Definitely, instead of making America great again, we need to focus on making America GOOD. That would solve not only many of the US's domestic problems, but it would solve many of the world's.
Let me ask You the same question i asked Bill earlier:
First of all, when exactly would You say that America was EVER “good, as in morally just and decent”? How far back in history do we need to go to find that?
In my opinion, jg. the USA was never “good”. It was founded on the qualities of deceit, theft, violence, (feel free to other qualities), and white supremacy. Colonial expansion required the ethnic cleansing and genocide of indigenous populations. The American Revolution was a unified response by northern and southern landowners who feared Britain’s imminent path to abolition following the Somerset Case. I guess I convinced myself that America was "good" prior to European colonization.🤷🏼♂️
Damn Bill...I know you will say no, but goodness gracious I would love to see you at the helm of the USS Titanica and steer us into better waters!!! One of the best posts you have ever done!! A tip of my Scots bonnet to you and deep thanks for your writing and your passion for peace.
Just to reflect a moment - today is the state funeral of Jimmy Carter. Attending the funeral of the last decent man who was President (in spite of some grievous mistakes when President) are five men who should all be facing prison time - not a decent one in the bunch.
I fear we are past the Titanic moment, but many are sitting in first-class and aren't yet aware the ship is going down. I read this morning Syria may become the next battleground between the US and Israel with Turkey - as national visions compete. And it only gets worse from there with other conflict areas. The best that can be hoped is that a lot of Trump's ravings are just part of his 'wild man' negotiating technique.
One thought on DOGE. I listened to Whitney Webb and what she's found (in the public space) - the real goal of DOGE is to support what's essentially a technocratic fascism that the billionaires want to impose through AI. Efficiencies will come in DOGE through replacing people with AI systems that take over decision making. It sounds 'Black Mirror', but the only thing more powerful than AI systems are the egos of the owners of the billionaire class.
"They say fascism will come to America only if it’s wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross,..."
Funny, I thought fascism came to America dressed in an Armani suit and carrying a briefcase full of cash, considering how lobbyists for the wealthy have pretty much full control over the government, and therefore where the military goes looking for resources. Silly me.
Excellent think-piece, Bill. Permit me to ask some questions and make some observations about it.
1. First of all, when exactly would You say that America was EVER “good, as in morally just and decent”? How far back in history do we need to go to find that?
2. You asked: “Why is America spending nearly $2 trillion on planet-destroying nuclear weapons?”
Because virtually every dime of that $2 TRILLION is going into the pockets of the workers, supervisors, managers, executives, and shareholders of America’s Military Industrial Congressional Complex. Just like every dime spent since 9/11 on the “Forever War” went into those same pockets, or the pockets of American Flunkies in positions of leadership in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, etc, and most recently, Ukraine, Israel, and our new-found allies in Syria, aka al-Qaeda.
3. What’s the likelihood of Trump ~ or any other President ~ stopping America from being #1 when it comes to international arms sales when, again, virtually every dime is going into the pockets of those same folks in the MICC? That’s what the MICC exists to do: to make lots and lots of money. Or else into the pockets of America’s Flunkies in Israel and Ukraine?
4. As much money as the US spends on “defense and security,” it is now spending more on Interest on the National Debt than it is on “defense and security” and Medicare. See the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s report ~ INTEREST COSTS JUST SURPASSED DEFENSE AND MEDICARE for details at https://www.crfb.org/blogs/interest-costs-just-surpassed-defense-and-medicare .
5. The only way to get the Pentagon to pass an audit ~ and find those $2 TRILLION worth of missing assets ~ is to put the senior leadership ~ starting with the Secretary of Defense ~ in jail if it doesn’t pass it’s next audit. Ie, the next DoD audit should focus on finding illegal, immoral, criminal activity; and put the perpetrators of that activity ~ present and past ~ in prison.
6. For the sense in having 800 military bases around the world, see Item 2 above.
7. An American military that has “come home” and leaves the world to settle its own affairs will put ZERO money into the pockets of the MICC and America’s Flunkies in the nations in which those bases are located.
8. It is unlikely that either Musk or Trump even know what a “win-win scenario” is. That is not how they made their fortunes.
9. Fascism has already come to America. “Wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” is but one of the ways it got here.
10. The ONLY way this government and its military are going to become “less predatory” and not reap the killing, maiming, or displacing of millions all over the Planet is, as You said, Bill, if a Critical Mass of Americans DEMAND that of its elected politicians, entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and anointed judicial appointees. And then make sure that that is exactly what happens.
And at this point in America’s history, the likelihood of that happening is slim to none. And the primary reason for that is that the American Peoples have neither Blood nor Treasure involved in The Game.
The only Americans who are getting killed or physically and psychologically maimed in all of America’s Wars are in the military by personal choice, not because they were conscripted into Involuntary Servitude.
And virtually every dime that has been spent on America’s Wars since 9/11 has not cost the American Taxpayer a penny. That’s what the magic of Deficit Spending and putting everything on Uncle Sam’s credit card ~ aka, the Sovereign, National Debt ~ is all about.
11. At this point, it is hard to even imagine the American Peoples demanding Anything from the people who run its Government. This Nation hit that Iceberg quite some time ago and the process of sinking into that “ice-cold watery grave” is well underway.
At this stage, some Questions Americans need to start asking Themselves, their Families and Loved Ones, their Friends and Neighbors, and Colleagues, Cohorts, and Compeers are:
~ Will the United States survive to celebrate its 250th Birthday on July 4, 2026, 541 days from today? And if it does, will the American Peoples be in any condition or mood to celebrate anything?
~ Given what the United States has inflicted, perpetrated, and perpetuated on this Planet starting with Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, SHOULD it survive?
In truth, no country is ever universally "good," let alone "great." But surely we could do more to honor the ideals that we're supposed to live by, e.g. the Bill of Rights, the idea of democracy, justice, etc.
The #1 place to start is to end America's wars everywhere.
The Only way America's Wars everywhere are going to end is if America's system of Government and Governance is changed. Changing the people who run that Government will change absolutely nothing. The last 80 years demonstrates that quite clearly and convincingly.
This is where the Declaration of Independence's declaration that "it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [the existing Government], and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness" becomes applicable.
Well, if it was easy, Anybody could do it, and it would have been done by now.
i think an excellent place to start would be the Declaration of Independence. Especially the part that reads:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-
"-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -\
"-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
I think George Bush gave the game away when he said - in late 2001 after 9/11 - as a response to the attacks, Americans should just go shopping. Nothing to see here, move along. It seems as if many were more than happy to do so.
Regarding the debt. A financial newsletter I read said that even if the USG halved the military budget, closed all overseas bases, and DOGE actually found millions in waste, it wouldn't really affect debt reduction. In 2025 there is about $10 trillion in debt is coming due - to be refinanced at higher interest rates.
Yes, the National Debt is worthy of declaration of a National Emergency! But instead Trump vows to use such a method to ramp up the war on the poor and desperate who have entered the country without official gov't sanction.
In this comment, I address point six. If military spending is cut and the number of overseas bases reduced, then what becomes of those troops? Bring them back home, declare them to be heroes, and then what? There is nothing for them "back home." The establishment of something like the old civilian conservation corps is a pipe dream. What marketable, non-military skills do they possess? What real use are they except as a constant reminder to our "allies" and clients that the US of A is a dangerous partner whose military record since 1945 is filled with ravaged countrysides, more corpses than you can shake a stick at, and a stream of "so long, it's been nice knowin' ya" withdrawals.
No, as sensible as these suggestions are, and as much as I would like to see them implemented for the sake of my grandchildren, the inmates are in charge of the asylum, there are no adults in the room.
(And while I'm at it, as regards Gaza and the Palestinians, it's quite clear no one within The Beltway cares. And as far as outside The Beltway and anywhere else in the world goes, there's little real support for the soon-to-be-vanquished. A lot of lip service, but no International or Abraham Lincoln Brigades rushing to their aid. The eyes that count are on the Ukraine-Russia dust-up and the murmured threat of the use of nuclear weapons. Gaza, Palestine, and its people are already a footnote to history. )
I believe the larger point you make is correct - that jobs are few for those here or returning from overseas. But, in terms of actual skills of those deployed, the proportion of the combat arms are relatively small (for all branches of the military). Many overseas bases are filled with people that have skills that can translate to civilian jobs - mechanics, electronics technicians, medical jobs, logistics and materials, and so on.
JEALOUS TRUMP THROWS OWN STATE FUNERAL TO UPSTAGE CARTER’S
WASHINGTON—Peeking out of his coffin with one eye open, a jealous President-elect Donald Trump reportedly threw his own state funeral Thursday in an effort to upstage the late Jimmy Carter’s ceremony. “I’m way deader than he is,” mumbled Trump, who lay at the opposite end of the National Cathedral as his senior aides attempted to persuade Carter funeral attendees to leave their seats and pay respects to the 45th president. “This coffin sure is impressive, isn’t it? The guy in here must be super beloved. We’re going to need way more than a national day of mourning. More like a month—but who knows, maybe my mourners will demand a year.” At press time, reports confirmed Trump had sat up in the coffin to deliver his own eulogy.
"...if this country will be the national equivalent of the Titanic, post-iceberg — meaning that our fate is sealed."
I think we're past the point of "ifs," Bill.
I'm surprised that you'd allow, even for a minute, even skeptically, that DOGE is a legitimate undertaking. It's merely another grift, all the while implementing the Project 2025 goals. A "fresh start" under t***p? You've gotta be kidding!
The most cogent, sadly true observation in Bill's original post is (paraphrasing) "Good luck seeing any of these changes actually materialize." And yes, Fascism with the Cross of Jesus wrapped in the US flag is indeed here, embodied in one Donald J. Trump. "Christian (white supremacist) Nationalism" all too easily found wide open welcoming arms in the Modern Republican Party. Is it any wonder many around the world of the Islamic faith feel under the threat of the New Crusaders (language Mr. Hegseth has used openly)? The only thing resembling motivation to reduce Federal Gov't waste and inefficiency--and make no mistake, I am well aware of its colossal proportions, I'm not a proponent of Big Gov't Spending--in the Musk-Trump camp is so they can argue that the savings justify further reductions in tax rates on their fellow billionaires. Quite a few of whom have already achieved the status of lower tax rates than ordinary working folks. Boy, that will sure Make America Great Again, huh?!?
Definitely, instead of making America great again, we need to focus on making America GOOD. That would solve not only many of the US's domestic problems, but it would solve many of the world's.
i notice that You didn't add "AGAIN" to "GOOD."
Let me ask You the same question i asked Bill earlier:
First of all, when exactly would You say that America was EVER “good, as in morally just and decent”? How far back in history do we need to go to find that?
In my opinion, jg. the USA was never “good”. It was founded on the qualities of deceit, theft, violence, (feel free to other qualities), and white supremacy. Colonial expansion required the ethnic cleansing and genocide of indigenous populations. The American Revolution was a unified response by northern and southern landowners who feared Britain’s imminent path to abolition following the Somerset Case. I guess I convinced myself that America was "good" prior to European colonization.🤷🏼♂️
Damn Bill...I know you will say no, but goodness gracious I would love to see you at the helm of the USS Titanica and steer us into better waters!!! One of the best posts you have ever done!! A tip of my Scots bonnet to you and deep thanks for your writing and your passion for peace.
I'll second that.
Just to reflect a moment - today is the state funeral of Jimmy Carter. Attending the funeral of the last decent man who was President (in spite of some grievous mistakes when President) are five men who should all be facing prison time - not a decent one in the bunch.
I fear we are past the Titanic moment, but many are sitting in first-class and aren't yet aware the ship is going down. I read this morning Syria may become the next battleground between the US and Israel with Turkey - as national visions compete. And it only gets worse from there with other conflict areas. The best that can be hoped is that a lot of Trump's ravings are just part of his 'wild man' negotiating technique.
One thought on DOGE. I listened to Whitney Webb and what she's found (in the public space) - the real goal of DOGE is to support what's essentially a technocratic fascism that the billionaires want to impose through AI. Efficiencies will come in DOGE through replacing people with AI systems that take over decision making. It sounds 'Black Mirror', but the only thing more powerful than AI systems are the egos of the owners of the billionaire class.
"They say fascism will come to America only if it’s wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross,..."
Funny, I thought fascism came to America dressed in an Armani suit and carrying a briefcase full of cash, considering how lobbyists for the wealthy have pretty much full control over the government, and therefore where the military goes looking for resources. Silly me.
Excellent think-piece, Bill. Permit me to ask some questions and make some observations about it.
1. First of all, when exactly would You say that America was EVER “good, as in morally just and decent”? How far back in history do we need to go to find that?
2. You asked: “Why is America spending nearly $2 trillion on planet-destroying nuclear weapons?”
Because virtually every dime of that $2 TRILLION is going into the pockets of the workers, supervisors, managers, executives, and shareholders of America’s Military Industrial Congressional Complex. Just like every dime spent since 9/11 on the “Forever War” went into those same pockets, or the pockets of American Flunkies in positions of leadership in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, etc, and most recently, Ukraine, Israel, and our new-found allies in Syria, aka al-Qaeda.
3. What’s the likelihood of Trump ~ or any other President ~ stopping America from being #1 when it comes to international arms sales when, again, virtually every dime is going into the pockets of those same folks in the MICC? That’s what the MICC exists to do: to make lots and lots of money. Or else into the pockets of America’s Flunkies in Israel and Ukraine?
4. As much money as the US spends on “defense and security,” it is now spending more on Interest on the National Debt than it is on “defense and security” and Medicare. See the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s report ~ INTEREST COSTS JUST SURPASSED DEFENSE AND MEDICARE for details at https://www.crfb.org/blogs/interest-costs-just-surpassed-defense-and-medicare .
5. The only way to get the Pentagon to pass an audit ~ and find those $2 TRILLION worth of missing assets ~ is to put the senior leadership ~ starting with the Secretary of Defense ~ in jail if it doesn’t pass it’s next audit. Ie, the next DoD audit should focus on finding illegal, immoral, criminal activity; and put the perpetrators of that activity ~ present and past ~ in prison.
6. For the sense in having 800 military bases around the world, see Item 2 above.
7. An American military that has “come home” and leaves the world to settle its own affairs will put ZERO money into the pockets of the MICC and America’s Flunkies in the nations in which those bases are located.
8. It is unlikely that either Musk or Trump even know what a “win-win scenario” is. That is not how they made their fortunes.
9. Fascism has already come to America. “Wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” is but one of the ways it got here.
10. The ONLY way this government and its military are going to become “less predatory” and not reap the killing, maiming, or displacing of millions all over the Planet is, as You said, Bill, if a Critical Mass of Americans DEMAND that of its elected politicians, entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and anointed judicial appointees. And then make sure that that is exactly what happens.
And at this point in America’s history, the likelihood of that happening is slim to none. And the primary reason for that is that the American Peoples have neither Blood nor Treasure involved in The Game.
The only Americans who are getting killed or physically and psychologically maimed in all of America’s Wars are in the military by personal choice, not because they were conscripted into Involuntary Servitude.
And virtually every dime that has been spent on America’s Wars since 9/11 has not cost the American Taxpayer a penny. That’s what the magic of Deficit Spending and putting everything on Uncle Sam’s credit card ~ aka, the Sovereign, National Debt ~ is all about.
11. At this point, it is hard to even imagine the American Peoples demanding Anything from the people who run its Government. This Nation hit that Iceberg quite some time ago and the process of sinking into that “ice-cold watery grave” is well underway.
At this stage, some Questions Americans need to start asking Themselves, their Families and Loved Ones, their Friends and Neighbors, and Colleagues, Cohorts, and Compeers are:
~ Will the United States survive to celebrate its 250th Birthday on July 4, 2026, 541 days from today? And if it does, will the American Peoples be in any condition or mood to celebrate anything?
~ Given what the United States has inflicted, perpetrated, and perpetuated on this Planet starting with Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, SHOULD it survive?
Yes, Jeff, it's not going to be easy, is it?
In truth, no country is ever universally "good," let alone "great." But surely we could do more to honor the ideals that we're supposed to live by, e.g. the Bill of Rights, the idea of democracy, justice, etc.
The #1 place to start is to end America's wars everywhere.
The Only way America's Wars everywhere are going to end is if America's system of Government and Governance is changed. Changing the people who run that Government will change absolutely nothing. The last 80 years demonstrates that quite clearly and convincingly.
This is where the Declaration of Independence's declaration that "it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [the existing Government], and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness" becomes applicable.
Well, if it was easy, Anybody could do it, and it would have been done by now.
i think an excellent place to start would be the Declaration of Independence. Especially the part that reads:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-
"-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -\
"-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
I think George Bush gave the game away when he said - in late 2001 after 9/11 - as a response to the attacks, Americans should just go shopping. Nothing to see here, move along. It seems as if many were more than happy to do so.
Regarding the debt. A financial newsletter I read said that even if the USG halved the military budget, closed all overseas bases, and DOGE actually found millions in waste, it wouldn't really affect debt reduction. In 2025 there is about $10 trillion in debt is coming due - to be refinanced at higher interest rates.
Invade Greenland and seize the Panama Canal, then sell them to China for $10 trillion?
A possible solution :-)
Heh. You definitely have all the makings of a Presidential Advisor, Bill.
i hear the White House-To Be is always looking for a few good men.
I'm finally speaking their language!
Yes, the National Debt is worthy of declaration of a National Emergency! But instead Trump vows to use such a method to ramp up the war on the poor and desperate who have entered the country without official gov't sanction.
As Bill recently noted, Gregory: America's Wars are typically our Bazookas versus their Cap Guns.
In this comment, I address point six. If military spending is cut and the number of overseas bases reduced, then what becomes of those troops? Bring them back home, declare them to be heroes, and then what? There is nothing for them "back home." The establishment of something like the old civilian conservation corps is a pipe dream. What marketable, non-military skills do they possess? What real use are they except as a constant reminder to our "allies" and clients that the US of A is a dangerous partner whose military record since 1945 is filled with ravaged countrysides, more corpses than you can shake a stick at, and a stream of "so long, it's been nice knowin' ya" withdrawals.
No, as sensible as these suggestions are, and as much as I would like to see them implemented for the sake of my grandchildren, the inmates are in charge of the asylum, there are no adults in the room.
(And while I'm at it, as regards Gaza and the Palestinians, it's quite clear no one within The Beltway cares. And as far as outside The Beltway and anywhere else in the world goes, there's little real support for the soon-to-be-vanquished. A lot of lip service, but no International or Abraham Lincoln Brigades rushing to their aid. The eyes that count are on the Ukraine-Russia dust-up and the murmured threat of the use of nuclear weapons. Gaza, Palestine, and its people are already a footnote to history. )
I believe the larger point you make is correct - that jobs are few for those here or returning from overseas. But, in terms of actual skills of those deployed, the proportion of the combat arms are relatively small (for all branches of the military). Many overseas bases are filled with people that have skills that can translate to civilian jobs - mechanics, electronics technicians, medical jobs, logistics and materials, and so on.
This just in... :
JEALOUS TRUMP THROWS OWN STATE FUNERAL TO UPSTAGE CARTER’S
WASHINGTON—Peeking out of his coffin with one eye open, a jealous President-elect Donald Trump reportedly threw his own state funeral Thursday in an effort to upstage the late Jimmy Carter’s ceremony. “I’m way deader than he is,” mumbled Trump, who lay at the opposite end of the National Cathedral as his senior aides attempted to persuade Carter funeral attendees to leave their seats and pay respects to the 45th president. “This coffin sure is impressive, isn’t it? The guy in here must be super beloved. We’re going to need way more than a national day of mourning. More like a month—but who knows, maybe my mourners will demand a year.” At press time, reports confirmed Trump had sat up in the coffin to deliver his own eulogy.
Source: https://theonion.com/jealous-trump-throws-own-state-funeral-to-upstage-carters/
"...if this country will be the national equivalent of the Titanic, post-iceberg — meaning that our fate is sealed."
I think we're past the point of "ifs," Bill.
I'm surprised that you'd allow, even for a minute, even skeptically, that DOGE is a legitimate undertaking. It's merely another grift, all the while implementing the Project 2025 goals. A "fresh start" under t***p? You've gotta be kidding!
Not so much kidding as dreaming, Denise.
The most cogent, sadly true observation in Bill's original post is (paraphrasing) "Good luck seeing any of these changes actually materialize." And yes, Fascism with the Cross of Jesus wrapped in the US flag is indeed here, embodied in one Donald J. Trump. "Christian (white supremacist) Nationalism" all too easily found wide open welcoming arms in the Modern Republican Party. Is it any wonder many around the world of the Islamic faith feel under the threat of the New Crusaders (language Mr. Hegseth has used openly)? The only thing resembling motivation to reduce Federal Gov't waste and inefficiency--and make no mistake, I am well aware of its colossal proportions, I'm not a proponent of Big Gov't Spending--in the Musk-Trump camp is so they can argue that the savings justify further reductions in tax rates on their fellow billionaires. Quite a few of whom have already achieved the status of lower tax rates than ordinary working folks. Boy, that will sure Make America Great Again, huh?!?
No disagreement here.