We Always get what we Deserve - 345

On a trip to Washington, DC, to march and then lobby our representative to support climate change initiatives, my partner and I decided to tour our nation's capital. The guided tour was not only fascinating and informative, but it also provided a crucial historical context that described subversive people in our government whose actions had put our democracy at risk.

While the climate crisis remains, far and away, the greatest threat to our natural world and civilization, we are simultaneously in the midst of the greatest threat to our democracy since the Civil War. It's crucial that we stand together, united in our resolve to confront these issues.

The Trump administration has launched Project 2025, a plan to undermine our democracy and the climate. I hope this does not take you by surprise.  It is not like former Trump appointees didn't warn us.

Former Trump-appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, four-star Army General Mark Milley, said of Donald Trump is "The most dangerous person ever" and "fascist to the core."

Marine General James Mattis, former Trump-appointed Secretary of Defense, said of working with Donald Trump. "Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us." Creating distrust and scapegoating are tactics of a fascist.

In his book, Army three-star General H.R. McMaster referred to Trump as "unfit for office."

In his book, former long-time Republican consultant and Trump-appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote, "He cares almost exclusively about his own interests" and desires "a White House of serfs to execute his orders unquestioningly." He also noted that Trump "can't tell the difference between what's true and what's false."

 Trump's former Chief of Staff, four-star Marine General John Kelley, summed up his assessment of his former boss, "The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it's more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life."

General Kelley also noted Trump wished he had blindly obedient generals like Hitler. General Kelley corrected him. Hitler, Kelley informed the president, survived multiple assassination attempts by his generals.

Here is the US Military oath these generals and every military officer in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force take upon commissioning or promotion.  I took this oath and was always awed by the emphasis placed on the commitment to uphold the principles and values of the Constitution. 

 "I, [name], having been appointed a [rank] in the United States [branch of service], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God."

This oath is to a Constitution, which means those who take it swear to a system of LAW with the Constitution at its peak.

Historically, this is unique. Kings and Queens demanded loyalty to themselves alone, and tyrants demanded the same. In WW ll, German Officers pledged, "I swear to God this sacred oath that I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, supreme commander of the armed forces and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath."

Note, in the NAZI oath, there is no reference to law, justice, right or wrong, nor allegiance to truth.

I will swing back to climate. Note that former Security Advisor John Bolton said Donald Trump cannot distinguish what is true from what is false. Trump believes the unfolding climate catastrophe is a hoax created by the Chinese. This goes against all reputable science organizations worldwide. Science is the pursuit of truth.

Collectively, in our last Presidential Election, we rejected science and our Constitution. Now, our Constitution is under threat not only by the people we elected but also by a foreigner from South Africa, Elon Musk.

Here, Gil Duran lays out the problem and the solution, "Our political system is being dismantled by men who feel no need to hide their intentions. The crowd's cheers for Musk's (Nazi) salute echo across history. They remind us that civilization's descent into barbarism doesn't happen through sudden collapse. It happens through the gradual normalization of the unthinkable. Those cheers tell us everything we need to know about where we're headed – unless we find the courage to confront this moment with the moral clarity it demands."

Outstanding military and civilian patriots appointed by Trump warned us. They worked with him in his first administration. They are men who know human nature and voiced their worst fears for the country they love and serve.

I started this column by describing a tour by a knowledgeable guide conducted at our nation's capital. As I mentioned previously, he knew US history well. His final words of wisdom were, "We may not get what we want, but we always get what we deserve."

We will get what we deserve because in our democracy, the 49.8 % majority rules. In our 248-year history, I hope 2024 was not the last democratic election this country will see.