Hegseth (and Trump, et al) are the perfect manifestation of how diseased our society has become. Of course, not everyone in a society will be infected (at least visibly so); and many retain the human values of empathy, compassion and charity, along with critical thinking ability.
Yet even those immune to the societal mind- and soul-rot are not left unscathed; and so many of those will likely feel almost powerlessness given the extraordinary degree to which the Empire's war machine has been integrated into so much of the society- its economy, its language and very identity.
The fact is that these conditions are systemic. They can't be reversed by, say, the use of the ballot box - because the system works to ensure that none of the limited choices offered will be a threat to that system.
Still, despite this bleak understanding, it is indeed heartening to know that others care as much as we feel we do. That the dysfunction (and evil) are seen and resisted in whatever ways we may find is a seed of hope for me. May such seeds find plenty of fertile ground, water and light.
At the risk of being redundant (!), I'll quote Gore Vidal yet again: "The United States has one party, the Party of Property. And it has two right wings." Thus the endless march of the War Machine whether the occupant of the White House is labeled Democrat or Republican.
Until his morale improves - and then forgets it did (with Lindsey Graham whispering sweetly into his ear about his near divinity).
I find it bitterly amusing this is the first war in 70 years that hasn't been on television - at least for US audiences. No 'embedded' "journalists" assigned to Air Force squadrons or embarked on Navy combatants. Little to no reporting on the ground from UAE, Israel, or Iran.
Nowhere in any of it - after combat operations were supposedly over until this week - have there been any reports on actual US losses beyond a few aircraft and the initial casualties from February. There are credible reports the Lincoln was hit - no laundry fire lasts 60 hours; other surface combatants have been reported the same. How many aircraft have actually been destroyed?
I wonder if we'll ever really know. And what have the families of those lost been told - if they've even been told.
And what of the senior military 'leadership' that has stood by while all this has been going on? I suppose like former general Jack Keane - waiting to retire to become 'military experts' on cable news.
That's an important observation, Tom. Of course, the complete lack of transparency is now SOP. They learned from the Viet Nam problem... too many citizens got uppity when they saw first hand the body counts, and even the horrors inflicted by our own.
But an informed body public is a critical part of democracy, and TPTB absolutely HATE democracy.
Hi Roger, indeed. I read somewhere that Vietnam was the lesson they used for the 'embedded reporters' in the first and second Gulf Wars. Now with this crew, they don't even do that.
Well golly, the families of the few US casualties in this affair will receive the standard issue: the flag that was draped on their coffins. And their deceased loved ones will always be hailed as "heroes." :-(
From my limited forays into MSM these days, I understand that regardless of what brought that chopper down the US deemed it "hostile action" and launched new attacks on Iranian territory.
Nope, nothing official. But the story they were hit by a drone, crashed into the Strait, escaped from the aircraft with rotors above them, and were rescued by a US drone boat - all without any injury seems more than improbable.
Yellow journalism has reach new heights in the new Iran War.
So many videos on social media alleged to be from unrelated events and dates.
A helicopter got struck, or maybe it just had a technical failure.
No boats are getting through the blockade, or maybe hundreds actually, and maybe without paying a toll.
The US hit a school killing 150+ kids, or no it was an Iranian counter-missile weapon, ok three of them, and they have the signature of US munitions, but that's a coincidence, or no it happened but it was human error, or no it was AI kill chain error from old intel.
When people can't even sort out basic facts they tend to stop believing any of it and turn away, which results in very few people having any conviction to care about what has happened. This creates the impression people support the war when in fact almost nobody does.
Secretary Hogsbreath did not answer the question. He never explained how attacking civilian infrastructure would not be a war crime. Mostly because neither he nor his colleagues care about harming civilians (don't ever let them forget the Minab school massacre). Because the US gets to decide what constitute a war crime on "its terms". It's simple when you're Team Hegemon.
And they continue to kill fishermen in the eastern Pacific who are suspected (the only criteria now for being murdered) of smuggling drugs in open boats.
Bill, you may have mentioned this film before, but I recently watched it again and it is one of the very best investigations of how the US and the UK ousted the democratically elected leader of Iran in 1953 along with some good historical overview of Iran as well. A bit off topic of what you posted today, but hope it will be of use. And of course we are committing war crimes continually--not just in Iran but in other parts of the world as well.
Hegseth knows big words like "disingenuous"?? Holy moly!! WAR CRIMES are among the USA's leading exports these days. For a long, long time. After all, an UNJUSTIFIED WAR OF AGGRESSION is at the top of the list of how international authorities, the UN, etc. define war crimes. And every war our country has engaged in since the end of WW II fits this bill. Yes, starting with the Korean Peninsula, which remains artificially divided to this day at the insistence of USA.
Hegseth (and Trump, et al) are the perfect manifestation of how diseased our society has become. Of course, not everyone in a society will be infected (at least visibly so); and many retain the human values of empathy, compassion and charity, along with critical thinking ability.
Yet even those immune to the societal mind- and soul-rot are not left unscathed; and so many of those will likely feel almost powerlessness given the extraordinary degree to which the Empire's war machine has been integrated into so much of the society- its economy, its language and very identity.
The fact is that these conditions are systemic. They can't be reversed by, say, the use of the ballot box - because the system works to ensure that none of the limited choices offered will be a threat to that system.
Still, despite this bleak understanding, it is indeed heartening to know that others care as much as we feel we do. That the dysfunction (and evil) are seen and resisted in whatever ways we may find is a seed of hope for me. May such seeds find plenty of fertile ground, water and light.
At the risk of being redundant (!), I'll quote Gore Vidal yet again: "The United States has one party, the Party of Property. And it has two right wings." Thus the endless march of the War Machine whether the occupant of the White House is labeled Democrat or Republican.
Until his morale improves - and then forgets it did (with Lindsey Graham whispering sweetly into his ear about his near divinity).
I find it bitterly amusing this is the first war in 70 years that hasn't been on television - at least for US audiences. No 'embedded' "journalists" assigned to Air Force squadrons or embarked on Navy combatants. Little to no reporting on the ground from UAE, Israel, or Iran.
Nowhere in any of it - after combat operations were supposedly over until this week - have there been any reports on actual US losses beyond a few aircraft and the initial casualties from February. There are credible reports the Lincoln was hit - no laundry fire lasts 60 hours; other surface combatants have been reported the same. How many aircraft have actually been destroyed?
I wonder if we'll ever really know. And what have the families of those lost been told - if they've even been told.
And what of the senior military 'leadership' that has stood by while all this has been going on? I suppose like former general Jack Keane - waiting to retire to become 'military experts' on cable news.
That's an important observation, Tom. Of course, the complete lack of transparency is now SOP. They learned from the Viet Nam problem... too many citizens got uppity when they saw first hand the body counts, and even the horrors inflicted by our own.
But an informed body public is a critical part of democracy, and TPTB absolutely HATE democracy.
Hi Roger, indeed. I read somewhere that Vietnam was the lesson they used for the 'embedded reporters' in the first and second Gulf Wars. Now with this crew, they don't even do that.
Well golly, the families of the few US casualties in this affair will receive the standard issue: the flag that was draped on their coffins. And their deceased loved ones will always be hailed as "heroes." :-(
And likely be forced to sign NDA's in case they learn the circumstances of their loved ones death - and so be prohibited for talking about it.
Where is the brave F-15 pilot whose rescue cost MC 130,s?
Where are the two Apache AH 64 crew saved by drone?
Being held in a secret bunker for their next missions. :-)
Hello TomR... Was there an Official Report on how that AH-64 was downed?.... Was it targeted, or was it an Accident?...
From my limited forays into MSM these days, I understand that regardless of what brought that chopper down the US deemed it "hostile action" and launched new attacks on Iranian territory.
Hello Gregory... Very Curious.... Iranian Drones are very slow, and the Air-Crew are Not Talking...
It could have been a surface-to-air missile, if a missile was involved in that incident. Or a modest sized missile fired from a drone.
Hello Gregory... What are the Iranians saying?....
Beats me. I'm not a news junkie! :-)
Nope, nothing official. But the story they were hit by a drone, crashed into the Strait, escaped from the aircraft with rotors above them, and were rescued by a US drone boat - all without any injury seems more than improbable.
Yellow journalism has reach new heights in the new Iran War.
So many videos on social media alleged to be from unrelated events and dates.
A helicopter got struck, or maybe it just had a technical failure.
No boats are getting through the blockade, or maybe hundreds actually, and maybe without paying a toll.
The US hit a school killing 150+ kids, or no it was an Iranian counter-missile weapon, ok three of them, and they have the signature of US munitions, but that's a coincidence, or no it happened but it was human error, or no it was AI kill chain error from old intel.
When people can't even sort out basic facts they tend to stop believing any of it and turn away, which results in very few people having any conviction to care about what has happened. This creates the impression people support the war when in fact almost nobody does.
Secretary Hogsbreath did not answer the question. He never explained how attacking civilian infrastructure would not be a war crime. Mostly because neither he nor his colleagues care about harming civilians (don't ever let them forget the Minab school massacre). Because the US gets to decide what constitute a war crime on "its terms". It's simple when you're Team Hegemon.
Destroing potable water and according to Daniel Larison, The U.S. military killed three more civilians at sea, but this time they were Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman: - https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/the-military-killed-3-more-civilians
What a great country we have become!!!
And they continue to kill fishermen in the eastern Pacific who are suspected (the only criteria now for being murdered) of smuggling drugs in open boats.
And they brag about it as well!
War Crimes -R-USA
Maybe morale would improve if we lashed Trump instead of Iran ...
Bill, you may have mentioned this film before, but I recently watched it again and it is one of the very best investigations of how the US and the UK ousted the democratically elected leader of Iran in 1953 along with some good historical overview of Iran as well. A bit off topic of what you posted today, but hope it will be of use. And of course we are committing war crimes continually--not just in Iran but in other parts of the world as well.
https://www.coup53.com/
Hegseth knows big words like "disingenuous"?? Holy moly!! WAR CRIMES are among the USA's leading exports these days. For a long, long time. After all, an UNJUSTIFIED WAR OF AGGRESSION is at the top of the list of how international authorities, the UN, etc. define war crimes. And every war our country has engaged in since the end of WW II fits this bill. Yes, starting with the Korean Peninsula, which remains artificially divided to this day at the insistence of USA.