Another great essay from the great Frederic Poag! I agree with his thinking that none of these foreign policy handling by Trump and pals bode well for our nation’s future relations with the rest of the world and could truly be disastrous for us.
Yeah, even Stevie Wonder saw this shit and headed to Ghana. In case you don't know, he's blind. This entire administration is a joke and pissing off everybody worth honoring. There is no honor in this asshole orange maniac or any of his players involved. Hire a bunch of idiots who don't know what they're doing just to kiss his ass, throw shit against the wall and see what sticks. Yeah, we're in big trouble now, folks!
Mr. Wonder is a legend, I'm Black, and you don't have to tell me who to vote for. I'm also an elder. I've been voting for 50 years. Always the lesser of 2 evils, but such is the life of 'voting while Black'. Until extremely technical people figure out how Musky infiltrated the voting computers in swing states, voting may be a moot point now. I was also a software consultant and know what I saw on election day. It's been confirmed. They just don't know how and nobody can pay me enough to get in there and figure it out. I'd need an entire team of people like myself, I'm retired, and FUCK NO! 😜
Then you would be wrong and IDGAF who you are & what you think. I wasn’t talking to you anyway. You're giving off racist vibes. Favor has nothing to do with this. I have plenty of people who love me for who I am. So, pardon me, but get lost, ma'am. Talk to others, but don't come for me trying to shame or embarrass me publicly or I'll hurt your feelings. I generally don't like to treat my elders that way, but when they become unduly disrespectful, all bets are off.
Sadly I must agree with this. But I think that there is one other throughline beyond arrogance, it is also amorality. Fundamentally we trust people to be like people and to have some sense of continuing morality or at least to care about us, or just not be assholes.
The problem for us is not just that Hegseth or Trump or Vance are incompetent it is that they genuinely do not understand that other people have things like principles or feelings. Trump himself is so nakedly transactional and that he cannot be bothered to care about people starving and he treats wildfires as an opportunity for leverage. That cult of the asshole is embedded deep in our culture now, possibly for good. And it has stained our image forever.
Even if Trump, Vance, Hegseth, and the tantrum throwing Musk all leave the stain of amorality will last. The idea that Americans are "just assholes" will stick with everyone, possibly forever. And our own next generation will have looked to their example and learned.
Thank you for this. Tomorrow is my 69th birthday and I have been a world traveler. I am starting to hear good wishes from many of my Kiwanis friends all over the world. The most striking thing is that after wishing me happy birthday, they are following up with messages of caring and support for what is happening here and stating they hope we have something left when it's all over. It's comforting to know that regular people from other countries are genuinely concerned for us us and understand what we are in danger of losing. To be offered such caring by my friends, (people whose Kiwanis mission is to help children worldwide) is very touching right now and a reminder that the rest of the world has not lost their hearts, no matter what kind of insanity reigns here.
That was one of the best posts I've ever read on Substack. Good enough to make me upgrade to a paid subscriber.
As I'm a high school graduate, lifelong blue collar guy who nonetheless is a voracious reader, I could summarize this post for the Trumptards very easily. "You catch more flies with honey than with horseshit". Even they should be able to understand that.
As for Canada, I spent 3 years working in ND and dated a woman from Manitoba for a while. On my days off I would go stay with her and we would go to the local bar and the Canadian version of the VFW, as her deceased husband was a veteran. I drank a lot with those people and the one thing every one of them had was a fierce pride in being Canadian. They sort of accepted me because of her, but they mostly distrusted Americans. If Trump fucks with them he's going to find out.
Man, I'm going to have to relax before I run off some of your readers. Hahahahaha. 😂 Sawry. Some of them are underestimating me and they getting ready to get real schooled.
Incompetence, or deliberate indifference, or even just plain deliberate? I would love to see this traitorous scum prosecuted under some statute for which asset forfeiture applies someday.
We still love America, for us it is the country of Audie Murphy, Gary Cooper and John Wayne. Trump will go eventually , he will never succeed in changing America because he is a black hat, a back shooter and Gregory Peck is out there somewhere.
Even if that MF dies a horrible death tomorrow (or today I hope), this is TRUMPISM and none of this crapola-on-a-stick is his playbook. There's a shit load of people behind all this bullshit, or didn't you know? All of them would have to be taken out, and that's not likely.
JOHN WAYNE, Trevor 🤮? Man, pulease. Couldn't you have come up with a better dude than that racist asshole? 😆🙄
I’m a Sgt. Alvin C York fan myself. He was in the First World War and was awarded the Medal of Honor. I believe Gary Cooper portrayed him in the movie “Sergeant York” in 1941. Like Audie Murphy in World War II, both highly decorated, home-grown and very real heroes.
Yeah, maybe, but I bet I could find some Native Americans who would differ with you with all of those western movie actors. I'll just step out now that I puked all over John Wayne first. 🤣 I actually loved Westerns before I grew up and realized where many of them were coming from. I'll let you have your heroes. They're just far from mine and that's okay.
As Adam Kinzinger says: Europe (the world) must back Ukraine, freeze tRump out, and make him unimportant.
Another great essay from the great Frederic Poag! I agree with his thinking that none of these foreign policy handling by Trump and pals bode well for our nation’s future relations with the rest of the world and could truly be disastrous for us.
Yeah, even Stevie Wonder saw this shit and headed to Ghana. In case you don't know, he's blind. This entire administration is a joke and pissing off everybody worth honoring. There is no honor in this asshole orange maniac or any of his players involved. Hire a bunch of idiots who don't know what they're doing just to kiss his ass, throw shit against the wall and see what sticks. Yeah, we're in big trouble now, folks!
I agree wholeheartedly
Mr. Wonder is a legend, I'm Black, and you don't have to tell me who to vote for. I'm also an elder. I've been voting for 50 years. Always the lesser of 2 evils, but such is the life of 'voting while Black'. Until extremely technical people figure out how Musky infiltrated the voting computers in swing states, voting may be a moot point now. I was also a software consultant and know what I saw on election day. It's been confirmed. They just don't know how and nobody can pay me enough to get in there and figure it out. I'd need an entire team of people like myself, I'm retired, and FUCK NO! 😜
Kudos to you, I tend to think there aren't many people left who favor you
Then you would be wrong and IDGAF who you are & what you think. I wasn’t talking to you anyway. You're giving off racist vibes. Favor has nothing to do with this. I have plenty of people who love me for who I am. So, pardon me, but get lost, ma'am. Talk to others, but don't come for me trying to shame or embarrass me publicly or I'll hurt your feelings. I generally don't like to treat my elders that way, but when they become unduly disrespectful, all bets are off.
Sadly I must agree with this. But I think that there is one other throughline beyond arrogance, it is also amorality. Fundamentally we trust people to be like people and to have some sense of continuing morality or at least to care about us, or just not be assholes.
The problem for us is not just that Hegseth or Trump or Vance are incompetent it is that they genuinely do not understand that other people have things like principles or feelings. Trump himself is so nakedly transactional and that he cannot be bothered to care about people starving and he treats wildfires as an opportunity for leverage. That cult of the asshole is embedded deep in our culture now, possibly for good. And it has stained our image forever.
Even if Trump, Vance, Hegseth, and the tantrum throwing Musk all leave the stain of amorality will last. The idea that Americans are "just assholes" will stick with everyone, possibly forever. And our own next generation will have looked to their example and learned.
Well said. Agreed.
They may have permanently fucked up the voting system, though. So there's that.
Thank you for this. Tomorrow is my 69th birthday and I have been a world traveler. I am starting to hear good wishes from many of my Kiwanis friends all over the world. The most striking thing is that after wishing me happy birthday, they are following up with messages of caring and support for what is happening here and stating they hope we have something left when it's all over. It's comforting to know that regular people from other countries are genuinely concerned for us us and understand what we are in danger of losing. To be offered such caring by my friends, (people whose Kiwanis mission is to help children worldwide) is very touching right now and a reminder that the rest of the world has not lost their hearts, no matter what kind of insanity reigns here.
I'm new to your essays and learned a lot from reading this. I know nothing about foreign policy. And apparently, neither does JD Vance. 😂
That was one of the best posts I've ever read on Substack. Good enough to make me upgrade to a paid subscriber.
As I'm a high school graduate, lifelong blue collar guy who nonetheless is a voracious reader, I could summarize this post for the Trumptards very easily. "You catch more flies with honey than with horseshit". Even they should be able to understand that.
As for Canada, I spent 3 years working in ND and dated a woman from Manitoba for a while. On my days off I would go stay with her and we would go to the local bar and the Canadian version of the VFW, as her deceased husband was a veteran. I drank a lot with those people and the one thing every one of them had was a fierce pride in being Canadian. They sort of accepted me because of her, but they mostly distrusted Americans. If Trump fucks with them he's going to find out.
Oh wow. Thank you sir. Really appreciate that.
Man, I'm going to have to relax before I run off some of your readers. Hahahahaha. 😂 Sawry. Some of them are underestimating me and they getting ready to get real schooled.
LOL robust discussions are fine man.
Incompetence, or deliberate indifference, or even just plain deliberate? I would love to see this traitorous scum prosecuted under some statute for which asset forfeiture applies someday.
We still love America, for us it is the country of Audie Murphy, Gary Cooper and John Wayne. Trump will go eventually , he will never succeed in changing America because he is a black hat, a back shooter and Gregory Peck is out there somewhere.
Totally get where you're coming from Trevor. LOL "a back shooter". He is that low down isn't he?! A low down snake in the grass!
He certainly is?
Even if that MF dies a horrible death tomorrow (or today I hope), this is TRUMPISM and none of this crapola-on-a-stick is his playbook. There's a shit load of people behind all this bullshit, or didn't you know? All of them would have to be taken out, and that's not likely.
JOHN WAYNE, Trevor 🤮? Man, pulease. Couldn't you have come up with a better dude than that racist asshole? 😆🙄
To be fair he did put Audie Murphy first and Gary Cooper second. LOL
I’m a Sgt. Alvin C York fan myself. He was in the First World War and was awarded the Medal of Honor. I believe Gary Cooper portrayed him in the movie “Sergeant York” in 1941. Like Audie Murphy in World War II, both highly decorated, home-grown and very real heroes.
The true spirit of America, not Trump. I'm from the UK and America will live on past these troubled times.
Yeah, I noticed that. I still couldn't help my visceral reaction to fucking John Wayne. UGH!
That’s that veteran in you. It’s get the better of me on occasion. LOL
😂😂😂
My apologies, maybe Randolph Scott?
Yeah, maybe, but I bet I could find some Native Americans who would differ with you with all of those western movie actors. I'll just step out now that I puked all over John Wayne first. 🤣 I actually loved Westerns before I grew up and realized where many of them were coming from. I'll let you have your heroes. They're just far from mine and that's okay.