullshit spin wash an oasis in a desert of journalistic malfeasance. I have hoped that the people would become more aware of just how far astray they are being led by a media that is compliant to high money interrests, to their calculated sneerings and trivializations of alarming events, to their omissions when salient events occur.
Media objectivity has given way to manipulation that would furthur threaten our democracy. Should fascism finally prevail, America should see too late how they were betrayed. Thank God you are here. You betray none but our real enemy.
I have a difficult time reading these posts in The Warning. Too scary to contemplate. I try my hardest to save our country and this makes it all seem impossible. That is too frightening.
I think the idea of war might further divide the Republican Party. JD Vance is not a Warhawk. There are other isolationists in the Senate and house who don’t want to get involved. Do we really think DT is a Warhawk? This is one issue/ platform he doesn’t want to stand on. He’ll wait for Biden’s decision and then he will take an opposing position. He is so unpredictable. This crisis in the ME is a mess and we are unraveled.
I agree. Whatever else his failings (and what isn't), The Donald doesn't seem to be a war hawk. I recall Michael Cohen's saying much the same thing. One the other hand, there appears to be no standard of judgment or decency he won't breach in service to his ego and trumped-up image of his manhood. Like quicksand, we are hardly on safe footing.
I reread today's column, as well as your October 8 piece. I'd call them sobering, but how much further sobering is possible? The Texas situation is chilling. It's often written that certain politicians just want power. But to what end? They want power for a reason. What does Mitch McConnell really want? Favors for the rich? I'm sure. An end to legal abortion? I'm not convinced he cares. So what does he really want enough to threaten the post World War II order, enough to abandon Ukraine? Just more favors for his rich donors? I wish I knew. Then maybe we could just give it to him--assuming it wouldn't destroy the world, too.
The western world is unprepared for war because they lazy. They all assumed that the United States would be there to protect them. At the very least we would deter war, terrorism and aggression. But we have become undisciplined, divided and unsure of ourselves.
As always, people like Tom Cotton find it easy to send others to risk their lives knowing they would not have to fight. People rattle their sabres without a clue as the horror that war brings. Perhaps if Tom Cotton was put on the front lines his speech would change.
We seem to learn nothing from history. Therefore we are doomed to repeat it.
If Russia attacks, a NATO country, I believe World War III would begin. Or, at least, the United States would be drawn in deeper into the conflict. This is dreadful. I myself would never have thought that this country would come to such an possible conclusion of another world war.I pray for the country and pray for democracy. God knows.
I don't forsee Iran going to war with the U.S. for one simple reason. While they are ruled by a backward, radical theocracy, the vast majority of the Iranian people admire the West and would like to see a change in government that leads to more ties to the West. If Iranian leadership forces a war with the U.S./NATO, the people would rise up..en massse..and it would be the end of the current Iranian government. Ironically, in the end that could stabilize the region but it would be a long and perilous journey getting there.
We concentrate out musings and warnings on tfg (I just can’t use his vile name!) but we mustn’t forget that he is surrounded by string-pullers who have only nefarious intentions. I don’t for one minute think he can formulate all of the posts he publishes on his own. I don’t believe he has written any of the filth he reads from a teleprompter. No, he is the front man for a cabal that see personal benefits coming from the chaos they inspire.
Although I question his ability to mentally last long enough to be a part of the coming election, there are far too many of his enablers who are most certainly preparing a contingency plan. In the meantime, they are also making connections and building a network of like minded agents of chaos in order to step in when their aging degraded frontman finally runs out of steam.
“Deterrence is failing. Ambitious dictators are feeling emboldened in a new era in which they assess America as weak, decaying and indifferent. The American people are deeply divided. The American government is epically dysfunctional. The western alliance is filled with armies that are poorly equipped, trained, and absolutely unprepared to fight.”
Excellent paragraph and great newsletter, Steve. I have a question? Do you think our pathetic Senator from Alabama holding up the promotions of our 300 senior officers helped fuel the dysfunction in the military, leading to the mistake that led to 3 dead servicemen and women and 30 injured at Tower 22?
Everything tells me that TurDville and his religious wing-nut cadre in Congress are the culprits!
I also read about NATO preparing for a post-NATO world with Trump as our leader in 2028. Trump in the gift that keeps on giving to Putin. How anyone could think he isn’t an asset for Russia is absurd; especially giving his track record.
I never thought any US leaders who took the oath to defend our National Interests could ever put Trump’s personal interests above those of our nation; yet here we are. Trump betrayed the Kurds; destroyed our international reputation; and consistently shows why a man without a clue, shouldn’t be the leader of the free world.
Yet Trump and his cadre of sycophants in Congress prove time and again, why the downfall of America is becoming inevitable.
They care little of this country; putting self interest and power above all else.
Good times!...:)
3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks by Saudi terrorists, and we did nothing. Bush rounded up the Saudis and got them quickly out of the US. Three years later we invaded Iraq! Trump’s son-in-law got billions from the Saudis, and LIV Golf lives in the USA.
Yeah, we’re geniuses when it comes to retaliation!
More like genius grifters.
You and your crystal ball--so accurate and chilling. We Must get off the couch and vote this year--we Must!
“What did you think was going to happen?”
Im sharing this with 2 of my sons, each living in a battleground state. Powerful and important question. It truly puts people on the spot to critically think and explain their reasoning for decision made.
Just as important, "what do you think is going to happen?"
I try not to project because it is a good way to feed fear. I am not saying we shouldn't prepare and ready ourselves but projection often leads to miscalculation and mistakes made. I believe your knowledge and insight of current situations around the globe are excellent. However, when response comes from the USA, I prefer it to come only after a cost of retaliation assessment is done. The Warhawks in the Republican party sicken me. Especially when they do not have America's best interests in mind when they blurt out their outrage. If they were serious they would not weaken us by supporting policies that only benefit bad actors like Putin, Xi and Iran. Biden is correct by gathering intelligence first then coming up with a plan to strike back decisively.
Just wanted to share a good article. Off topic https://apple.news/Ar0YzsW03Sk2PPqtKc3cvhQ
“Then we are off to the very familiar arms race of escalating allegations and insults, a despotism of irreconcilable individuals who prioritize their self-care above all else.”
Thank you
Steve, I keep a political journal and have also written an entry in October 5, 2023. I add this to the conversation.
As the 2024 Presidential Election draws closer, the country faces what the results may mean for democracy. The time to worry about that has long passed. Our democracy has already suffered a lethal blow it may never recover from. We have not yet recovered from the Civil War over a century and half ago, and adding this new parallel situation only compounds a recovery of any kind.
What needs to be seriously looked at is, what the world faces with another Trump presidency. If Trump is elected, he is not going to want to ever leave office, and will do anything he can to see that he doesn’t. A dictatorship is the only route he can take to achieve this goal.
This is entirely possible, and if it comes about, the world is in deep trouble. It is more likely than not, Trump will attempt to form an alliance with Russia and China that will present a threat to the rest of the world. Such an alliance would concentrate power of such proportion that NATO would be dissolved and one by one European Countries and Asian Countries would be picked apart, and subjected to the alliance’s will. As key countries, such as Japan, South Korean, England and Germany, are being taken over, all the rest of the world would fall like dominos.
Of course, as soon as all the world is concentrated within the alliance, the alliance will become more unstable. Power knows no bounds. Soon the alliance will begin to compete and argue among themselves.
An alliance of dictators has no rational behavior and the results of inner conflict can only lead to self destruction for the alliance and the planet. Mental instability and nuclear weapons do not mix well. Such destruction would be a form of mercy for the populations living under such an alliance, certainly life would not be worth living under such circumstances. It would be justice served for the alliance elites.
The world order is at stake in the 2024 election and the country as well as the world needs to take seriously the consequences that lie ahead. Ukraine will be the canary in the coal mine. It will be the first to go, with others soon to follow. A global crisis is in the making, and it all starts here.
For a long time the United States has been the one stabilizer for world peace and world order. For all the good it has done, along with some of the bad, it is now going to negate all the good and plunge the world and the planet into ruin. What was once seen as the great hope for civilization is now its biggest threat. This country is a disgrace. For all its strength and power it cannot efficiently and quickly take out the threat that one home grown man poses within its borders, but instead has allowed it to grow and threaten the existence of the planet. It is beyond disgrace, it crosses the line of obscene negligence and counter to all this country ever said it stood for. Shame on us all. We have lost all credibility in the world and in the eyes of our national consciousness.
Wow. That might be the most powerful, exacting description of the horrendous situation in which we find ourselves.
I agree that the world order is at stake in America’s 2024 election, and that the choice is between democracy and dictatorship. This makes it all the more important that Americans do NOT re-elect the clearly dictatorial monster, Donald Trump as POTUS.
But as a Canadian I do not agree that America is “beyond disgrace”.
Why? Look at us Canadians who are likely about to elect the extreme right-wing conservative Pierre Poilievre as our Prime Minister --- a far-right conservative acolyte who even denies the existence of climate change and will do nothing about it or any of our major problems. Poilievre just blames PM Trudeau’s liberal government for anything and everything, while offering absolutely no suggestions or policies to address any of our pressing problems in Canada.
This is equally disgraceful, and very damaging to all of us on our wonderful but vulnerable little planet that we call our Earth.
I am sad to say that I am ashamed of many of my fellow Canadians. But perhaps as in America, it is incredible stupidity that is the cause of all this widespread insanity.
And this leads to my further question of, Why are so many people so stupid most of the time??
I am embarrassed to say I know little about Canadian politics. Your insight about Pierre Poilievre will shatter the dreams of every Trump-despising American who secretly harbors the belief, "If Trump's elected again, I could always go to Canada--where they're sane."
I am sorry for disillusioning you folks about Canadians —- but perhaps we are a bit more sane than the many Americans who actually love the despicable Trump.
And I still have some hope that the despicable Poilievre will not be elected.
The four words I use when folks go off about Israel: what did (anyone) expect. Last night, on The Rachel Maddow Show, they ran clips of Donald's supporters speaking words like, 'Donald Trump as dictator all the way, this country needs a strong man to knock some sense into people (paraphrasing but you get the gist). Words - in many spaces - have been redefined and repurposed. Now, people seem to think 'dictator' is an acceptable thing to have as a leader of this country. After 25+ years of unregulated internet turning the world into a polluted upside down disaster, what did anyone expect.
They want a dictator to eliminate us.
"I write often about what might happen next . . . ". "Don't take my word for it . . .". Being of sound mind and judgement, I find your assessments, your painstaking judgements of the daily unfoldings, your speculations soundly concluded upon real events without the bullshit spin wash an oasis in a desert of journalistic malfeasance. I have hoped that the people would become more aware of just how far astray they are being led by a media that is compliant to high money interrests, to their calculated sneerings and trivializations of alarming events, to their omissions when salient events occur.
Media objectivity has given way to manipulation that would furthur threaten our democracy. Should fascism finally prevail, America should see too late how they were betrayed. Thank God you are here. You betray none but our real enemy.
I have a difficult time reading these posts in The Warning. Too scary to contemplate. I try my hardest to save our country and this makes it all seem impossible. That is too frightening.
I think the idea of war might further divide the Republican Party. JD Vance is not a Warhawk. There are other isolationists in the Senate and house who don’t want to get involved. Do we really think DT is a Warhawk? This is one issue/ platform he doesn’t want to stand on. He’ll wait for Biden’s decision and then he will take an opposing position. He is so unpredictable. This crisis in the ME is a mess and we are unraveled.
I agree. Whatever else his failings (and what isn't), The Donald doesn't seem to be a war hawk. I recall Michael Cohen's saying much the same thing. One the other hand, there appears to be no standard of judgment or decency he won't breach in service to his ego and trumped-up image of his manhood. Like quicksand, we are hardly on safe footing.
It depends on the war.
He's not anti-Russia or China.
I think he would attack Iran. In fact, he would have already. He did. Several times.
I reread today's column, as well as your October 8 piece. I'd call them sobering, but how much further sobering is possible? The Texas situation is chilling. It's often written that certain politicians just want power. But to what end? They want power for a reason. What does Mitch McConnell really want? Favors for the rich? I'm sure. An end to legal abortion? I'm not convinced he cares. So what does he really want enough to threaten the post World War II order, enough to abandon Ukraine? Just more favors for his rich donors? I wish I knew. Then maybe we could just give it to him--assuming it wouldn't destroy the world, too.
The western world is unprepared for war because they lazy. They all assumed that the United States would be there to protect them. At the very least we would deter war, terrorism and aggression. But we have become undisciplined, divided and unsure of ourselves.
As always, people like Tom Cotton find it easy to send others to risk their lives knowing they would not have to fight. People rattle their sabres without a clue as the horror that war brings. Perhaps if Tom Cotton was put on the front lines his speech would change.
We seem to learn nothing from history. Therefore we are doomed to repeat it.
If Russia attacks, a NATO country, I believe World War III would begin. Or, at least, the United States would be drawn in deeper into the conflict. This is dreadful. I myself would never have thought that this country would come to such an possible conclusion of another world war.I pray for the country and pray for democracy. God knows.
Ukrainians are worried that Putin will be very emboldened if Trump returns and will be very encouraged to invade NATO.
My mother used "What did you think was going to happen?" often.
I don't forsee Iran going to war with the U.S. for one simple reason. While they are ruled by a backward, radical theocracy, the vast majority of the Iranian people admire the West and would like to see a change in government that leads to more ties to the West. If Iranian leadership forces a war with the U.S./NATO, the people would rise up..en massse..and it would be the end of the current Iranian government. Ironically, in the end that could stabilize the region but it would be a long and perilous journey getting there.
I agree, Iran does not have the support of its people to fight a country like the US.
We concentrate out musings and warnings on tfg (I just can’t use his vile name!) but we mustn’t forget that he is surrounded by string-pullers who have only nefarious intentions. I don’t for one minute think he can formulate all of the posts he publishes on his own. I don’t believe he has written any of the filth he reads from a teleprompter. No, he is the front man for a cabal that see personal benefits coming from the chaos they inspire.
Although I question his ability to mentally last long enough to be a part of the coming election, there are far too many of his enablers who are most certainly preparing a contingency plan. In the meantime, they are also making connections and building a network of like minded agents of chaos in order to step in when their aging degraded frontman finally runs out of steam.