Tag: Military & War
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Career Soldiers Want Out
When the people who have served longest start asking to leave on moral grounds, one may well ask: what are they seeing that is causing this? On Wednesday, MS NOW reported a surge in conscientious objector applications in the American military, six months into the Iran war. The director of the Center on Conscience and…
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“Integrated Military” Ballroom
Donald Trump appears to be building against a court’s schedule. His term ends at noon on January 20, 2029. One may well watch the construction and wonder: which deadline does he think is real? The president now calls his $400 million ballroom a “military/ballroom complex.” On Friday, Chief Justice John Roberts allowed construction of the…
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Trump, Iran, $4.10 Gas
That sounds nothing like complete control. On Thursday, AAA put the national average price of gasoline at $4.10 a gallon. They say that is the highest figure they have recorded for that date. One year ago the average was $3.13. Crude oil is currently nearly $80 a barrel. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to…
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Building a Permanent Guard in DC
Our national capital has what appears to be a permanent occupying force. One year ago today, armed National Guard troops began patrolling the streets of Washington, DC. Donald Trump declared a crime emergency and moved to take over the city’s police. Courts pared that back but the troops stayed. Today there are 4,600 of them,…
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National Guard Detains Veteran
Troops trained for combat, stationed in neighborhoods, produce exactly this. On July 29, the ACLU filed a legal claim on behalf of Anna King, a retired Army captain who earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart in Iraq. The claim seeks 3 million dollars from the Defense Department and the Idaho National Guard. On…
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Integrity Army
When someone tells us their plans, we should believe them. Reporting from Copenhagen at the Democracy Summit, where leaders from across the free world are gathered to talk about the state of democracy. On Sunday Donald Trump announced he is deploying an “Election Integrity Army” in every state for the midterms. “Much bigger and stronger”…
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Allies Will Pay
The cost of that policy will not be paid only in Berlin. Note to my future self. Friday, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from Germany over the next year. Saturday, the President said the cuts would go “a lot further than 5,000.” Days earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United…
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War Crimes?
Experts say that under the Geneva Convention such moves would likely be considered war crimes. Note to my future self. Today, Donald Trump is threatening to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure to force an end to his war, targeting power plants and bridges, targets that legal experts warn could constitute war crimes. How did it come…
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Paper Tiger
With three carrier strike groups in the Persian gulf, the US is prepared to go it alone and appears to be burning its bridges behind it. Note to my future self. On NATO’s birthday it is being hollowed out. On this day April 4, 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty was signed and so was born…
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Friendly Fire
One may ask, is the greatest problem on a military base that there are not enough people with ready access to guns? Note to my future self. Yesterday defense secretary Pete Hegseth invoked God as he expanded access to personal firearms on US military bases. For over 30 years soldiers could not carry. The order…
Notes To My Future Self 