Vote For…

I really believe that the vast majority of Americans want to get along with one another, to respect one another’s individuality, and to settle our differences honestly, with a minimum of rancor and name-calling.

And I truly hope Americans will, on November 3, elect political leaders who share that belief and who do their work based upon such trust in us as a people. I hope you will vote for candidates who will serve us all in that way.

I also believe that elections matter, and that every single vote makes a difference in every election. The people we elect to public office make decisions that change our lives and the world. Elections are often so close that a handful of voters can change their outcomes.

Millions vote, but each vote is your opportunity to influence our future. Beyond the ads, the money, the rallies, and all the sound and fury, elections finally come down to whether and how you and I vote. Please vote in the November 3 election.

(Maxine and I leave today for a Canadian cruise, sailing from Montreal down the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces before a final push to New York City. It’s a big adventure for a couple of oldsters, but we think we are up to it. I will post some pictures on Facebook from time to time so that if you wish to keep up with us, you can. And yes, we have voted.)

The “State of the Force” According to Sec. Hegseth

On Wednesday Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave a “State of the Force” address to “hundreds of junior officers and enlisted troops.”

According to the New York Times, in his speech he “doubled down on his decisions to fire dozens of admirals and generals, bar transgender people from serving and eliminate diversity programs.” He declared that our military must include “no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals.” He pointed to reporters in the back of the auditorium while criticizing “anti-American losers in our media” who have aided our enemies through their reporting on the Iran War, calling such reports treason. He also announced the creation of a new “‘autonomous warfare command’ for robotics, which I imagine is about using A.I. to fight wars.

(Meanwhile, Congress has gone home until after the election without having done anything new about A.I., or much of anything else to make life better for average Americans. And President Trump held a chummy luncheon meeting with A.I.’s wealthiest proponents.)

“At the end of his remarks, Mr. Hegseth received a standing ovation. Last year’s speech,” the Times goes on, “was greeted by stone-faced generals and admirals who made sure not to cheer, per the norms of a nonpartisan military.”

So, Mr. Hegseth is firing top military officers who are likely committed to a nonpartisan military, so he can move into their positions new people who are more to his personal and political liking. Is that what’s going on? I fear that it is.

How many times in my life have I read about military coups led by junior officers?

If the troops who heard and cheered yesterday’s speech eventually get to be in charge of our armed services, who could stop them from attacking our own citizens when our political leaders deem those citizens to be enemies of the state?

I never served in the military, and I am by no means an expert on it. So I would especially like to hear from readers with personal experience in and knowledge of such. Are my fears justified? Do you fear our military becoming a tool of partisan politics? If so, what can anyone do to prevent that from happening?

Thank you.

P. S. One more quote from his speech, according to Heather Cox Richardson: “The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top.” Think about it.