#us troops southern border

[leepacey]

i watched the livestream of trump signing executive orders and answering questions from the press. here are some of the big ones + other things mentioned today:

trump declared a national emergency at the southern border + is getting the US military more involved in stopping "invasions including mass migration"

no one can declare asylum in the US

all existing appointments for people wanting to legally become US citizens are canceled

birthright citizenship (aka the 14th amendment) is now gone

ICE sweeps beginning "soon," not specifying when (though there are rumors it's starting tomorrow in sanctuary cities such as chicago)

mexican cartels are now designated "foreign terrorist organizations" and trump is not opposed to US troops entering mexico to eliminate them

he restored the death penalty for "crimes committed by illegal aliens"

biden had signed an executive order attempting to stop cops from using chokeholds or doing no-knock warrants. trump just revoked that order

25% tariffs on canada and mexico begin on feb 1 2025 — expect a lot of produce imported from mexico to get more expensive soon

tariffs on china will begin soon, not specified when

trump said he intends to take back the panama canal, did not specify when or how

january 6 insurrectionists are to be immediately released/pardoned

he pardoned the leader of the proud boys

tiktok has a 90 day extension, during which the US gov will try to buy 50% of tiktok. trump said he no longer cares that china is "spying on our young people," but he wants to buy half of tiktok so the US government "can police it a little bit, or a lot." if tiktok will not sell, it will be banned in the US again.

he claims the people of greenland want to become part of the US

he says the gulf of mexico is now to be called the "gulf of america" + denali is now to be called "mount mckinley"

alaska is to be mined and become the US' main source for fossil fuels

the green new deal and "electric vehicle" (green energy) mandates are over

the US has withdrawn from the paris climate agreement

the US has withdrawn from the world health organization

reproductiverights.gov is already gone

the US now "only recognizes two genders, male and female"

trans women prisoners are to be housed in male prisons; gender affirming care for prisoners is gone

self-identification for gender on passports, government IDs, and social security cards is gone

all federal employees are required to work in the office five days a week, no more working from home

trump said the US is going to "pursue our manifest destiny into the stars" and plant a US flag on mars

sources on what executive orders were signed: one two three

and lastly, some things that happened during the inauguration:

the pastor who blessed the inauguration during the swearing in ceremony has already announced a new meme coin/cryptocurrency

trump did not put his hand on the bible + there are rumors the pope is going to say trump is the antichrist

the wealthiest people on the planet — the CEOs of twitter/tesla, amazon, google, meta, and even the CEO of tiktok — who own almost all communication platforms used by westerners — stood directly behind trump as he was sworn in

elon musk, the wealthiest person alive, who has been given his own vaguely-defined US government agency, did a nazi salute on stage at the presidential podium. neo-nazis are already celebrating

[demonicintegrity]

“The golden age of America begins right now” my dude groceries are expensive and will not get cheaper overnight.

“We will be the envy of every nation” we’re not. And will not be.

Just. Eugh.

“A tide of change is sweeping over the country.” Sure is. That is correct observation.

“We now have a government that cannot manage a single issue from home” YOU MISMANAGED COVID?

YOU ARE BRING UP IMMIGRANTS NOW??

“They don’t have a home anymore. That’s interesting.” Those rich people have second and third homes and can always afford more. Shut the fuck up. If you care about people care about the people who cannot afford such things.

“I was saved by god to make America great again.” I cannot stress enough how much I dislike any god that could’ve sent this man to us.

“Meet every crisis with dignity, power and strength.” Remember when you sharpied on the path of a hurricane.

LIBERATION DAY??? FROM WHAT???

“Most consequential election…” yeah. Sure. Sure is.

Oh no not the historic executive orders— COMMON SENSE???

Declaring a national emergency at our southern border (and receiving standing ovation for it), beginning the process of deportations for “criminals” and sending troops to our border. Which. Surely won’t escalate violence at all.

I’m not familiar with this illegal aliens act from the 1700s but I fear I’m about to be very aware about it. I cannot imagine this is anything good.

DRILL BABY DRILL??? THATS GONNA SOLVE THE NATIONAL ENERGY EMERGENCY?? YOURE SHITTING ME.

“We will be a rich nation again, and it will be—

ENDING THE GREEN NEW DEAL, USING THE OIL UNDER OUR FEET WHILE CALIFORNIA BURNS. Fucking hell.

“We will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.” Somehow. I don’t believe that will enrich us.

Establishing the ERS and DOGE. Ough.

And he’s gonna bring back free speech while criticizing Seth Meyers for poking at him….. and he’s gonna stop political persecution. Yeah sure. Sure. Sure sure sure.

SOCIALLY ENGINEER RACE AND GENDER INTO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLACES?? THAT WAS HAPPENINGG.

It’s official policy. Only Male and Female. It’s really going to be official policy. Oh my fucking god. From a party that denies climate change. Oh my fucking god. I’m nonbinary and that’s about to be a fucking challenge.

“The wars we never get into.” Didn’t we worry about ww3 last time?

“That’s what I wanna be, a peacemaker and unifier.” YOURE NOT. YOU ARE NOT.

WHY ARE YOU CHANGING THE GULF OF MEXICO??

“foolishly given to the country of Panama” ITS ON THEIR LAND AND THEY CONTROL IT?? HELLO??? Yet China is operating the Panama Canal???

“As we liberate our nation” from WHAT. What are you liberating us from!?

“Pursue our manifest destiny” didnt that genocide natives— PLANT A FLAG ON MARS?

Yeah no this entire speech has been. A little concerning to say the least. And it just keeps going and going.

“Full of compassion, courage, and exceptionalism.” You are the least compassionate person here. Please.

I just. Don’t feel great after that. Hm.

[yesornopolls]

Let states monitor pregnancies and prosecute women who get abortions Give the president unchecked power over federal agencies Restore the president’s authority to bypass Congress Appoint a special prosecutor to ‘go after’ Biden Use the Justice Department to get revenge on all of his enemies Expand presidential immunity Purge the civil service Install thousands of loyalists throughout the federal government Fill his Cabinet with people like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon Round up, detain, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants Deploy U.S troops for ‘war’ on southern border End birthright citizenship Reinterpret anti-racism protections to benefit white people Construct ‘Freedom Cities’ Put flying cars in Americans’ driveways

[steveyockey]

I paid $5 to access séamus malekafzali’s latest substack on palestine, here’s the full text,

It is easy to be lulled into a state of complacency, even with military occupation.

Israel’s occupation of Palestine has gone on longer than many of us on Earth have been alive, now going on 75 years. The levels of that deplacement, blockading, and violence have ebbed and flowed over years and decades, but that hand around the neck has always remained, even if how much it constricts has a tendency to loosen and tighten. Over 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israel this year in its occupation. News bulletins of them dying, oftentimes teenagers, come up through the headlines of Palestinian newspapers and channels as often as the weather. These deaths at the hands of Israeli security personnel are not isolated incidents, with soldiers materializing on roadsides and at checkpoints as unfortunate coincidence. They are constant spikes in the waveform of an incessant low-grade hum of humiliation, imprisonment, and destruction that has made daily life a forced agreement to constantly exist on the precipice of death.

This framing is not meant to be a tired retread of the conflict between Israel and Palestine or the nature of the Israeli occupation. This is meant to be a bulwark against the inevitable framing of this latest battle unfolding around Gaza, as it will appear in the Western media in the days to come.

There is a tendency, a deep-set one, to report Israel and Palestine as two countries that are on roughly the same playing field internationally, as you might report on a war that might involve Israel battling against a place like Jordan or Egypt. This kind of coverage obscures how deeply interlocked Israel’s military operations are with the fabric of the Palestinian society.

In the West Bank, settlements and checkpoints have made Palestinian land into a kind of comical archipelago, where in addition to being separated from Gaza by a huge land border, they are also separated from traveling to communities only a stone’s throw away from them without going through significant anguish. In Gaza, while no Israeli soldiers walk the streets, all their land borders are essentially sealed, their ports almost completely blockaded. Israel’s continued occupation has been so pinpoint and precise that its planes have gone as far as bombing bookstores, and its restrictions did not let up even when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced one health organization to carrying only as many tests of the deadly disease as could fit in a car.

This is not a matter of moral justification; one does not need to constantly busy themselves with having to make a full ideological conversion before understanding this. This is a matter of cause and effect.

What is the logical expectation, regardless of politics, ideology, culture, and creed, when a population of people is thrust into conditions that can only be described as an open-air prison, where every individual is a criminal in the eyes of the military occupying power regardless if they pick up a rifle or not, because there is supposedly always the threat that they will one day?

These are the basic conditions that have preceded the initiation of Operation al-Aqsa Storm this morning. As dawn broke on the morning of October 7, only one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, launched a military operation of unprecedented scope in its history. Hamas fighters would not only attempt to enter Israeli territory proper with ground troops, already in of itself an intensely bold action (though not without precedent in the past decade). This operation would be a combined incursion into Israel by both land, sea, and even air. Ground forces would cut the border fence into settlements surrounding Gaza, speedboats would make landings in southern Israel, and fighters from a newly-inaugurated paraglider division would fly over the border fortifications and then further inland.

Threats of an invasion of Israeli territory proper have been a staple of speeches from Hamas and Hezbollah and groups like it for years. There was a long-standing perception by outside observers that it was fanciful. An intentionally lofty piece of propaganda that fires up supporters while the real military wheeling and dealing is done under far more subtle and controlled terms, as with most militant organizations. After all, no Israeli-administered town, the ones occupied in Palestine during the initial 1948 war, had ever been taken in any war against the Jewish state since its creation, even by a combined force of multiple Arab national militaries.

That notion now can no longer exist.

At sunrise, Hamas fired a gigantic barrage of rockets into Israeli territory, a staggering 5,000 in the first wave alone. As Israeli military and police forces were distracted by fires and rocket destruction in residential areas of the country, Palestinian forces in Gaza proceeded to make their primary move.

After the sun rose, Hamas cut through the border fence surrounding Israel and sent both fighters on foot and on motorcycles into Israel. Images released by the group seem to tell a story in frozen figures. Israeli soldiers, strewn dead, caught by surprise, one having even rushed out so quickly that he put on his military gear but no other clothes except his underwear. An even grimmer story could be found in one of the IDF military dormitories, where an entire room full of soldiers had been massacred, only having perhaps seconds earlier gotten the alarm that Hamas had breached the perimeter, many of them seemingly mid-way through getting out of bed.

From there, Hamas made unprecedented move after unprecedented move. Hamas fighters moved as far north into Zikim, built on the former Palestinian village of Hiribya, and moved as far east as Ofakim, built on the former hamlet of Khirbat Futais. The Erez Crossing, for years the only legal border crossing that Israel operated with the Gaza Strip, came under full Palestinian control. Sderot, a city where Israelis had once gathered on couches dragged to high peaks to watch the bombardment of Palestinians, now found themselves facing down Palestinian fighters in their own streets.

An additional shock would come in Israel’s initial response. Amidst cataclysmic scenes like hundreds of ravers in the desert near Gaza fleeing on foot, neither the Israeli president nor the prime minister spoke in those early hours in the morning.

The Israeli high command, despite the continuous insistence of Palestinian factions that they would one day attempt to take the fight into Israel itself, had become complacent. They, like many observers of Israel-Palestine, believed the occupation they had constructed could go on forever, unburdened by the need to adapt. Israeli soldiers after all were now more used to sniping reporters and unarmed protesters than engaging in military conflict. Entropy was what was propelling the military occupation complex of the Jewish state, not a wholly active effort.

Despite an ungodly amount of Western military equipment, highly advanced anti-aircraft systems programmed to shoot down thousands of rockets, an international reputation for tenacity and strategic knowhow, and multiple victories against Arab nations again and again and again, all of it ended up being useless against a Hamas fighter flying in on a box fan and a parachute.

This failure is two-fold, and both are closely related. One is the expectation that things could go on as before without addressing the root of the issue (that being a military occupation of an entire state), and the other in expectation that those being occupied had no capacity to learn from experience how Israel’s military strategy operates, people who could then going on to capitalize on that knowledge.

There is a fundamental flaw in the perception of Western powers toward the Middle East in general and Arabs in particular that because the groups fighting with Israel or the United States are irregular, bereft of highly professional uniforms and dedicated gigantic military headquarters, that they do not have the same ability to strategize and to confront the forces that are occupying their countries. Flashes of how faulty this thinking is rear their head again and again, from Iraq to Afghanistan and everywhere in-between and around, but still the idea, unspoken as it may be, remains that they are fundamentally unequipped compared to the might they are fighting against. But Hamas has military strategists of its own, ones that understand the asymmetric situation they are dealing with, and ones that understand what the actual capabilities of Israel are, versus what their perception is.

The perception of Israel’s invulnerability versus what has actually been displayed today could not have been more different. Instead of being forced to immediately pull back, in essence making today a raid, Hamas has instead actually contested several Israeli settlements, which are still being fought over at time of this writing many hours after the initial incursion from Gaza began. A single Israeli soldier captured and held in Gaza used to capture the Israeli imagination for years; now there are believed to be not only tens of soldiers captured by Hamas, but tens of Israeli civilians as well, all now being held within the Strip. Hamas has also brought Israeli military vehicles back into the Strip, the novelty of working IDF equipment now under Palestinian control a source of celebration within the territory. Over 100 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the first day of Hamas’ attack, and nearly 1000 injured, a shocking early casualty count in an ongoing conflict where casualties on the Palestinians’ side are usually far more lopsided.

Israel’s response so far to Hamas’ operation has been to escalate rhetorically, with Netanyahu now calling this a war, and escalating its usual military strategy with Gaza, with carpet bombing now on an intense, concentrated scale. At the time of this writing, almost 200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in only a few hours, with that number expected to rise significantly in the days to come. Already, news has come in of Israeli planes having leveled Gaza’s second-largest building, the Palestine Tower, which housed a plethora of media offices, in scenes reminiscent of Israel’s bombing of another tower block of media offices in 2021 that infamously took out the local bureau of the Associated Press.

As fighting continues into the night in ways never seen before since 1948, the question remains: after all these decades, why now?

The ostensible justifications of what the clincher was that sparked this operation are innumerable, but two appear to be most clearly illuminated: the recent increased activity of far-right Zionists at the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem (hence the name of the operation itself), but just as well the indications that the Saudi Arabia and Israel may be close to a normalization deal, which would be the largest such development in the Abraham Accords yet. Hezbollah mentioned this operation as being a “message” and a “decisive response” to Arab nations pursuing the idea of normalization with Israel. Still, it is important to recognize that pinning the undertaking of a completely gigantic operation of this scale as just a simple message to Saudi Arabia would be reductive. As the Los Angeles Times’ international correspondent Nabih Bulos says of the matter:

“To pretend that Hamas did this to be a spoiler of KSA-Israel normalization is just downright epic in its navel-gazing nonsense.”

What is important to always return to is that eternally governing line above everything: the low hum of constant occupation, and who has been causing its spikes. Israel’s government, its most far-right in its history, has been on the warpath almost immediately from its inauguration, with figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, now thrust to the forefront, doing everything large and small to provoke a Palestinian response. The hope is that the inevitable Palestinian response can mobilize the Israeli society, that it can be swiftly defeated by the Israeli military, and that the Israeli state can use such an opportunity to impose its sovereignty over what little of Palestine governed by Palestinians remains, and perhaps even what lies beyond it.

But that formula relies on the Palestinian side only accepting being provoked, themselves having no strategy of their own outside of firing rockets and yelling on television. Military occupation breeds a feeling of annihilation, but that annihilation is enclosed with it inevitable feelings of rabid and desperate hope, inspiring within irregular groups desires to try things never tried before. These are not always guaranteed to be successful: one may look at Aleppo when rebel groups managed to come together and break the siege on the city in the final stages of the battle, only for it to fall in the months to come anyway. Nevertheless, there is a real perception within Israel, communicated out to the world by its media and by its intelligentsia, that it is a nation on the verge of internal collapse, brought to the precipice by far-right forces it has let fester for decades without envisioning its eventual conclusion.

What does looking at how Israel is faring now communicate to Palestinian factions in Gaza? What do young people in Gaza, who make up 47% of the Strip’s population, imagine might lie ahead for them as they see these events unfold? What does a Hamas fighter imagine might be possible when, as the writer Josef Burton says, he exits a 25 by 7-mile space he’s never left in his entire life?

[thesummerstorms]

It is fascinating to me to imagine Leliana as Divine during Veilguard.

Here is the Southern Chantry, historical tool of Orlesian Imperialism, with a literal hero of the fifth Blight at its head as the South is threatened by Blight (historical catastrophe) and Venatori (with Tevinter being a historical enemy the Orlesians define themselves opposite of).

But even a literal war hero who has fought the Blight head on, who represents the religion and savior-figure they so loudly proclaim devotion to, who has years and years of experience as a Spymaster and in playing the Game, who to some extent is responsible for the current ruler holding the throne, cannot meaningfully unite them against the threat.

And yeah, maybe it's because she pushed hard on reform, made enemies early and fast, because her alliances were shaken loose in a way the grasping could take advantage of.

But we watch on screen as Fereldan builds an alliance with the Chaisind and Avvar who the have historically rejected.

(Message From the Front: The Fall of Weisshaupt: "When I returned south after speaking with you, I sent envoys to both the Chasind and the Avvar. They and the leaders of Ferelden have agreed to an alliance, at least until this present threat passes.")

As the Free Marches come together under a single banner and start marching South towards the blight to help fight it back when the Inquisitor is forced to abandon southern Fereldan and take refuge in Skyhold.

(Message From the Front: The Drums of War: "The Free Marches have unified under a single banner and even now march south to aid us in our struggle.")

Yet Orlais is sold out from within by its own rebels seeking power...or to maintain their power.

(Message From the Front: The Fight For the South: "In Orlais, a splinter faction of the nobility has made common cause with the Venatori and launched an assault on both the royal forces of Orlais and the border keeps of Ferelden.")

Orlais has been so long fixed on the "Game", on personal advantage, on traditions rooted in keeping the powerful in power, that they can't unite at a meaningful level to fight back, even if the Divine of the Orlesian Chantry is a Hero of the Blight.

(Message From the Front: The Drums of War: "The Free Marches have unified under a single banner and even now march south to aid us in our struggle.")

"But those are the rebels-"

Yes. But! The Inquisitor's letter flat out states that her alliance is trying to help the Orlesian Royal Army and they refuse to cooperate.

(Message From the Front: The Tide Turns: Not all have chosen to ally so openly and directly with us. The Venatori and the Orlesian royal armies clash daily in Orlais. Val Royeaux is now under control of the rebels, and from there the Venatori launch attacks as far east as Kirkwall. Yet Orlais still refuses to join us. We've sent several companies to assist, but while the Orlesian troops don't attack them, they refuse to coordinate tactics.)

Now, the good news is that Orlais has apparently finally pushed back the Venatori enough to take some power back by the last letter from the Inquisitor.

(Message From the Front: The Drums of War: "and reports from Orlais suggest that the Venatori have been fought to a standstill.")

But what position are they going to be in now? Literally everyone else seems to have united on some level to work together. The Rivaini pirates are shipping goods from Ostwick to both the Fereldan Alliance and to Antiva. We have two potentially powerful new multi-people alliances in play. Nevarra, Antiva, and Rivain all have had some sort of presence in the final battle in Minrathous and have been connected together through Rook.

But Orlais has only managed to spend its resources fighting itself and you can bet everyone is going to remember their unwillingness to cooperate later. So now they're one Civil War weaker but also out considerable political influence given that by sitting out they missed out on any alliance building.

Nevarra has been tense rivals with Orlais for years anyway, the Fereldans are still distrustful, and the Free Marches are united enough to push back.

If Orlais tries to walk right back into the game, I think they might find things are not the same old favorable position they've long held for themselves.

[sayruq]

Top Israeli and Egyptian officials held a secret meeting in Cairo on 24 April, aimed at discussing Tel Aviv’s plans for an invasion of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah. Three senior Israeli officials told Axios on Wednesday that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and Egypt’s army chief Osama Askar. The report came the same day that an Israeli defense official said that Israel will launch the operation in Rafah as soon as it gets government approval. Israel is “moving ahead” with the operation, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, but gave no specific time frame.

US and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting last week to discuss plans for Rafah. The decision to launch the operation is “conditions-based and not time-based, and connected to the humanitarian situation on the ground,” Tel Aviv emphasized to Washington during the meeting, according to US officials. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 23 April, citing Egyptian officials, that Israel’s evacuation plans for Rafah are near complete. The plan will take two to three weeks and will be carried out in cooperation with Washington, Cairo, and other Arab states, including the UAE. Egyptian forces have deployed in the northern Sinai and along the Gaza border, and are at “full readiness” after being briefed by Israel on plans for Rafah, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on 18 April.

Israel’s evacuation plan involves moving Rafah’s civilian population upwards towards the southern city of Khan Yunis, as well as other areas of the strip, the report states, adding that shelters with tents, food supplies, and medical facilities will be set up. Recently published satellite images show a large tent compound in Khan Yunis and Israeli troop gatherings at army bases and outposts near the strip – signaling that the invasion of Rafah may be imminent.

[kittyit]

well let me start off by saying that neither ww1 nor ww2 were actually called that during their durations so expecting any country leader to stand up and say "hey this is ww3 right here" is non-sentical, it would be a career suicide (in the reasonable parts of the world anyway, not USA). The image of ww3 is almost universally used as fearmongering and announcing it at any official capacity would send the world into panic mode, which is very counterproductive to any party.

Notice how any currently ongoing grab for land (by which I'll be further meaning Russian invasion into Ukraine, genocide in Gaza and Azerbaijan occupation of Artsakh though I'm sure there are more things I'm not fully in touch with) explicitly avoids being called war as well. They're always reclamation that, special military operation this. This is entirely intentional because nobody wants a fucking war but minds a military operation.

That aside now think about the ongoing issues too. War in Ukraine, Ukrainian side is supplied by the western powers/NATO, Russian side is supplied by Iran, North Korea, China. This is basically repeating the lineup of the cold war with some adjustments with Ukraine as a testing ground for weapons. But we'll have to examine that further than just Putin loosing his marbles at long last because this is a part of a long lived imperialist pipe dream of restoring USSR/Russian Empire; it is geopolitically motivated at the top levels and xenophobically at the low levels. Not that Putin and his underlings don't believe Ukrainians are lesser people, they just don't care about that as much as they care about conquering the parts of Ukraine that are the most resource lucrative - the eastern coal, steel and previous stone mines, the southern parts with open access to black sea, famously lucrative Ukrainian agrarian regions. They already profit off it so this is neither simply political agenda nor a blatant cash grab, it's both a fascist, imperialist ideology combined with a land grab rush. Which they are winning.

And if we look into Armenia vs Azerbaijan situation then you'd notice it looks very similar. Azerbaijan #1 ride or die ally is Turkey, and Armenia is located very inconveniently in geopolitical terms, nevermind the fact that it has already suffered a genocide and had land taken. It's common knowledge that Turkey also has a pipe dream of restoring the Ottoman Empire. Source: 1) they tell on themselves constantly if you pay attention 2) the entire invasion of Cyprus for no fucking reason in 20th century 3) the tongue-in-cheek diplomacy with Greece for ages. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan were once part of the Ottoman Empire, and while it is doubtful that Azerbaijan would officially join Turkey provided an opportunity, they're close allies to the point where things like borders don't really matter (Russia and Belarus are similar, though there actually was an attempt to unite them legally that kinda fell through). But Turkey is in NATO and is posing as an overall Good Guy so Erdogan would never actually put his act where his mouth and ideas is. Now "tiny irrelevant" Azerbaijan, supplied by Turkic weaponry (which is nothing to scoff at - they do supply NATO fyi)? Easy. And there we have another ethnic cleansing and an open intend to go whole way.

Now some were suprised by Russia standing aside in Artsakh when they were supposed to help their ally but you can't miss out on the context that Armenia was never a full hearted ally of Russia and was basically forced to join the alliance out of fear of eradication, and Russian troops were actually on site of Artsakh helping the Azeri side. This has not come as a surprise to Armenians who were wholly aware of their political situation, because we need to keep in mind that Putin is friends with Erdogan (because he helped negotiate the Black Sea routes with Putin - remember that?), and by extension is married to the "let's restore the Ottoman Empire" imperialist dream. It holds little threat to him because one, Erdogan owes Russia in both economy and help with Artsakh, and two, Russia does still have more military power than Turkey has.

Putin's hand and approval partially guided the invasion in Artsakh and fully guides the war in Ukraine, he is also on good terms with Netanyahu, Israeli soldiers in Gaza use Russian's handbook on propaganda and public relationships. Also China is supplying Russia and North Korea, so there's also that. Also Russian presence in Africa, forgot to mention that. On the "western" side we have America and other NATO members supplying Ukraine, Belarus is so fully immersed into Russia people forget it's a state, Poland and Baltics all but openly stating they're preparing for invasion in case Ukraine loses and ceases to exist - which is will, and sooner rather than later. What's in it for USA? Land and money, mostly tbh. It's not about defeating Putin, it never was (Trump fucking loves him but nothing will stop him from switching up when Putin inevitably attacks Poland/Finland/etc as he has already stated he intends to), but trapping already broke eastern Europe in even more unpayable debt which they will be forced to pay off in labor and resources, as well as some ideological boost of morale? Please.

Empires' dick measuring contest, doesn't that remind you of anything? It will be more complicated than both of the previous world wars because we also have late stage capitalism and propaganda machines unlike anything humanity has ever seen before, but structurally, it will be more reminiscent of ww1 than ww2.

We don't call it WW3 despite how many countries are involved politically and financially *yet* because nothing has so far happened on American or Western European soil nor have either started a draft, but I think it's fairly safe to say we're in the beginning years of one, think 1939, especially with a fascist government rising to power in USA. So my answer is yes, ww3 full swing in the following 10 years is almost guaranteed, but we're kind of already in one in everything but name.

That said, I might be biased, seeing as I am Ukrainian.

thanks for sharing your thoughts. honestly this is out of my wheelhouse as I'm slowly understanding more and more geopolitics but I appreciate you explaining your perspective and it's valuable to hear from a Ukrainian sister. wishing you nothing but the best

[athena5898]

(PrR)Hezbollah Operations Room (1/2):

Field Summary of the Battle of the Mighty Ones issued by the Operations Room of the Islamic Resistance

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful "Permission [to fight] has been granted to those who are being fought, because they were wronged, and indeed, Allah is competent to grant them victory. This is the Truth of Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.

The fighters of the Islamic Resistance continue to repel the "israeli" aggression on Lebanon, inflicting significant losses on the enemys forces, equipment, its officers, and its soldiers, along the confrontation axes from the front edge to deep inside occupied Palestine.

Ground Engagements:

On 28-10-2024, large numbers of "israeli" troops and equipment began advancing (https://t.me/PalestineResist/65416) towards the town of Khiam under heavy aerial cover over the surrounding areas and stationed on front-line positions in Tal Nahas, Hamames, and the Al-Majidiya plain.

According to pre-set defensive plans and after closely monitoring potential routes of advancement, Islamic Resistance fighters executed a fire-based defense plan, focusing on synchronized, targeted missile and artillery strikes against enemy movements and positions, both within Lebanese territories and the occupied interior. Over a period of three continuous days, more than 70 targeting operations were conducted (50 of them around the town’s southern and eastern edges), resulting in the destruction of four tanks with guided missiles and the killing and wounding of their crews. Additionally, a soldier position in the "Metulla" settlement was hit by a guided missile, resulting in deaths and injuries among them. A security team in Tal Nahas was also targeted with a guided missile, and the military media released footage documenting (https://t.me/PalestineResist/66479) the successful hit.

One of the most notable operations involved a precision missile barrage that targeted large gatherings of enemy troops and vehicles in Wadi Al-Asafir, southeast of the town, using qualitative precision missiles with 250 kg warheads filled with high-explosive materials. The powerful explosions and high casualty numbers created panic and confusion within enemy ranks.

Beyond rocket and artillery barrages targeting enemy movements within Lebanese territories, several strikes were carried out in the rear areas of the forces participating in the attack our land, specifically through:

Targeting attack-support forces around Khiam and in "Metulla" settlement site and its surrounding orchards with 11 concentrated missile barrages and artillery shells, achieving confirmed hits.

23 rocket barrages on training camps, missile launch bases, and command centers in "Ayelet HaShahar", rocket launch bases in "Yesod HaMa’ala", an armored gathering area in "Sha’al", and command centers in "Shamir".

By the night of Thursday, 31-10-2024, enemy forces were forced to withdraw behind the borders, utilizing military helicopters to evacuate their dead and wounded, as well as specialized equipment to retrieve the destroyed tanks.

On Saturday, during an attempt by an "israeli" force to advance across the border toward the village of Houla, our fighters spotted a convoy of approximately 40 military vehicles (tanks, armored vehicles, and personnel carriers) led by two bulldozers, aiming to clear a path for further advancement. As the force reached the range of our fighters, the bulldozers were struck by two Kornet anti-tank missiles, destroying them and killing and injuring those inside. Under heavy "israeli" artillery cover, the entire convoy retreated to the eastern border of the town. As the convoy regrouped, three successive rocket salvos, spaced five minutes apart, with over 60 rockets, struck the area. The operation successfully achieved its objectives.

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

Yesterday marked one of the bloodiest days in Lebanon’s history in 32 years. The Israeli government is fast-tracking its genocidal tactics in Lebanon, emboldened by the lack of accountability for its war crimes in Gaza. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that the death toll in Lebanon has climbed to at least 558 people, including at least 50 children and 94 women, all killed by the Israeli military. Paramedics and firefighters were also among those killed. This morning an Israeli strike hit southern Beirut.

On Saturday, Israeli Cabinet Minister Amichai Chikli announced the government’s plan to unilaterally redraw the Lebanon border, signaling a clear attempt at land theft and mass displacement.

For over a month, humanitarian aid to northern Gaza has been severely restricted by the Israeli military. Today it is bombing Al-Nusairat with tanks. Two family homes were flattened by Israeli weapons, killing four Palestinians. Israeli snipers and quadcopters have occupied Al-Rashid Street near the camp for weeks, forcing hundreds of Palestinians to flee in fear of an impending massacre.

For almost a year, the Israeli military has committed war crimes with the backing of the US government, killing over 42,000 Palestinians, leveling buildings, forcing civilians to flee from their homes and indiscriminately bombing Palestinian families in Gaza. Yesterday, President Biden announced that he is sending additional troops to the Middle East, culminating in 40,000 troops in the region.

We refuse to let the Israeli military replicate the same genocidal tactics it employs in Gaza in Lebanon. The US must end its complicity in Israel’s colonial expansion and war crimes, and uphold Lebanese and Palestinian freedom.

We demand a full arms embargo on all weapons to the Israeli government, and a permanent ceasefire to prevent full-blown regional war. Tell your senators at the link in our bio.

[girlactionfigure]

🔴 ISRAEL DELAYS GAZANS' RETURN TO NORTHERN GAZA UNTIL HOSTAGE RELEASE GUARANTEED; ESCALATION IN SOUTHERN LEBANON AS HEZBOLLAH PROVOKES CONFRONTATIONS; LEBANESE SOLDIER KILLED AND ANOTHER INJURED IN IDF GUNFIRE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

🔸 Thousands of Gazans are waiting on the coastal road in central Gaza to return to the north under the ceasefire deal. However, the IDF has withheld permission to enter northern Gaza until Hamas secures the release of civilian hostage Arbel Yehud, who was scheduled for release over the weekend.

In addition, Hamas has not provided the required list of living hostages for this stage of the ceasefire, leading the IDF to maintain troop deployment in the Netzarim Corridor and warn Gazans against crossing north.

In a statement, Hamas claimed it informed mediators that Arbel Yehud is alive and provided guarantees for her release, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. Hamas is reportedly discussing Israel's actions with mediators, asserting the delay constitutes a breach of the agreement and hinders the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

❗️ The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office reported that during the implementation of yesterday’s stage, Hamas committed two violations of the agreement:

1. Arbel Yehud was not released as previously agreed.

2. Hamas failed to submit the list detailing the status of the hostages for Phase A.

As a consequence of these violations, it was decided that Gazans would not be allowed to travel northward within the Strip.

🔴  The Lebanese Ministry of Health has reported 3 deaths and 44 injuries resulting from IDF fire in southern Lebanon. Security sources indicate that Hezbollah is orchestrating these incidents by using Shiite civilians for provocations. According to the sources, civilians were paid and coordinated to confront IDF forces, with some groups mobilized via Hezbollah-created social media platforms launched days earlier.

Hezbollah’s actions appear to be aimed at escalating tensions and pressuring the Lebanese Army, according to Kan 11. The IDF Northern Command is closely monitoring the situation, recognizing the growing risk of losing control in the region, as reported by Channel 14.

Additionally, the Lebanese Army has reported that one of its soldiers was killed and another injured by IDF gunfire in southern Lebanon, though this claim has not yet been confirmed by Israel.

🔹 Syrian Border Security intercepted a weapons shipment intended for Hezbollah. The shipment was being smuggled through the Syrian-Lebanese border via the city of Serghaya in the Damascus countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

[porterdavis]

Project 2025 (get ready)

“IMMIGRATION:

13. All migrants, including those with pending asylum claims, will be taken into custody and deported immediately by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

14. Birthright citizenship will be ended by executive order. All persons who were born in the US to migrant parents will have their citizenship revoked and will be deported immediately.

15. Border will be closed with no migrants entering the US by moving thousands of US troops from overseas to be stationed on the southern border.

16. Border wall across southern US and Mexico will be completed.

17. All releases into the US of asylum seekers will be ended and Remain in Mexico policy reinstated.

18. Increase criminal penalties for illegal entry.

19. Reinstitute travel ban.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

AP, via The Guardian:

As Donald Trump tightens the nation’s immigration policies, lawmakers in Democrat-led states are proposing new measures that could erect legal obstacles for federal immigration officials and help immigrants lacking legal status avoid deportation.

The resistance efforts in California, New York and other states are a counterpoint to the many Republican-led states advancing measures to aid Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, highlighting a national divide. In just his first week in office, Trump halted refugee arrivals; fast-tracked deportations; sent military troops to the southern border; lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals; attempted to end birthright citizenship; and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state and local officials whom they believe are interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. Hundreds of bills on immigration already have been introduced in states, and more action is expected next week. Republican governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Bill Lee of Tennessee have called special legislative sessions to begin Monday to support Trump’s immigration agenda.

Meanwhile, Democrats in states such as Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington are backing measures to expand healthcare and higher education for immigrants, restrict landlords from inquiring about immigration status or block government agreements to open new immigrant-detention centers. Many US adults support stronger security at the southern border and deporting immigrants in the US illegally who have been convicted of violent crimes, according to a survey by the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research. But some actions have less consensus. About four in 10 American adults support deporting all immigrants living in the US illegally, while a similar share are opposed. In immigration courts, unlike in criminal courts, there is no constitutional right to a government-funded attorney. As Trump ramps up deportation efforts, some state measures would help pay for attorneys to defend people facing immigration proceedings.

[...] Earlier this week, the Trump administration reversed guidance that for more than a decade had restricted federal agencies from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as schools, churches and healthcare facilities. Some parents now fear immigration raids at schools.

Democratic lawmakers in Blue states propose new measures to combat the anti-immigrant federal government’s war on immigrants.

[affairsmastery]

After the announcement regarding the deployment of up to 10,000 US troops to the southern border with Mexico, it's important to examine the data on illegal crossings since 2018, when Donald Trump was in office.

Trump has been very critical of how the Biden administration handles immigration, vowing to tackle what he describes as "record" illegal border crossings and framing current migration as an "invasion." While border crossings did reach unprecedented levels during President Biden's tenure, the figures started to decline significantly even prior to Trump's election victory.

[beardedmrbean]

A bustling shopping district in Chicago known as the “Mexico of the Midwest” has seen foot traffic plummet by 50% — as residents say they fear the immigration raids promised by President Trump.

The sidewalks were empty and some businesses were closed along a two-mile stretch of shops and restaurants on 26th Street in Chicago’s Little Village — the Windy City’s second-busiest retail corridor —  as Trump was sworn into office Monday.

“It’s going to be disastrous,” Jennifer Aguilar, head of the local chamber of commerce, told Bloomberg.

“If raids happen and people are too afraid to go out, it’s going to be an impact that’s going to last for years.”

Many of the roughly 400 businesses in the predominantly Latino area said foot traffic was down 50% as immigration raids were expected to start soon, Aguilar told the outlet.

Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd Ward, which includes Little Village, told Bloomberg that businesses and residents are worried.

“People were staying home,” Mike Rodriguez, an alderman for the 22nd Ward, also told Bloomberg.

“They were fearful of engaging with ICE,” he said, while putting some of it down also to the cold.

A restaurateur originally from Mexico but now an American citizen said some of his employees have stopped showing up to work after he gave them the option.

“This is about how we are going to survive this — and I’m not just talking about my employees, I’m talking about the whole customer base,” he told the outlet.

The typically thriving commercial neighborhood generates more tax revenue to City Hall than any other retail stretch aside from Chicago’s iconic Magnificent Mile, lined by luxury shops.

Deportation raids were reportedly scheduled to begin after Trump’s inauguration — but were later put on hold for now after the element of surprise was lost, multiple law enforcement sources told The Post.

New “border czar” Tom Homan, who had promised to target Chicago first in December, told CNN Tuesday the federal agency will initially round up migrants with criminal records — but if other undocumented immigrants are encountered, they will also be detained.

Illinois’ Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters Tuesday that ICE is targeting as many as 2,000 people.

“I want to be clear about what my position is and what the law is here: If there are violent criminals who have been convicted of violent crimes, who are undocumented, they are supposed to be deported,” he said.

On his first day back in the White House, Trump signed executive orders ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants in an executive order and sending troops to seize control of the southern border.

The Trump administration also announced it will end asylum and will close the border to illegal immigrants.

US Customs and Border Protection agents have also ended the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy. On Trump’s orders, migrants caught crossing the border illegally will no longer be set free in the US while they await immigration hearings. Instead, they’ll be detained until they can be deported, Homeland Security sources told The Post on Tuesday.

Some migrants who had been waiting weeks to enter the US using the CBP One app broke down crying when the app shut down when Trump was sworn in.

[whencyclopedia]

Anglo-Nepalese War

The Anglo-Nepalese War (aka Gurkha War, 1814-16) saw the British East India Company (EIC) lose several battles against Nepalese Gurkhas before finally securing victory in a hard-fought campaign that, for the first time, extended EIC control beyond the borders of India. Impressed with the Gurkhas' fighting abilities, the British have enrolled them in their armies ever since.

East India Company Expansion

The East India Company was founded in 1600, and by the mid-18th century, it was benefiting from its trade monopoly in India to make its shareholders immensely rich. The Company was effectively the colonial arm of the British government in India, but it protected its interests using its own private army and hired troops from the regular British army. By the 1750s, the Company was keen to expand its trade network and begin a more active territorial control in the subcontinent.

Robert Clive (1725-1774) won a famous victory for the EIC against the ruler of Bengal, Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah (b. 1733) at the Battle of Plassey in June 1757. The Nawab was replaced by a puppet ruler, the state's massive treasury was confiscated, and the systematic exploitation of Bengal's resources and people began. The EIC won another key contest in October 1764 with victory at the Battle of Buxar (aka Bhaksar) against the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (r. 1760-1806). The emperor then awarded the EIC the right to collect land revenue (dewani) in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. This was a major development and ensured the Company now had vast resources to expand and protect its traders, bases, armies, and ships.

The EIC kept on expanding through diplomacy and military conquest. Victories came against the southern kingdom of Mysore across the three Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799). Intertwined with these conflicts were the three Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1819) against the Maratha Confederacy of Hindu princes in central and northern India. Once again the EIC came out as the winner. The Company had extended its control of the subcontinent not only through direct territorial possessions but also through a policy of Subsidiary Alliances, where rulers of the Indian princely states were obliged to have an EIC resident at their court, host and pay for an EIC garrison, and hand over the direction of foreign policy to the British. With large parts of India now in its grasp, the ever-avaricious East India Company and its new Governor-General the Marquess of Hastings (in office 1813-23) began to look to the far north for further opportunities for profit. Consequently, the next EIC target was Nepal, and it declared war on the kingdom in April 1814.

Continue reading...

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

* * * * *

A scar on the face of democracy

January 21, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Before turning to the ugly events of the official inauguration, I include links to our alternative Substack livestream event featuring Jessica Craven, Jess Piper, Managing Editor Jill Bickett, and me. The documents referenced in the livestream can be accessed here.

Inauguration Day 2025 was a scar on the face of democracy

Inauguration 2025 will be remembered as the Black Mass of democracy, a ceremony that mocked the Constitution and rule of law, exalted obscene wealth, imperiled the future of our children, celebrated insurrectionists, and was capped by the richest man in the world, giving a salute used by the Nazis to demonstrate loyalty to Hitler. The second inaugural of Donald Trump will forever be a scar on the face of democracy.

There is much to cover, so I will focus on ensuring that everyone is up to date on what happened. Because the Trump administration took hundreds of actions today, it will be impossible to cover everything. I will focus on what is important.

Trump's inaugural speech

Trump's speech was pathetic, even by his pathetic standards. His speechwriters tried to restrain his worst instincts, which resulted in a low-energy pablum of Trump's greatest lies, peppered with announcements of illegal and depraved executive orders.

The full text of the speech is here: WhiteHouse.gov, The Inaugural Address. For those who could not bear to watch the ceremony (and that includes me), the written words reveal the lack of substance and pervasive lies. Perhaps it sounded better in the original German. For a flavor of the speech, see Lucian K. Truscott IV (Substack), Listless, uninspired and robotic: Trump’s vision of a “golden age of America” rings hollow | Also arrogant, uninformed, just plain stupid, and as usual, too much makeup.

Trump's speech was filled with lies. For a recitation and fact check of those lies, see AP News, Fact Focus: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events.

However, Trump's speech was bad not merely because it was poorly delivered and filled with lies. No, it was depraved because of its promise to plunge America into chaos.

Below are a few of the major announcements Trump made during his speech:

Declaration of a national emergency at the Southern Border

Send US military troops to the southern border to assist with immigration enforcement (likely illegal)

Designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (a possible prelude to the US military attacking drug cartels in Mexico and South America)

Invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to eliminate foreign gangs (on US soil?)

All cabinet members must work to reduce inflation (Good luck with that!)

Produce the most oil and gas of any nation in the world

End the Green New Deal

Revoke electric vehicle mandate (which does not exist)

Impose tariffs and taxes on foreign nations (not clear how anyone can “tax” a foreign nation)

Establish the “External Revenue Service” to collect taxes from foreign nations.

Establish the Department of Government Efficiency (an illegal committee that violates federal law)

Stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America

Establish a federal policy recognizing only “male” and “female” genders

Change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America

“Take back” the Panama Canal

Shortly after concluding the speech, Trump began issuing executive orders that must be considered as supplements to his speech. Those orders include the following:

Declare an end to birthright citizenship (a violation of the US Constitution)

Close the border to asylum-seeking migrants (a violation of federal law)

Withdraw from the Paris Climate accords

Withdraw from the World Health Organization

Pardoning and commuting the sentences of all 1,500 January 6 insurrectionists

Define sexual identity for federal workers and programs

Remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons

Remove protections for transgender migrants in US custody

Signed precursor orders to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada

Eliminate restrictions on domestic energy production

Loosen standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions and fuel efficiency

Loosen standards for efficiency for major appliances

Eliminate environmental justice programs

Delaying the ban of TikTok in the US (a violation of federal law)

I discuss the implications of the executive orders in Concluding Thoughts.

Musk gives salute used by Nazis in a speech at a post-inaugural event featuring Trump

Trump ran on a wink-and-a-nod to white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Although he could not make his sympathies explicit, he allowed his surrogates to do so.

Trump's number-one billionaire supporter, Elon Musk, has been more explicit in his sympathies for white nationalism, including his support for the German right-wing party with ties to neo-Nazi groups (AfD). On Monday, Musk appeared to drop whatever pretense of deniability he maintained about his affinity for Nazi symbolism and ideology.

During a speech at an arena in Washington D.C. Musk twice saluted the audience with the same hand gesture used by the Nazis to honor Hitler. See The Guardian, Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at inauguration rally.

Per The Guardian (which includes an embedded video of the salute),

Social media users expressed shock at Musk’s gesture. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, said: “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.” Musk did not immediately comment, though he did repost footage of his remarks that included the second salute and endorsed memes seeking to turn footage of his salutes into jokes. One X user wrote: “Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing?” Musk wrote “Yeah exactly” and added a “yawning” emoji.

To reiterate, Twitter users are mocking people who are upset about the apparent Nazi salute, and Musk is endorsing those comments with a sign of his boredom.

Some people are defending Musk, saying that the gesture was “awkward” and not intended to mimic the Nazi salute. The one person who has not raised that defense is Elon Musk. Having raised an implication of support for the Nazi ideology, Musk has chosen to remain silent on the subject.

We must condemn the emerging tolerance for white supremacy and antisemitism. The growing normalization of neo-Nazism understandably threatens millions of Americans. Speak out. Do not leave room for ambiguity. Do not allow silence to fill the room. Whether intentional or not, what Elon Musk did deserves to be condemned and rejected—including by Musk himself.

And the American press has largely been missing in action on this issue. Oh, sure, they have reported the events surrounding the salute and its alleged ambiguous meaning. But none have condemned Musk for allowing the menacing meaning of the salute to hang in the air. Come on, legacy media! If you are going down, you should go down swinging. End with a bang, not a whimper.

CREW and other organizations sue the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for violating federal law

Part of Trump's blitzkrieg of executive orders is designed to make us feel helpless. But advocacy organizations are already fighting back. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a lawsuit along with several other organizations to force the so-called DOGE committee to comply federal law regarding advisory boards. See DOGE sued to follow the law or cease operations - CREW.

Per the CREW press release,

The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, according to a lawsuit . . . . The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the establishment of DOGE is unlawful, and for the court to force DOGE to comply with the transparency, ethics, records retention and equal representation required under FACA. Currently, DOGE is operating unchecked, without authorization or funding from Congress and is led by unelected billionaires who are not representative of ordinary Americans. DOGE representatives have reportedly already been speaking with agency officials throughout the federal government, and communication is allegedly taking place on Signal, a messaging app known for its auto-delete features. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that advisory committees follow a specific authorization process, include a balanced membership, have a clear charter including the scope of the committee’s activities, have meetings open to the public and disclose records to the public.

The plaintiffs in the suit are being represented by CREW and Democracy Forward. Check out their websites and sign up for their newsletters. Both organizations are at the forefront of protecting us from government over-reach and unethical behavior.

The first step to supporting the two organizations seeking to limit Trump's lawlessness is to educate ourselves about their work—and I pledge to do that in the near future! If someone from CREW or Democracy Forward is reading this, I would love to interview a representative of your organization to spread the news about your good work to the readers of this newsletter. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Concluding Thoughts

It is difficult to communicate the extent to which Trump assaulted the Constitution on January 20, 2025. For most presidents, a single instance of a clash with the outer limits of the Constitution or federal law is a defining moment in their presidency. On Monday, Trump

Purported to remove birthright citizenship from the Constitution, which provides that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Purported to create a “pause” in enforcement of a federal law banning TikTok when no such “pause” is authorized by the statute.

Purported to tax foreign countries in violation of existing treaties and international law.

Purported to define gender in a way that will discriminate against more than 1 million transgender people.

Threatened to invade Panama to reclaim the canal in violation of a US treaty with Panama.

But his worst action was to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists. They betrayed their nation and should have been held accountable to prevent future attacks. By pardoning them, Trump has sent the unmistakable message that violence intended to promote his political interests is acceptable and will be pardoned.

On Tuesday, the legacy media in the US should be howling in protest against “Dictator Trump” for assaulting the Constitution as no other president has or ever will. Tuesday will be a litmus test for the future of the legacy media. Sadly, the odds are that they will fail—spectacularly.

So, my friends, it is up to us. No one is coming to save us. We must save ourselves. The first step in that process is to proclaim the imminent threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump. We must not relent, and we must ignore the voices telling us to “calm down” and “chill out.” The twin evils of accommodation and normalization are responsible for our current peril. We cannot repeat those mistakes.

It was a tough day. If you want some perspective and affirmation, check out the discussion in livestream video linked above.

Stay strong, everyone! We are in the thick of the fight already, and we must remain steadfast.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]