- Reactions to yesterday’s story;
- A comment about how perhaps Americans are actually not very good people;
- Robert Reich recalls the four pillars of civil society: universities, science, the media, and the law; all the ones the current administration is trying to tear down.
Following up on yesterday’s story. They’re minimizing or even denying that the incident happened, and it’s triggered Trump’s reflex to insult anyone who impugns him or his administration in any way. (Yet again, he’s always concerned about ratings and accuses publications he doesn’t like of “failing.”)
AlterNet, Alex Henderson, 25 Mar 2025: ‘Hire clowns, expect a circus’: Leaked chat exposes ‘stupidity and recklessness’
The Daily Beast, David Rothkopf, 25 Mar 2025: Why Signal Leak Shambles Isn’t Even Trump’s F***wits’ Worst Foreign Policy Move So Far
The New Republic, Greg Sargent, 25 Mar 2025: Transcript: Trump’s Angry Rant over Hegseth Fiasco Makes Scandal Worse, subtitled “An interview with national security lawyer Bradley Moss, who explains why the stunning exposure of highly sensitive war-planning texts might have been unlawful—and reveals Trump as a disastrously failed leader.”
Salon, Nicholas Liu, 25 Mar 2025: “It happens”: Republicans shrug off Trump administration’s leak of Yemen war plans, subtitled “Republican lawmakers are trying to blame the media for the Trump administration’s war-planning group chat”
From aggregate site JMG, in reverse chronological order over the past day and a half:
From CNN: Trump Suggests Reporter “Broke Into” Signal Chat
From NBC: Gabbard Refuses To Admit Taking Part In Group Texts
From social media: Leavitt Lies: “No War Plans Were Discussed” In Texts
From Politico and NBC: https://www.joemygod.com/2025/03/nbc-trump-claims-he-still-has-confidence-in-waltz/”>NBC: Trump Claims He Still Has Confidence In Waltz
From CNN: Goldberg: Hegseth’s “No War Plans” Claim Is A Lie
From Fox News: Watters Goes “But Her Emails” On War Plan Texts
From Fox News: Hawley Mocks “Leftist Media” Over War Plan Texts
From Fox News: Hannity: “Nobody Will Care About” War Plan Texts
From Fox News: Hegseth Attacks Atlantic Reporter As “Deceitful And Discredited Hoaxer Who Peddles In Garbage” [VIDEO]
From CBS News: Johnson Shrugs Off Texting Of War Plan To Reporter
From Fox News: Fox Host Is “Proud” Of Texted War Plan Messages
Once again, it is entirely obvious to everyone except members of the cult: when Republicans do something like this, it’s fine! fine! Nothing to see here! And the guy who pointed it out is a reprobate, a fraudster, a low-life, and he has low ratings! When Democrats do anything remotely like this, it’s “Lock her up! Lock her up!”
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A comment from Facebook:
Don D’Ammassa’s Post, yesterday at 4:30 PM
I am appalled at the number on the left, many of them good people, who are looking for a scapegoat for why Trump got elected. They blame the media, voter apathy, and various other causes, all of which admittedly share the blame. But the truth is that the US has developed a society based on selfishness and self interest and reinforced it with ignorance, lack of education, and glorification of self righteousness. We are not a good people, on the whole.
This reflects again on my takes on politics and morality: conservatives, the ones motivated by “selfishness and self interest” and the profit motive, are winning. They’re currently back in charge, and are doing all they can to “reinforc[e] it with ignorance, lack of education, and glorification of self righteousness”
Americans are very insular, and most simply do not understand that there are other ways of living, other societies that have better results, by most any measure, than the US.
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Let’s close tonight on an idealistic note.
Robert Reich, 25 Mar 2025: The Big Chill, subtitled “Trump’s attacks on the four pillars of civil society will succeed unless the pillars demonstrate courage and take collective action against the attacks.”
I was talking yesterday to a friend who’s a professor at Columbia University about what’s been happening there. He had a lot to say. When he needed to run off to an appointment, I asked him if he’d text or email me the rest of his thoughts. His response floored me. “No,” he said. “I better not. They may be reviewing it.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” I asked, suddenly worried.
“They! The university! The government! Gotta go!” He was off.
My friend has never before shown signs of paranoia.
I relate this to you because the Trump regime is starting to have a chilling effect on what and how Americans communicate with each other. It is beginning to create mass paranoia, which is exactly what Trump intends.
The chill affects the four major pillars of civil society — universities, science, the media, and the law.
Reich goes on to explain why those institutions are so important. These are the institutions the current administration is tearing down.
Well, we had a good run.
