Hey, New Low Points

Just When You Think It All Could Not Get Worse or More Embarrassing….

Seven months into this term of Trump, we find new low points in more areas than one could have imagined. If nothing else, we are learning what a potent cocktail one has when mixing arrogance, cruelty, and intellectual laziness, wrapped in a mindset where character simply does not count – heck, character is seen as a flaw by this bunch..

Just look at the last few days….

North Korea Has Nothing On US

The North Korea syndrome has arrived. Looked at the video of a cabinet meeting lately? It is bizarre and embarrassing to an American. There is a round of applause when the principle player enters the room, and everyone takes a turn saying what a wonderful president Mr. Orange is. He beams through the whole episode.

A couple of cabinet officers thought a swell way to please their boss would be to hang on the front of their main buildings 3 story high banners with Trump’s picture on them. No kidding, this is something that seems like a skit on Saturday Night Live. A pathetic thing to observe.

Ham Sandwiches Are Safe

There is an old joke in legal circles that one could indict a ham sandwich; grand juries almost always follow recommendations to indict. But four grand juries in two locations have refused to indict people the Trump team sought to prosecute. Including that guy in DC that threw a sandwich at some ICE people.

This is REALLY rare; I cannot think of another round of multiple refusals to indict.  Good on these citizens for bucking the system and doing the right thing. Hope it spreads everywhere.

Pettiness and Pouting At New (And Dangerous) Levels

Trump has personally directed cancelling the Secret Service protection for a long list of people he dislikes – and that is the only reason for the cancellation. Many are under credible threats from multiple sources, some have those threats because of work they did for Trump in his first term. This is the most petty and mean-spirited thing I have ever seen, and puts people at real risk, in part from Trump’s own followers. We need to look at how such protection is allocated and set up a system not dependent on the whim of one childish person.

In another domain, Trump only puts forces in or threatens to put forces into Democratic cities and states- Red entities have much worse crime stats. The last figures I saw showed something like 6-7 of the 10 worst cities and states with crime statistics are Red. This has nothing to do with law & order of course.

By the way, look for recruitment and retention in the National Guard and Reserves to go down in the coming months. As Governor Pritzker has noted, this is not the kind of BS people signed up for in service. Not many want anything to do with this misuse of forces.

Farmers And Firefighters – Who Needs Them?

This past week ICE arrested firefighters in the middle of fighting a major fire – pulled the firemen literally off the fire line.  In another area where malfeasance brings a price, farmers are plowing under crops in the field due to lost international markets as a result of tarrifs and other negative positions. Just as well – many of them have no workers to harvest food any more, as many have been plucked up by ICE while working in the fields and others fled.

We have noted in this space man times. We have large scale immigration without papers because it is almost impossible for most to do this legally, and because farms and businesses very much need the workers. This is a remarkably easy problem to solve – just takes the will to do so by politicians who would rather have an issue to anger people.

Social Security? Center For Disease Control? Who Needs All That?

 Not completely surprising news this past week, that when DOGE was rumaing around in the social security system, they decided to upload the data of millions of people into unsecure servers and sites. No way to determine who got improper access to all this data but count on real damage creeping up on a lot of people in the months and years ahead.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is exceptionally close to collapsing completely. RFK, Jr. has done more damage than even might have hoped for. Hundreds an thousands of key people have been fired, for no reason. Leadership has been gutted by firings and by protest resignations. The remaining workforce has taken to public protest in the streets outside CDC headquarters. Research programs are gutted, academic publications and reviews are gone, web sites are posting garbage, people with no qualifications are running major elements of the government..

A lot of people are going to get sick and die over many years, for no good rationale at all. Only Trump would appoint someone like this but do remember all those Republican senators who approved that appointment (and all the rest of the shameful cabinet now running amok).

The Courts Do The Right Thing – At Least Some, For Now

Recent rulings on the illegality of the current round of tariffs and the forced closing down of Alligator Alcatraz are encouraging signs that at least some judges are taking their duties seriously, even under great pressure and personal threats.

Now, if only the Supreme Court would get some brains and balls, things could improve.

A Most Sobering Thought

I never, I mean never, in my wildest imagination thought I would ever write the next few lines.

Every US military officer and noncommissioned officers understand their oath is to the constitution, not to anything or anyone else. One knows instinctively that an illegal order, or at least what seems illegal, could come from a chain of command in war. None of us thought much about unconstitutional orders coming from the federal government, but here we are.

Not an easy decision to make, but we might be at the time for officers, NCOs, and senior leaders to disobey orders and do so clearly on constitutional grounds. Those that do will likely pay a price, but duty calls. One is called upon to do the right thing, as best they understand it. A military that refuses orders is a dangerous line to cross, but so too is putting armed soldiers on our streets, for no reason other than political intimidation. Our citizens deserve better. So do our soldiers. Leaders need to stand up.

Similarly, we are at point wherein civilian personnel in places like the CDC, Justice, Homeland Security and others to begin practicing internal sabotage and doing far more leaks. Again, the personal risks are high, but history is upon us.

We are where we are. Breaks my heart to even think, less more write, this last part of this posting. But the alternatives for the country are far worse.

Bill Clontz

If you find this blog worthy of your time and curiosity, I invite you to do three things:

(1) Join the conversation. Your voice counts here. If you wish to share COMMENTS anonymously, make the last word in your comment “PRIVATE.” I will assure your privacy via anonymity.

(2) Share the word about this post with friends and colleagues. Share a link in your emails and social media posts (https://agentsofreason.com).

(3) You are welcome to share this post with anyone. It is easy to pass on via email, of course, but also on Facebook, Blue Sky, LinkedIn, Google Plus, or Reddit; simply click on the links for these services at the end of this article.

Let’s grow our circle.