I voted for the bipartisan redistricting commission back in 2020. At the time, following on the heels of CA in the early 2010s and CO a little later, I firmly believed in wresting control of the process out of the hands of politicians. But you know what happened? Not a single red state followed suit. Democrats unilaterally disarmed and Republicans only became further entrenched in the process in places like NC and WI. For the first time in a long time, Democrats have said “fuck you” to Republicans. That Barro tweet was about a lot of “principled” conservatives whining about what Democrats did yesterday. Even the anti-Trump conservatives whined about it. You know what those people didn’t comment on, how bad NC Reps gerrymandered a purple state, or what a nakedly corrupt act the Texas redistricting was. The WAPO op-Ed page claimed Texas’ redistricting wasn’t a threat to democracy, but last night’s result in VA, is the end of democracy! Hypocrites, the entire lot of them. It’s about time Dems brought guns to a gun fight.
Sounds tough but really where are we ending up here? Gerrymandering is not the equivalent of putting the opposition in a morgue. It can always be done again. Gerrymandering used to be something done once every 10 years based on the Census. But now we have the precedent of gerrymandering whenever a political party sees there might be an advantage to doing it for short term expediency. Whether that takes an act of the legislature or an initiative presented to the voters, the parties will do it based on a "need" to obtain dominance in the House of Representatives, it can happen every two years, every four years... What do the people of the US gain from this in the long run?
We are in a new reality. And the only way out is through. Not employing the same tactics because of a misbegotten sense of integrity will only get us closer to an authoritarian end state.
I'm looking for a potential next step. Back in 2021 there was a bill proposed called For the People Act that dealt with voting rights, ethics, campaign finance, and gerrymandering (requiring all states to establish independent redistricting commissions following specified rules) but of course it went nowhere. An earlier version of it was introduced in 2019. And there was the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that sought to shore up the Civil Rights Act that had already been under attack by the US Supreme Court. All of it went nowhere. Why? Because gerrymandering filled the House with people completely opposed to anything like them and because of the very narrow majorities held in the US Senate. I don't think anything like those bills will ever pass as long as we keep gerrymandering at will.
That's why the fight against gerrymandering was being conducted in the state level via voter initiative in states that had such a process. Now that doesn't work either and is seen weak non fighting. What's the next step?
What you just said is what I have the biggest issue with. Dems did in fact decide to take those munitions away from politicians on a state by state basis. I don’t know what the next step is. But I know Democratic voters are tired of putting principles before politics. The only thing that course of action has gotten is more brazenly authoritarian behavior from the GOP.
Virginia, California and other states had independent redistricting commissions because voters supported initiatives to create one. It wasn't necessarily Democrats that wanted them. In California in 2008 the Republican Party supported the initiative. In blue states, Republicans want commissions. In the red states, they do not want them.
If this is all just a UFC fight then only the strong or the best at cheating survive. Short term gain is the only thing we can hope for and we must understand that gain will be reversed in the probably near future. Only the people with lots of money win long term gains.
Constitutional amendment? That could be a route to take.
But under no circumstances should the Ds ever unilaterally disarm again. We are in a classic game theory tit-for-tat scenario, where the outcome will be suboptimal for everyone until such point that enough voters agree that this no longer serves their interests. But to think that it can be solved by only one side obeying the norms is either wishful thinking or willful ignorance.
The voters will tune out. They will see elections as having nothing to do with them and their concerns and day to day life. They will see elections as the playground of mysterious rich people, tactics, noise, and talking about things they don't understand and therefore don't care about. Only the fanatics will pay attention to elections. It's already happened with primary elections...only the party faithful show up. In presidential general elections people turn out if they are fascinated by the personality of a candidate and repealed by the other candidate. Otherwise...they don't vote. Already more people are invested in watching pro sports teams than they are in what happens in their government.
I wonder if the Dems showing that they are willing to fight fire with fire with respect to gerrymandering, coupled with a growing displeasure of this by the people, will cause this to break and open up to passing some of the actions that you mentioned. A lot of positive actions take time to develop and take hold. Various activities are needed to encourage this. Unfortunately, if something will hurt the GOP, they will vote to remove it. Just need to make gerrymandering hurt the GOP.
What it always is; make it painful for the other side until they fold. Next NY and NJ need to change their constitutions to allow for more of this. IL and MD need to be pushed into redistricting. And then offer a nationwide ban.
Let's not kid ourselves. The only people who end up folding is the average voter who sees endless battle and temporary advantages and decides not to vote because it is ultimately useless. As long as politics is seen as war between gangs, does it really matter who wins a particular election. Just gerrymander the next one and get a different winner...over and over and over again.
The ends justify the means? If everyone uses authoritarian tactics then it really doesn’t matter who wins unless you’re connected. If it can be said “we beat Trumpism at their own game” is that deserving of congratulations? I’m not saying roll over. Just that consideration be given to how “victory” is going to be defined.
In an existential fight, there are no holds barred. The ends do justify the means.
Intent matters. The intent of the Rs is to take the U.S. back to a pre-Civil War state where rich, Christian, White men ran the show. They want everyone else to be a second class citizen (or non-citizen). The intent of the Ds is to defend the gains we have made (universal suffrage, Civil Rights, Voting Rights, etc.).
Intent is the difference between murder and manslaughter. The outcome is the same but how it is viewed is vastly different.
Sir, in both CA & VA, there are limitations on the length of these maps. So there’s nothing to consider about authoritarian tactics. Here’s a big secret, you can’t govern if you don’t win. You’re living in some ideal West Wing utopia, but the truth is, this is trench warfare.
Its a terrible precedent... set as a matter of choice by the Republicans who agreed to redistrict 4 red states midcycle because Trump demanded they do it. How the hell can anyone reasonably get upset with the Democrats for responding to the Republicans decision to break this precedent and punch back in a fight the Republicans clearly and unequivocally started? I despise gerrymandering and the Republican attempt to use midcycle redistricting to stack the deck and hold onto the House no matter how the American people vote in November... but I would despise letting them get away with it without a fight even more.
I share your frustration, but I think the Dems following suit was appropriate. Until there are better remedies, removing the effectiveness of this action was necessary.
Sadly the better solution is not to punch the bully and tell them to stay down, its to punch until they cease getting back up. One is a deterrent that lasts only as long as they can figure out how to get back at you, the other is taking care of the problem.
Trying to tell American conservatives to back away from slavery and the embrace of authoritarianism in the US has literally never worked (case in point, the civil war, and the civil rights act), it might be time to consider a more serious deterrent instead.
I'm not sure what a more serious deterrent might be, but something is certainly needed. At this point, the Dems and independents need to keep taking actions to force the GOP down the democratic path, whether it's making guardrails more resilient, working on the incentive structure or what. The biggest problem I see is that the GOP do not have policies that much of the country wants, so they resort to lying, cheating, fear, gerrymandering, etc.
Nothing except that the House and possibly the Senate can possibly get something done in 2027. I for one am tired of government being incompetent and unaccountable. At least Democrats are letting their gerrymandered districts expire and sought the will of the people first. I don’t know that Dems can be trusted to relinquish power once obtained, but maybe we the people will start caring more about decisions that affect the body politic, not just ourselves.
I agree. I live in Maryland's 1st district, a rural, conservative area "represented" since 2010 by "Freedom Caucus" chairman, Andy Harris. Harris has been firmly entrenched for over 15 years because, back in the day, our district was gerrymandered. (By Democrats!) This year our governor wanted to consider changing the maps to give voters like those in my district a better chance of electing someone who would actually represent us. Harris is a Trump toady who always supports what Trump is doing. He is also one of the laziest and most unavailable of representatives. Locally, he is known as AWOL Andy.
Harris is the only Republican in the Maryland Congressional delegation, so replacing him would help Democrats win the House in November. However, our Senate president, a Democrat, refused to move the proposal to consider redistricting forward so it probably will not happen here. His argument was that if the maps changed, Democrats might lose a seat instead of gaining one. He may be right about that or not, but I would have voted to take that chance if it had been put to a vote. While philosophically, I would rather play by the rules, doing so when Trump and his enablers are not creates an unfair advantage.
Another observation: a few days in advance of the Virginia vote, those opposing redistricting were blanketing the airwaves with ads urging people in Virginia to vote no. I saw these ads on MLB.com, now affiliated with ESPN. I was watching a baseball game between Boston and Detroit, and the ads appeared at the beginning of each commercial break for most of the game. While annoyed by them, I was also amused to see how much money they were spending to reach someone who lives and votes in Maryland who is watching a baseball game between Boston and Detroit. How many Virginia voters are likely to be doing that? That speaks either to the desperation of the vote no people, their failure to target their ads more precisely or both. I am grateful to the good people of Virginia for voting yes. May we win "bigly" in November.
I winder who they think the audience for this ridiculous commentary is .... No D elected or otherwise believes a word of it . No elected R believes it for a minute . So who are they talking to ? Idealistic MAGAts? Maybe SCOTUS ? Maybe each other ? Maybe trying to get some mid term "editorials " written early
They are whining, way too late, for the death of the establishment and Democrats playing by the rules. Much like Trump being surprised the Iranians closed the straight, those never Trump conservatives are surprised and moan when Democrats use the playbook handed them.
I, too, mourn the death of the old norms, but I realize they are gone for good. Trump has changed the country and, as people say, the only way out is through. This is surely not the last regrettable thing we will have to do if we play, as we must, by the new rules of the game. It will take hard and steely-eyed work in all three branches of government to claw back a decent Republic. We can’t flinch from necessary acts.
They're talking to rich people. Those are pretty much the only people whose opinions they care about. They are talking to Elon Musk and begging him to disseminate their witty retorts.
For me, my vote yesterday caused a personal, civic moral conflict. I would have voted "No" if the Democrats had originated the project to scramble voting districts solely to "guarantee" a favorable result for them in 2026.
Given the facts - the Oath-Breaker's statement that "he" "deserved" more Republican victories in the House and Senate - I could not vote other than "Yes".
I doubt he's read any history of the 1918 flu pandemic, but the stories of what happened in Army training camps in the US, as well as Army units in Europe are horrifying. Utter devastation of previously healthy, young soldiers. Bodies stacked up unti they could be put in railroad cars and removed. I recommend John Barry's history of the 1918 pandemic, The Great Influenza, for its broad, sweeping viewpoint. Gina Kolata also has a good history of the 1918 pandemic.
Thank you for the reading suggestion, but I think I will try to keep my reading of horror stories to a minimum at this point. After all, much of the real news is scary enough for me.
The 1918 "Spanish Flu" really started on the army base at Fort Riley in Kansas.
The pandemic resulted in 45,000 U.S. troops dying of influenza and related pneumonia which nearly matches the 53,402 American combat deaths recorded during the entire First World War.
Kegsbreath knows none of this, he's never read a history book.
Sure. But a decent way to deal with him once Trump is gone is to ensure he can never hold a security clearance again. Based on what we know about him, he either lied on his SF 86 or he was cleared in spite of what we know about him. Either way, he's a walking, talking insider threat rivalled only by Kash Patel.
Good point, and I wonder how many more of them never underwent a real clearance. Jared Kushner and Steve Whitkoff come to mind. This would be a great way to drain the Trump swamp.
I'm wondering if he is going to make all vaccinations optional in the military. I shudder at that thought. He should shudder, too, but he's too busy doing his shtick to please his Master Trump.
There is an aviation artist, son of a pilot who wanted to be a pilot but could not tolerate a few of the vaccines that were then required to be in the air force so became at artist. The artist is Keith Ferris. It is bizarre to not vaccinate those who will have to serve together.
Keith Ferris is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the US Air Force and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft camouflage has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.
I met him. my wife put on an exhibition of his work at the morris cty library. He did a talk as well (this was his home county - so it was fun for him.). He explained that but for a minor allergy he would have tried to be a pilot.
Hegseth will bounce you out if you have to stop shaving for medical reasons. He could care less about the readiness of our military or anyone's convictions. He doesn't have convictions, why should you have them?
To add to Bill’s excellent piece, Democrats also deserve credit for countering MAGA gerrymandering by using ballot measures that a majority of voters had to approve.
Thank you, Bill, for that wonderful history lesson this morning. I did not know the history of the term, "gerrymander". Maybe we should start thinking of democracy as a salamander. Salamanders can regrow limbs and tails after losing them to injury. Hopefully, our democracy can regrow after the assault on it by the Trump regime.
Three cheers for the Democrats. I hear so much that "They don't fight," a fusillade of dejection and despair. But while Democrats don't resort to the demonizing rhetoric of their opponents, or to the shameless lying and attention-whoring so compatible with our modern media environment, they've racked up some pretty impressive political gains in a very hostile environment, with Republicans dominating the levers of national government. Wins include:
Virginia gerrymander
California gerrymander
First shutdown fight
Second shutdown fight, funding the government without approving more funding for ICE
Countless off-cycle election wins, and big swings in elections they lost compared to voting patterns in 2024
I'm sure I'm forgetting some. But for all the criticism Democrats get, and they get it from both Republicans and Democrats, they have handled their business remarkably well given the environment they're working in. And Republicans in power now, I imagine, are getting more than a little nervous about November. Their only shot is rigging the system, and I'm sure that will be their top priority, because they have no case to make to the American people for why they should stay in power.
Democrats fight like Democrats not like Republicans. If you don’t want Republican bullying, something else has to be done, not more bullying. The Democrats are fighting smarter. The Republicans, not so much.
As a Pennsylvanian, I don't want Sarah running for Senate. She's more valuable here at the Bulwark. There are plenty of good candidates who will primary Fetterman and win if he's arrogant enough to run again.
I hadn't really thought about that, but that's a possibility, for sure. Fetterman's seat will be up for a vote in 2028, and I would expect if Shapiro runs for anything in '28 it will be the Democratic nomination for president, but if he decides to set his sights on the Senate instead he'd be tough for Fetterman to fend off.
This is a VERY good thought to focus on, that the fight back against Republicans' manipulations of the vulnerable spots in our democracy needs to match them in intensity but not mirror their tactics.
Sure, CA and VA gerrymandered but they did it in a Democratic way (referendum) and not like Republicans (push it through a gerrymandered state legislature--or, if you're Ohio, you have an assist from a Republican-dominated state supreme court that happens to have the son of the sitting governor on the bench)
To bring up an on-going debate, consider the handwringing over Hasan Piker amid the insistence that "We need influencers on our side to counteract those on the other side!"--yes, we need popular outreach, we need a broad front, but...maybe we can do better than to embrace Piker? At a minimum, NOT pushing back on Piker's worst statements feels like not fighting like a Democrat and instead rolling over to the dark side. I don't love that.
As I keep thinking about this: You know who else fought like a Democrat? Fannie Lou Hamer! What a role model and source of inspiration--she would be sick and tired of _us_ being sick and tired, and she'd tell us to get off our butts and get organized
Thanks for the reminder that "fighting like a Democrat" is a virtue to be aspired to, not a flaw to be condemned.
Well stated. I think there's some recency bias and projection in the critique of the Dems. Up until the GOP turned turtle and elected Trump, the Dems more than held their own. Dems now not only have to fight Trump, they have to fight an opposition that is perfectly willing to lay down on their constitional oaths so Trump can run them over.
I am guessing he has a jury conviction but not a sentence because the judge had to stay that as he was elected into office. Have to wait until he is out of office I guess. Yes it is a serious question, it’s just so hard to keep up with this madness.
Somehow I am reminded of Michelle Obama's most famous line, "When they go low, we go high", as the battle cry for all of your points. We do it legally, upfront and, when possible, with voter approval, not just the Kool-Aid induced nods of the sycophants in various legislatures.
Thank you for voting "yes." A couple of minutes ago, I quoted from this issue of The Bulwark, and I'll quote it again: it’s also good to be part of a movement that does what it has to do—peacefully and legally and democratically—in defense of fair elections and liberal democracy. We do have to take the side of the Constitution and democracy in this fight, and it is a fight for our country.
I'm glad that General Hertling addressed the flu shot issue. Being a Navy retiree, I can certainly attest to the common sense aspect of making the flu shot mandatory. Think about a Navy ship and its readiness for its mission. If you have the flu ravage the ship because everyone's in close quarters and it spreads like wildfire...you have impacted your readiness.
It's just amazing to me how inconsistent or clueless MAGAs are about what they "believe". Hegseth screams about our military's lack of lethality and yet pushes a policy that undermines it.
Every commander worth their weight understood exactly why the military made the flu vaccine mandatory. It's common sense.
I can imagine the flu tearing through a ship's crew! That would effectively take that ship off the board. Imagine in multiple ships in a single task force have that happen!
We dont need to go back very far to see the effects . USS Theodore Roosevelt 2020, in the Pacific had to evacuate infected crew to Guam -- but then there is the lag time .. a mess and the top brass unfairly disciplined the commander
Ah, that's where you go wrong, when you talk about "common sense." Americans have shown they have little, nor do they have much foresight. Everything the General and you wrote is correct. Why so many others cannot "connect the dots"—troops falling ill hurt cohesion and readiness—boggles the mind because it is so clear and simple.
The funny thing is that as far as I know the majority of service members don’t object. My ex is in the Air National Guard along with some very conservative members of his unit. They all got their shots and understood why.
Gen. Hertling: "Eliminating mandatory flu vaccinations may appear to be a small policy change by a naïve civilian leader appealing to his boss’s base."
Hegseth is a lot of things, but naïve isn't one of them. I think the best word to describe him is unserious. We're currently engaged in a war of choice with Iran, and instead of taking his responsibilities as SecDef seriously, Hegseth is engaging in performative culture war twaddle. I firmly believe deep down he knows he's unfit to lead DoD. He is deficient morally and intellectually, and to compensate, he's vice signaling to his boss and to the Cleti and hoping that he doesn't get fired.
Recall also that the great worldwide influenza epidemic that killed millions began in an Army base in the middle of the US, possibly a spontaneous mutation of a porcine (pig) virus from the nearby farms.
There’s a reason the military has mandated vaccines for the troops as soon as they were discovered.
But sure, now let’s make them more susceptible to debilitating diseases that spread like wildfire in close quarters. How’s that gonna help “warrior ethos” and “lethality” when posts and ships are filling up their medical facilities?
Patricia, Hegseth topped out at Major. His superiors didn't promote him because they saw what kind of man he is and understood someone like him could not ascend through the ranks any higher. Hegseth remains bitter about this.
No disagreement here, Nancy. I'm just pointing out that Hegseth's superiors did the right thing when it counted the most.
Of course, it goes without saying that Hegseth is the kind of SecDef a plurality of the electorate voted for when it reelected Trump. At the end of the day, I don't really blame Hegseth or his boss for being true to what they've always been. I blame 77 million people who didn't take their fucking responsibilities as citizens seriously. ***This is all on THEM.***
True. It reminds me of a saying: Monsters do what monsters do (read DJT, Hegseth, and other minions). They can't help themselves. It's those that follow that have a choice. Maybe the latter is true, maybe not; but I think it is.
It's possible you give him too much credit. Hegseth may have no "deep down." It's possible that some of these clowns believe in their own lawless and unserious words and behaviors. IMHO, thinking that any of they have a deep down understanding of what they're doing is giving them too much credit for a sense of morality and integrity.
Nancy, the reason why I believe Hegseth knows he's unfit is based on his behavior during press briefings. The cartoonish bravado, the inability to describe the strategic objectives, all of it broadcasts his awareness that he's in **waaaaaay** over his head.
The thing that I personally find hilarious is his accusation that the press is unpatriotic if they don't support our troops.
Might be worse than unserious. Isn’t he a Christian Nationalist? His pastor literally wants to prevent women from voting. He’s a retrograde, power-hungry ideologue who thinks he’s on a crusade.
The reason I chose the word "unserious" is because his religious views preclude him from looking at multivariate problems with the kind of analysis those problems warrant. He **is** a Christian Nationalist, and the sort of fundamentalism he practices make him exactly the type of person you *don't* want running DoD. Remember last week when he excoriated the press for being negative and unpatriotic? That's fundamentalist thinking; either the press is 100% is on board with his views, or they are unpatriotic. There's nothing in between. This is why he also falls back on the shit our military is blowing up because for him, that's all that matters. Except for the small detail that an even more radical younger man is now the new Ayatollah. He can't acknowledge that because if he did, the way that he views the world -- nationalist versus globalist, good versus evil, black versus white, man versus woman -- would fall apart.
Is he dangerous? Yes. Are his views retrograde? Fuck yes. Does that make his a serious person? No.
I will always wonder how someone like him managed to secure a spot at an Ivy League school. I guess raw intelligence and character/prudence are different qualities.
Indeed they are. He's the quintessential authoritarian personality. And when I look at him, I don't a competent, intelligent man who is comfortable in his own skin. I see a poser using way too much hair gel.
Of course, the Supreme Court had the chance to put strict limits on political Gerrymandering. But, they decided, against the strong dissent of RBG, that since there were more Republican controlled state legislatures, it was fine. Now, they are deciding that racial gerrymandering is not a thing anymore, because most Black people vote for Democrats, it is really political gerrymandering. The idea that all votes should be equal, and the principle of one person, one vote, is inherent in our Constitution, is not something Republicans care about anymore. Trump has been working hard to destroy the basis of American democracy, and he's been successful.
Anyone who gets reelected after attempting to overturn the results of an election has put a lasting stain on our free society.
The U.S. Sanitary Commission, established in 1861, was a major advantage for the Union. Its members set standards for the soldiers’ camps, including proper sanitation, placement of latrines, food preparation, garbage disposal, inspection and treatment for diseases, etc.
Having lived for a few generations in which vaccinations, sewage treatment, food inspections, availability of handwashing, antibiotics, etc, etc. are the norm, most people today simply cannot fathom the power of infectious diseases. Scientific achievements against microbial diseases have allowed morons like Kegsbreath to pretend that a warrior ethos is sufficient to withstand the devastation microbes can wield.
I’m torn between the desire to see an epidemic blow in that demonstrates his idiocy and the hope that we’ll somehow be lucky enough to avoid the deaths and misery that such an epidemic would bring.
I said on a different post a few weeks ago that one problem we have in this country is that a significant number of voters do not understand or know why and how we enjoy the miraculous lifestyles that most of us enjoy. 99% of human history was a fight for clean water, decent food and not dying of typhus before age 30. And it still is in many parts of the world. Too many people think our standard of living has always been and so they are fine with tearing down the mechanisms that give us that for a few more dollars in their paychecks or so they don't have to see a gay person. It's pathetic and pisses me off probably more than anything else the moronic voters have voted for.
If only there were a way to expose Faux News and the other right wing propaganda organizations that obfuscated the truth about Covid-19 deaths and vaccine successes.
The path back to a more sane world would be so much easier if the liars knew to expect penalties in proportion to the damages their false world view inflicts.
What a pleasure it is to have someone who knows what he's talking about to keep us informed about defense and other matters touching on our military forces.
For anyone who still associates with MAGA voters, I hope you are rubbing their nose in this chaos, reminding them just how stupid they are for throwing in Trump. You should ask them how their pocket book feels - are they winning? Do their kids who are graduating high school have a winning America to look forward to? Have they said thank you yet?
Until they actually learn and change their behavior - never let them live it down. Never let them forget. MAGA should be reminded every day that they are the dumbest, most gullible morons on the planet and are responsible for EVERYTHING that has happened with Trump 2.0. Everything.
I hope you are mocking their stupidity and self own. I hope you remind them that Trump is the weakest, most pathetic human that has ever existed. That they too are just as pathetic for following an obvious clown and shouldn’t be trusted with any measure of authority.
You have to understand that many of them watch Fox News and they're telling them that the Iranian war is going fine, Trump is a great President and that the Fake News can't handle it and focuses on every negative thing if it's bad for Trump.
Please don't bother me with any facts to the contrary of what they believe...because they really don't care.
Over the course of a couple of decades, the GOP propaganda has painted many of them into a corner of their own creation. They would have to start believing the "fake news" and that ain't happening.
Those are the very people that deserve to have their nose rubbed in their mess. I don’t care one iota why they think the way they do. I grew up in those echo chambers. I know exactly how stunted their thinking can be, and I also know that you can leave if folks would just exercise the barest of critical thinking. MAGA voters chose this and need to be mocked until they won’t show their face in public.
Well...I guess another aspect of my comment is that our energy would be better off shutting down the propaganda at the source than shaming the by-product acolytes of it.
Although...my resentment is VERY deep at these people still believing Trump in 2026...after a decade of his lies and deception.
I don’t disagree that we should attach the source, but that shouldn’t preclude us from slapping them in the face with undeniable reality. Personally, I have found MAGA to be insufferable and negative on my life so I cut them out entirely.
We have to give everyone who voted for Trump an open and friendly invitation to redeem themselves. There is a certain percentage of them who voted for Trump because they are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and xenophobic, like he is. Those people will stick by him forever. But there are many others who are realizing that Trump never had any intention of fulfilling the promises he made to the working-class people who supported him. Trump supports, protects, and is himself part of the "Epstein Elite."
I think they believe Trump is the truth-teller of our times, and nothing can shake that belief. Fox had to admit they lied about the 2020 election, although they have since returned to that lie.
Fox News shaped the battlefield for Trump. Fox News viewers...like a bunch of chickadees waiting for mama bird to feed them...open up their beaks and take whatever she gives them.
Yeah, that was why when they got viewer outrage over reporting Arizona they panicked and recanted. As Jon Stewart said, Fox “News” is the lupus of News.
You know, I was worried about that myself until Trump started attacking the Pope. I expected a mass exodus from the Church that rivaled the sex crime scandal. But it isn't happening. Nobody is picking Trump over their religion, except for TV celebrities. That gives me a little hope.
That room you describe is where they admit their errors, apologize, and make better more informed choices. If all they are doing is saying this sucks, I didn’t vote for this, and they still watch Fox News… well they are not changing. Those people have not actually realized the trash beliefs they have, but are just mad that gas is expensive.
Based on what the MAGAe yell at us during our 4-5 pm demonstrations every Thursday afternoon they will never see the light. Besides yelling “Go Trump,” we frequently hear “Get a job!” Most of us are retired or work from home with flexible schedules.
Trump's approval rating is now about 33%. They are very vocal and love to be irritating. America has had a greedy, racist, large minority since before it became a nation. They will always be with us. But they are a minority. The ultra-rich have spent billions to convince the struggling white people that keeping billionaires in charge is best for the country. Their money isn't working as well as it did two years ago.
It took an invitation from an acquaintance to a meeting to get me involved. Today I decided to attend a virtual meeting to potentially support a candidate for a Democratic representative—I don’t know how much I will be able to contribute to a campaign, but I feel it’s important to at least try.
MAGA feels they are winning because they are inflicting pain on the “libs” (even if they are hurting themselves.) This is even more foolish because many of them are of lower economic levels.
If folks continue to keep MAGA in their life, they need to ask them questions that will push them to verbalize their insanity. Make them vomit their lies so they can’t hide from them. Just like reporters hold Trump’s prior statement against him, we too much do the same. Make them live in and explain the contradiction and how anyone should trust them if they can deny facts and reality.
I haven't heard any of my MAGAs complain lately. We are winning the patriotic war against Iran and gas will be $2 a gallon this summer. That's what I hear.
I don’t do that. If I did, we wouldn’t have a relationship. I concluded after much handwringing that it is better to be happy than to be right, and these are people I’ve loved for years or in one case my whole life.
I hope you do not regret your decision to continue to associate closely with people who continue to support vile and evil people. Your statement it is better to be happy than be right belies the fact that what they support is immoral - not just a bad answer, but a morally reprehensible one.
I know I am some rando on the internet, but look at the language you are using. “Corrupt, incompetent, and would be autocrat” is incredibly generous language to describe the man after everything we know.
I get that you have big feelings about Trump and his lawless administration. So do I. I’m not trying to be generous—corrupt is one of the worst adjectives I can use. I hate him, and I try not to hate anyone. I’m also just some rando on the internet but hating him doesn’t hurt him and it poisons us. I try not to let my hate consume me.
Elbridge Gerry should also be remembered for his opposition to a standing army, where he compared a standing army to an erection. “A standing army is like a standing member. It's an excellent assurance of domestic tranquility, but a dangerous temptation to foreign adventure.”
Thank you Gavin for taking on this fight. I’m not sure if any other states would’ve followed trying to revise their laws if Gavin hadn’t done it right upfront to respond to Texas.
Once Florida redistricts the overall advantage will tilt back to Republicans but it will likely the entire effort favor to net them an extra 2-3 seats not the 12 or so had Democrats not fought back. And if Democrats keep 1-2 of the Texas seats in a wave year it would about become an even result.
On the gerrymandering thing, the Dems put it up to a vote of the people. The GOP did it by virtue of state legislatures, most of them already gerrymandered for a big GOP advantage. The GOP truly is the no power to the people party.
Great piece, Bill. Thank you for your vote, and congrats. Glad there were enough of you who were willing to do what needed to be done; and hope the courts don't undo it.
I voted for the bipartisan redistricting commission back in 2020. At the time, following on the heels of CA in the early 2010s and CO a little later, I firmly believed in wresting control of the process out of the hands of politicians. But you know what happened? Not a single red state followed suit. Democrats unilaterally disarmed and Republicans only became further entrenched in the process in places like NC and WI. For the first time in a long time, Democrats have said “fuck you” to Republicans. That Barro tweet was about a lot of “principled” conservatives whining about what Democrats did yesterday. Even the anti-Trump conservatives whined about it. You know what those people didn’t comment on, how bad NC Reps gerrymandered a purple state, or what a nakedly corrupt act the Texas redistricting was. The WAPO op-Ed page claimed Texas’ redistricting wasn’t a threat to democracy, but last night’s result in VA, is the end of democracy! Hypocrites, the entire lot of them. It’s about time Dems brought guns to a gun fight.
"When they bring a knife to a fight, you bring a gun. When they put someone in a hospital, you put them in a morgue"......... The Untouchables
"That's the Chicago way"
Apparently Pope Leo was taking notes growing up.
That's the Chicago way. (So is voting 12 times in the same election, according to Mike Murphey over at Hacks on Tap.)
Sounds tough but really where are we ending up here? Gerrymandering is not the equivalent of putting the opposition in a morgue. It can always be done again. Gerrymandering used to be something done once every 10 years based on the Census. But now we have the precedent of gerrymandering whenever a political party sees there might be an advantage to doing it for short term expediency. Whether that takes an act of the legislature or an initiative presented to the voters, the parties will do it based on a "need" to obtain dominance in the House of Representatives, it can happen every two years, every four years... What do the people of the US gain from this in the long run?
We are in a new reality. And the only way out is through. Not employing the same tactics because of a misbegotten sense of integrity will only get us closer to an authoritarian end state.
I'm looking for a potential next step. Back in 2021 there was a bill proposed called For the People Act that dealt with voting rights, ethics, campaign finance, and gerrymandering (requiring all states to establish independent redistricting commissions following specified rules) but of course it went nowhere. An earlier version of it was introduced in 2019. And there was the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that sought to shore up the Civil Rights Act that had already been under attack by the US Supreme Court. All of it went nowhere. Why? Because gerrymandering filled the House with people completely opposed to anything like them and because of the very narrow majorities held in the US Senate. I don't think anything like those bills will ever pass as long as we keep gerrymandering at will.
That's why the fight against gerrymandering was being conducted in the state level via voter initiative in states that had such a process. Now that doesn't work either and is seen weak non fighting. What's the next step?
What you just said is what I have the biggest issue with. Dems did in fact decide to take those munitions away from politicians on a state by state basis. I don’t know what the next step is. But I know Democratic voters are tired of putting principles before politics. The only thing that course of action has gotten is more brazenly authoritarian behavior from the GOP.
Virginia, California and other states had independent redistricting commissions because voters supported initiatives to create one. It wasn't necessarily Democrats that wanted them. In California in 2008 the Republican Party supported the initiative. In blue states, Republicans want commissions. In the red states, they do not want them.
If this is all just a UFC fight then only the strong or the best at cheating survive. Short term gain is the only thing we can hope for and we must understand that gain will be reversed in the probably near future. Only the people with lots of money win long term gains.
Constitutional amendment? That could be a route to take.
But under no circumstances should the Ds ever unilaterally disarm again. We are in a classic game theory tit-for-tat scenario, where the outcome will be suboptimal for everyone until such point that enough voters agree that this no longer serves their interests. But to think that it can be solved by only one side obeying the norms is either wishful thinking or willful ignorance.
The voters will tune out. They will see elections as having nothing to do with them and their concerns and day to day life. They will see elections as the playground of mysterious rich people, tactics, noise, and talking about things they don't understand and therefore don't care about. Only the fanatics will pay attention to elections. It's already happened with primary elections...only the party faithful show up. In presidential general elections people turn out if they are fascinated by the personality of a candidate and repealed by the other candidate. Otherwise...they don't vote. Already more people are invested in watching pro sports teams than they are in what happens in their government.
I wonder if the Dems showing that they are willing to fight fire with fire with respect to gerrymandering, coupled with a growing displeasure of this by the people, will cause this to break and open up to passing some of the actions that you mentioned. A lot of positive actions take time to develop and take hold. Various activities are needed to encourage this. Unfortunately, if something will hurt the GOP, they will vote to remove it. Just need to make gerrymandering hurt the GOP.
What it always is; make it painful for the other side until they fold. Next NY and NJ need to change their constitutions to allow for more of this. IL and MD need to be pushed into redistricting. And then offer a nationwide ban.
NY already has an independent commission.
Let's not kid ourselves. The only people who end up folding is the average voter who sees endless battle and temporary advantages and decides not to vote because it is ultimately useless. As long as politics is seen as war between gangs, does it really matter who wins a particular election. Just gerrymander the next one and get a different winner...over and over and over again.
The ends justify the means? If everyone uses authoritarian tactics then it really doesn’t matter who wins unless you’re connected. If it can be said “we beat Trumpism at their own game” is that deserving of congratulations? I’m not saying roll over. Just that consideration be given to how “victory” is going to be defined.
In an existential fight, there are no holds barred. The ends do justify the means.
Intent matters. The intent of the Rs is to take the U.S. back to a pre-Civil War state where rich, Christian, White men ran the show. They want everyone else to be a second class citizen (or non-citizen). The intent of the Ds is to defend the gains we have made (universal suffrage, Civil Rights, Voting Rights, etc.).
Intent is the difference between murder and manslaughter. The outcome is the same but how it is viewed is vastly different.
Sir, in both CA & VA, there are limitations on the length of these maps. So there’s nothing to consider about authoritarian tactics. Here’s a big secret, you can’t govern if you don’t win. You’re living in some ideal West Wing utopia, but the truth is, this is trench warfare.
Its a terrible precedent... set as a matter of choice by the Republicans who agreed to redistrict 4 red states midcycle because Trump demanded they do it. How the hell can anyone reasonably get upset with the Democrats for responding to the Republicans decision to break this precedent and punch back in a fight the Republicans clearly and unequivocally started? I despise gerrymandering and the Republican attempt to use midcycle redistricting to stack the deck and hold onto the House no matter how the American people vote in November... but I would despise letting them get away with it without a fight even more.
I share your frustration, but I think the Dems following suit was appropriate. Until there are better remedies, removing the effectiveness of this action was necessary.
Sadly the better solution is not to punch the bully and tell them to stay down, its to punch until they cease getting back up. One is a deterrent that lasts only as long as they can figure out how to get back at you, the other is taking care of the problem.
Trying to tell American conservatives to back away from slavery and the embrace of authoritarianism in the US has literally never worked (case in point, the civil war, and the civil rights act), it might be time to consider a more serious deterrent instead.
I'm not sure what a more serious deterrent might be, but something is certainly needed. At this point, the Dems and independents need to keep taking actions to force the GOP down the democratic path, whether it's making guardrails more resilient, working on the incentive structure or what. The biggest problem I see is that the GOP do not have policies that much of the country wants, so they resort to lying, cheating, fear, gerrymandering, etc.
Nothing except that the House and possibly the Senate can possibly get something done in 2027. I for one am tired of government being incompetent and unaccountable. At least Democrats are letting their gerrymandered districts expire and sought the will of the people first. I don’t know that Dems can be trusted to relinquish power once obtained, but maybe we the people will start caring more about decisions that affect the body politic, not just ourselves.
Yup, I can't take any of their crocodile tears seriously.
This
I agree. I live in Maryland's 1st district, a rural, conservative area "represented" since 2010 by "Freedom Caucus" chairman, Andy Harris. Harris has been firmly entrenched for over 15 years because, back in the day, our district was gerrymandered. (By Democrats!) This year our governor wanted to consider changing the maps to give voters like those in my district a better chance of electing someone who would actually represent us. Harris is a Trump toady who always supports what Trump is doing. He is also one of the laziest and most unavailable of representatives. Locally, he is known as AWOL Andy.
Harris is the only Republican in the Maryland Congressional delegation, so replacing him would help Democrats win the House in November. However, our Senate president, a Democrat, refused to move the proposal to consider redistricting forward so it probably will not happen here. His argument was that if the maps changed, Democrats might lose a seat instead of gaining one. He may be right about that or not, but I would have voted to take that chance if it had been put to a vote. While philosophically, I would rather play by the rules, doing so when Trump and his enablers are not creates an unfair advantage.
Another observation: a few days in advance of the Virginia vote, those opposing redistricting were blanketing the airwaves with ads urging people in Virginia to vote no. I saw these ads on MLB.com, now affiliated with ESPN. I was watching a baseball game between Boston and Detroit, and the ads appeared at the beginning of each commercial break for most of the game. While annoyed by them, I was also amused to see how much money they were spending to reach someone who lives and votes in Maryland who is watching a baseball game between Boston and Detroit. How many Virginia voters are likely to be doing that? That speaks either to the desperation of the vote no people, their failure to target their ads more precisely or both. I am grateful to the good people of Virginia for voting yes. May we win "bigly" in November.
Very well said. A Californian here, and on the same page.
Was it the entire WaPo op-Ed board that made the "Texas redistricting good, Virginia redistricting bad" claim? Or was it MAGA Marc Theissen?
They didn’t even have the guts to put a name on it. Both op-Ed’s were under the entire Ed Board.
I suspect the “Editorial Board” now really means “Jeff Bezos.”
I winder who they think the audience for this ridiculous commentary is .... No D elected or otherwise believes a word of it . No elected R believes it for a minute . So who are they talking to ? Idealistic MAGAts? Maybe SCOTUS ? Maybe each other ? Maybe trying to get some mid term "editorials " written early
They are whining, way too late, for the death of the establishment and Democrats playing by the rules. Much like Trump being surprised the Iranians closed the straight, those never Trump conservatives are surprised and moan when Democrats use the playbook handed them.
The Felon and Co. were also surprised to learn that Christmas is always at the end of the year.
I, too, mourn the death of the old norms, but I realize they are gone for good. Trump has changed the country and, as people say, the only way out is through. This is surely not the last regrettable thing we will have to do if we play, as we must, by the new rules of the game. It will take hard and steely-eyed work in all three branches of government to claw back a decent Republic. We can’t flinch from necessary acts.
They're talking to rich people. Those are pretty much the only people whose opinions they care about. They are talking to Elon Musk and begging him to disseminate their witty retorts.
💯
For me, my vote yesterday caused a personal, civic moral conflict. I would have voted "No" if the Democrats had originated the project to scramble voting districts solely to "guarantee" a favorable result for them in 2026.
Given the facts - the Oath-Breaker's statement that "he" "deserved" more Republican victories in the House and Senate - I could not vote other than "Yes".
When the fat felon pushed Abbott to gerrymander, he opened a pandora's box. What a moron. Everyday his dementia is getting worse.
When the fat felon pushed Abbott to gerrymander, he opened a pandora's box. What a moron. Everyday his dementia is getting worse.
Pete Hegseth on not requiring flu vaccines in the military: "Your body, your faith, and your convictions are not negotiable."
Soldier: "Does that mean I don't have to take part in stupid foreign wars?"
Hegseth: "Your body, your faith, and your convictions are irrelevant."
I doubt he's read any history of the 1918 flu pandemic, but the stories of what happened in Army training camps in the US, as well as Army units in Europe are horrifying. Utter devastation of previously healthy, young soldiers. Bodies stacked up unti they could be put in railroad cars and removed. I recommend John Barry's history of the 1918 pandemic, The Great Influenza, for its broad, sweeping viewpoint. Gina Kolata also has a good history of the 1918 pandemic.
Thank you @LHS. Exactly the point I was going to mention!
But hey, MAGA doesn’t care about respiratory illnesses, even when they’re killing millions. Gets in the way of freedom.
COVID showed us that, didn't it.
Freedumb .
They had no effective vaccines for the 1918 pandemic. Now we have, but Pete must love the good old days.
Thank you for the reading suggestion, but I think I will try to keep my reading of horror stories to a minimum at this point. After all, much of the real news is scary enough for me.
Yes, but not to be picky Trump says 1917.
The 1918 "Spanish Flu" really started on the army base at Fort Riley in Kansas.
The pandemic resulted in 45,000 U.S. troops dying of influenza and related pneumonia which nearly matches the 53,402 American combat deaths recorded during the entire First World War.
Kegsbreath knows none of this, he's never read a history book.
He's a deeply unserious man.
He is very serious about his Christian Nationalism, unfortunately.
Sure. But a decent way to deal with him once Trump is gone is to ensure he can never hold a security clearance again. Based on what we know about him, he either lied on his SF 86 or he was cleared in spite of what we know about him. Either way, he's a walking, talking insider threat rivalled only by Kash Patel.
Good point, and I wonder how many more of them never underwent a real clearance. Jared Kushner and Steve Whitkoff come to mind. This would be a great way to drain the Trump swamp.
Most of them
I'd would not be surprised if any of them were vetted.
You mean there are security clearances under DJT? I'm shocked!
IF "under" is taken to mean where he puts them, your shock will disappear.
under the bus eventually
A deeply unserious drunk
Who takes his drinking very seriously.
I bet his many children are vaccinated.
he knows nothing and shows us daily that he's proud of that fact.
A very happy headset he must be though since ignorance is bliss .
Funny, soldiers always needed to be vaccinated and for more than flu. The decision is stupid.
I'm wondering if he is going to make all vaccinations optional in the military. I shudder at that thought. He should shudder, too, but he's too busy doing his shtick to please his Master Trump.
There is an aviation artist, son of a pilot who wanted to be a pilot but could not tolerate a few of the vaccines that were then required to be in the air force so became at artist. The artist is Keith Ferris. It is bizarre to not vaccinate those who will have to serve together.
Keith Ferris is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the US Air Force and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft camouflage has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.
I met him. my wife put on an exhibition of his work at the morris cty library. He did a talk as well (this was his home county - so it was fun for him.). He explained that but for a minor allergy he would have tried to be a pilot.
I had of course never heard of him , but enjoyed looking at his artwork on the inter webs this morning . Thanks for bringing him to our attention.
Just like the decision maker .
Vaccine denier: "My body my choice!"
SECDEF: "Agreed."
Black servicemember: "Shaving every day causes me skin irritation and significant risk of infection"
SECDEF: "You're fired."
Serious question ... what faith prohibits vaccines ? Even Christian Science allows vaccination .
The MAGA faith, my friend. As James Byham says further up the thread: Freedumb!
That woke flu vaccinations! :(
Hegseth will bounce you out if you have to stop shaving for medical reasons. He could care less about the readiness of our military or anyone's convictions. He doesn't have convictions, why should you have them?
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/pete-hegseth-military-beard-shaving/685149/
Spot on!
I hope they are in their mothers' custody and that they have more sense than Hogsbreath.
It’s just Christian Nationalist virtue signaling.
To add to Bill’s excellent piece, Democrats also deserve credit for countering MAGA gerrymandering by using ballot measures that a majority of voters had to approve.
Thank you, Bill, for that wonderful history lesson this morning. I did not know the history of the term, "gerrymander". Maybe we should start thinking of democracy as a salamander. Salamanders can regrow limbs and tails after losing them to injury. Hopefully, our democracy can regrow after the assault on it by the Trump regime.
Agreed!
Three cheers for the Democrats. I hear so much that "They don't fight," a fusillade of dejection and despair. But while Democrats don't resort to the demonizing rhetoric of their opponents, or to the shameless lying and attention-whoring so compatible with our modern media environment, they've racked up some pretty impressive political gains in a very hostile environment, with Republicans dominating the levers of national government. Wins include:
Virginia gerrymander
California gerrymander
First shutdown fight
Second shutdown fight, funding the government without approving more funding for ICE
Countless off-cycle election wins, and big swings in elections they lost compared to voting patterns in 2024
I'm sure I'm forgetting some. But for all the criticism Democrats get, and they get it from both Republicans and Democrats, they have handled their business remarkably well given the environment they're working in. And Republicans in power now, I imagine, are getting more than a little nervous about November. Their only shot is rigging the system, and I'm sure that will be their top priority, because they have no case to make to the American people for why they should stay in power.
Democrats fight like Democrats not like Republicans. If you don’t want Republican bullying, something else has to be done, not more bullying. The Democrats are fighting smarter. The Republicans, not so much.
Now if they could just dump Fetterman somehow. 🤔
The next PA election will take care of that.
I'm really hoping by some miracle Sarah Longwell runs against him in the Democratic primary. If Fetterman even decides to run.
As a Pennsylvanian, I don't want Sarah running for Senate. She's more valuable here at the Bulwark. There are plenty of good candidates who will primary Fetterman and win if he's arrogant enough to run again.
Don't you think it will be Shapiro?
I hadn't really thought about that, but that's a possibility, for sure. Fetterman's seat will be up for a vote in 2028, and I would expect if Shapiro runs for anything in '28 it will be the Democratic nomination for president, but if he decides to set his sights on the Senate instead he'd be tough for Fetterman to fend off.
This is a VERY good thought to focus on, that the fight back against Republicans' manipulations of the vulnerable spots in our democracy needs to match them in intensity but not mirror their tactics.
Sure, CA and VA gerrymandered but they did it in a Democratic way (referendum) and not like Republicans (push it through a gerrymandered state legislature--or, if you're Ohio, you have an assist from a Republican-dominated state supreme court that happens to have the son of the sitting governor on the bench)
To bring up an on-going debate, consider the handwringing over Hasan Piker amid the insistence that "We need influencers on our side to counteract those on the other side!"--yes, we need popular outreach, we need a broad front, but...maybe we can do better than to embrace Piker? At a minimum, NOT pushing back on Piker's worst statements feels like not fighting like a Democrat and instead rolling over to the dark side. I don't love that.
As I keep thinking about this: You know who else fought like a Democrat? Fannie Lou Hamer! What a role model and source of inspiration--she would be sick and tired of _us_ being sick and tired, and she'd tell us to get off our butts and get organized
Thanks for the reminder that "fighting like a Democrat" is a virtue to be aspired to, not a flaw to be condemned.
Well stated. I think there's some recency bias and projection in the critique of the Dems. Up until the GOP turned turtle and elected Trump, the Dems more than held their own. Dems now not only have to fight Trump, they have to fight an opposition that is perfectly willing to lay down on their constitional oaths so Trump can run them over.
They are fighting the Supreme Court, too, of course.
Too bad the result of the Felon doing that is not instant inability to vote due to the injuries suffered at the (little) hands of the Felon.
refresh my memory, why is the felon voting? By mail no less?
Because no one has taken his Sharpie away.
LOL It was actually a serious question 😵💫
I am guessing he has a jury conviction but not a sentence because the judge had to stay that as he was elected into office. Have to wait until he is out of office I guess. Yes it is a serious question, it’s just so hard to keep up with this madness.
Somehow I am reminded of Michelle Obama's most famous line, "When they go low, we go high", as the battle cry for all of your points. We do it legally, upfront and, when possible, with voter approval, not just the Kool-Aid induced nods of the sycophants in various legislatures.
Virginia Dem here. I voted "yes" with a lump in my throat. Desperate times.
Thank you for voting "yes." A couple of minutes ago, I quoted from this issue of The Bulwark, and I'll quote it again: it’s also good to be part of a movement that does what it has to do—peacefully and legally and democratically—in defense of fair elections and liberal democracy. We do have to take the side of the Constitution and democracy in this fight, and it is a fight for our country.
A lump beats the alternative of a heavy, autocratic fist.
Desperate times indeed!
We all need to fight to get our democracy restored!
....Call for desperate measures.
I'm glad that General Hertling addressed the flu shot issue. Being a Navy retiree, I can certainly attest to the common sense aspect of making the flu shot mandatory. Think about a Navy ship and its readiness for its mission. If you have the flu ravage the ship because everyone's in close quarters and it spreads like wildfire...you have impacted your readiness.
It's just amazing to me how inconsistent or clueless MAGAs are about what they "believe". Hegseth screams about our military's lack of lethality and yet pushes a policy that undermines it.
Every commander worth their weight understood exactly why the military made the flu vaccine mandatory. It's common sense.
"Hegseth screams about our military's lack of lethality and yet pushes a policy that undermines it."
The thing about syncretic movements like MAGA is they're able to believe contradictory things without bothering to examine those contradictions.
I can imagine the flu tearing through a ship's crew! That would effectively take that ship off the board. Imagine in multiple ships in a single task force have that happen!
We dont need to go back very far to see the effects . USS Theodore Roosevelt 2020, in the Pacific had to evacuate infected crew to Guam -- but then there is the lag time .. a mess and the top brass unfairly disciplined the commander
"Common sense" is very uncommon in the MAGA ranks, or they wouldn't be there ... still.
Maybe Pete believes that his armed forces can take the enemy out by infecting them with debilitating and deadly diseases.
Ah, that's where you go wrong, when you talk about "common sense." Americans have shown they have little, nor do they have much foresight. Everything the General and you wrote is correct. Why so many others cannot "connect the dots"—troops falling ill hurt cohesion and readiness—boggles the mind because it is so clear and simple.
The funny thing is that as far as I know the majority of service members don’t object. My ex is in the Air National Guard along with some very conservative members of his unit. They all got their shots and understood why.
Gen. Hertling: "Eliminating mandatory flu vaccinations may appear to be a small policy change by a naïve civilian leader appealing to his boss’s base."
Hegseth is a lot of things, but naïve isn't one of them. I think the best word to describe him is unserious. We're currently engaged in a war of choice with Iran, and instead of taking his responsibilities as SecDef seriously, Hegseth is engaging in performative culture war twaddle. I firmly believe deep down he knows he's unfit to lead DoD. He is deficient morally and intellectually, and to compensate, he's vice signaling to his boss and to the Cleti and hoping that he doesn't get fired.
Recall also that the great worldwide influenza epidemic that killed millions began in an Army base in the middle of the US, possibly a spontaneous mutation of a porcine (pig) virus from the nearby farms.
There’s a reason the military has mandated vaccines for the troops as soon as they were discovered.
But sure, now let’s make them more susceptible to debilitating diseases that spread like wildfire in close quarters. How’s that gonna help “warrior ethos” and “lethality” when posts and ships are filling up their medical facilities?
Exactly what I was thinking. Not only are the people running this country arrogant and stupid they literally don't know the history of anything.
All they need to know is what the President's gut says.
If that is the measuring standard, there is a lot to know.
And George Santana is proven right again: Those who forget history ....
Might be why he has a serious drinking problem. I have never known an alcoholic who is not plagued with some serious issues that they won’t confront.
He never should have been cleared.
DJT's clearance: being an anchor on FOX.
He should have been pushed out of the military long ago. I want to have a word with the leadership that promoted him.
The Republican Senate “promoted” Kegsbreath and bears full responsibility.
Looking at you Joni Ernst, you betrayer of solemn oaths.
Patricia, Hegseth topped out at Major. His superiors didn't promote him because they saw what kind of man he is and understood someone like him could not ascend through the ranks any higher. Hegseth remains bitter about this.
He wasn't fit to be a corporal .
But conduct still matters at all ranks.
10 Most Common Ways Troops Get Thrown Out of the Military | Military.comhttps://share.google/Ahp9vDFQhJ8DDj0Er
No disagreement here, Nancy. I'm just pointing out that Hegseth's superiors did the right thing when it counted the most.
Of course, it goes without saying that Hegseth is the kind of SecDef a plurality of the electorate voted for when it reelected Trump. At the end of the day, I don't really blame Hegseth or his boss for being true to what they've always been. I blame 77 million people who didn't take their fucking responsibilities as citizens seriously. ***This is all on THEM.***
True. It reminds me of a saying: Monsters do what monsters do (read DJT, Hegseth, and other minions). They can't help themselves. It's those that follow that have a choice. Maybe the latter is true, maybe not; but I think it is.
It's possible you give him too much credit. Hegseth may have no "deep down." It's possible that some of these clowns believe in their own lawless and unserious words and behaviors. IMHO, thinking that any of they have a deep down understanding of what they're doing is giving them too much credit for a sense of morality and integrity.
Nancy, the reason why I believe Hegseth knows he's unfit is based on his behavior during press briefings. The cartoonish bravado, the inability to describe the strategic objectives, all of it broadcasts his awareness that he's in **waaaaaay** over his head.
The thing that I personally find hilarious is his accusation that the press is unpatriotic if they don't support our troops.
I agree with you .
Might be worse than unserious. Isn’t he a Christian Nationalist? His pastor literally wants to prevent women from voting. He’s a retrograde, power-hungry ideologue who thinks he’s on a crusade.
The reason I chose the word "unserious" is because his religious views preclude him from looking at multivariate problems with the kind of analysis those problems warrant. He **is** a Christian Nationalist, and the sort of fundamentalism he practices make him exactly the type of person you *don't* want running DoD. Remember last week when he excoriated the press for being negative and unpatriotic? That's fundamentalist thinking; either the press is 100% is on board with his views, or they are unpatriotic. There's nothing in between. This is why he also falls back on the shit our military is blowing up because for him, that's all that matters. Except for the small detail that an even more radical younger man is now the new Ayatollah. He can't acknowledge that because if he did, the way that he views the world -- nationalist versus globalist, good versus evil, black versus white, man versus woman -- would fall apart.
Is he dangerous? Yes. Are his views retrograde? Fuck yes. Does that make his a serious person? No.
I will always wonder how someone like him managed to secure a spot at an Ivy League school. I guess raw intelligence and character/prudence are different qualities.
Indeed they are. He's the quintessential authoritarian personality. And when I look at him, I don't a competent, intelligent man who is comfortable in his own skin. I see a poser using way too much hair gel.
Of course, the Supreme Court had the chance to put strict limits on political Gerrymandering. But, they decided, against the strong dissent of RBG, that since there were more Republican controlled state legislatures, it was fine. Now, they are deciding that racial gerrymandering is not a thing anymore, because most Black people vote for Democrats, it is really political gerrymandering. The idea that all votes should be equal, and the principle of one person, one vote, is inherent in our Constitution, is not something Republicans care about anymore. Trump has been working hard to destroy the basis of American democracy, and he's been successful.
Anyone who gets reelected after attempting to overturn the results of an election has put a lasting stain on our free society.
Historians believe that until the advent of modern medicine more soldiers died from diseases like dysentery than from combat.
The U.S. Sanitary Commission, established in 1861, was a major advantage for the Union. Its members set standards for the soldiers’ camps, including proper sanitation, placement of latrines, food preparation, garbage disposal, inspection and treatment for diseases, etc.
What a woke comment! (just kidding).
Having lived for a few generations in which vaccinations, sewage treatment, food inspections, availability of handwashing, antibiotics, etc, etc. are the norm, most people today simply cannot fathom the power of infectious diseases. Scientific achievements against microbial diseases have allowed morons like Kegsbreath to pretend that a warrior ethos is sufficient to withstand the devastation microbes can wield.
I’m torn between the desire to see an epidemic blow in that demonstrates his idiocy and the hope that we’ll somehow be lucky enough to avoid the deaths and misery that such an epidemic would bring.
I said on a different post a few weeks ago that one problem we have in this country is that a significant number of voters do not understand or know why and how we enjoy the miraculous lifestyles that most of us enjoy. 99% of human history was a fight for clean water, decent food and not dying of typhus before age 30. And it still is in many parts of the world. Too many people think our standard of living has always been and so they are fine with tearing down the mechanisms that give us that for a few more dollars in their paychecks or so they don't have to see a gay person. It's pathetic and pisses me off probably more than anything else the moronic voters have voted for.
We had that pandemic a few years ago that demonstrated the Felon's idiocy and Kesgbreath does not remember or understand that comparison.
If only there were a way to expose Faux News and the other right wing propaganda organizations that obfuscated the truth about Covid-19 deaths and vaccine successes.
The path back to a more sane world would be so much easier if the liars knew to expect penalties in proportion to the damages their false world view inflicts.
Calling him a moron is generous. He is an idiot.
Maybe if it was at least optional the real suckers & losers would fall out in harmful defense of their right to stupid...
And infections in wounds and rotting wet feet, plus poor nutrition and lack of proper clothing/protection from the elements.
Very much appreciate this collection of thoughts and reactions and the addition of Ret General Hertling's perspective.
Ge. Hertling is an awesome addition to The Bulwark team!
Like I have said; he would make a great Sec. of Defense in a Democratic Administration.
What a pleasure it is to have someone who knows what he's talking about to keep us informed about defense and other matters touching on our military forces.
He is a treasure to us Bulwarkers. 😊
Yeah, I like the perspective.
I am just glad Spanberger and Lucas know their assignment. Thank you Virginia.
Spanberger, Sherrill and Slotkin are a glowing future.
For anyone who still associates with MAGA voters, I hope you are rubbing their nose in this chaos, reminding them just how stupid they are for throwing in Trump. You should ask them how their pocket book feels - are they winning? Do their kids who are graduating high school have a winning America to look forward to? Have they said thank you yet?
Until they actually learn and change their behavior - never let them live it down. Never let them forget. MAGA should be reminded every day that they are the dumbest, most gullible morons on the planet and are responsible for EVERYTHING that has happened with Trump 2.0. Everything.
Based on posts I see from friends of friends, they don’t care. And Kamala would have been worse. And freedom. And guns. And Jesus.
You know the drill.
I hope you are mocking their stupidity and self own. I hope you remind them that Trump is the weakest, most pathetic human that has ever existed. That they too are just as pathetic for following an obvious clown and shouldn’t be trusted with any measure of authority.
You have to understand that many of them watch Fox News and they're telling them that the Iranian war is going fine, Trump is a great President and that the Fake News can't handle it and focuses on every negative thing if it's bad for Trump.
Please don't bother me with any facts to the contrary of what they believe...because they really don't care.
Over the course of a couple of decades, the GOP propaganda has painted many of them into a corner of their own creation. They would have to start believing the "fake news" and that ain't happening.
I think JVL is right , unfortunately voters and inevitably , their innocent children , have to touch the stove ,
Yes...that certainly appears to be the most consistent factor in getting MAGAs to wake up...is when it affects them personally.
That won't work. They have touched the stove repeatedly and it makes them more radical.
Those are the very people that deserve to have their nose rubbed in their mess. I don’t care one iota why they think the way they do. I grew up in those echo chambers. I know exactly how stunted their thinking can be, and I also know that you can leave if folks would just exercise the barest of critical thinking. MAGA voters chose this and need to be mocked until they won’t show their face in public.
Well...I guess another aspect of my comment is that our energy would be better off shutting down the propaganda at the source than shaming the by-product acolytes of it.
Although...my resentment is VERY deep at these people still believing Trump in 2026...after a decade of his lies and deception.
I don’t disagree that we should attach the source, but that shouldn’t preclude us from slapping them in the face with undeniable reality. Personally, I have found MAGA to be insufferable and negative on my life so I cut them out entirely.
We have to give everyone who voted for Trump an open and friendly invitation to redeem themselves. There is a certain percentage of them who voted for Trump because they are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and xenophobic, like he is. Those people will stick by him forever. But there are many others who are realizing that Trump never had any intention of fulfilling the promises he made to the working-class people who supported him. Trump supports, protects, and is himself part of the "Epstein Elite."
The ones I know are beyond redemption.
I agree! They believe Faux News is the truth-teller of our times, and nothing can shake that belief.
I think they believe Trump is the truth-teller of our times, and nothing can shake that belief. Fox had to admit they lied about the 2020 election, although they have since returned to that lie.
Fox News shaped the battlefield for Trump. Fox News viewers...like a bunch of chickadees waiting for mama bird to feed them...open up their beaks and take whatever she gives them.
Yeah, that was why when they got viewer outrage over reporting Arizona they panicked and recanted. As Jon Stewart said, Fox “News” is the lupus of News.
You know, I was worried about that myself until Trump started attacking the Pope. I expected a mass exodus from the Church that rivaled the sex crime scandal. But it isn't happening. Nobody is picking Trump over their religion, except for TV celebrities. That gives me a little hope.
That room you describe is where they admit their errors, apologize, and make better more informed choices. If all they are doing is saying this sucks, I didn’t vote for this, and they still watch Fox News… well they are not changing. Those people have not actually realized the trash beliefs they have, but are just mad that gas is expensive.
DJT is now approaching the Bush line.
Best news yesterday. When we go high he goes lower. :)
Based on what the MAGAe yell at us during our 4-5 pm demonstrations every Thursday afternoon they will never see the light. Besides yelling “Go Trump,” we frequently hear “Get a job!” Most of us are retired or work from home with flexible schedules.
Trump's approval rating is now about 33%. They are very vocal and love to be irritating. America has had a greedy, racist, large minority since before it became a nation. They will always be with us. But they are a minority. The ultra-rich have spent billions to convince the struggling white people that keeping billionaires in charge is best for the country. Their money isn't working as well as it did two years ago.
Thank you for doing what you’re doing. We have the same thing here but this introvert hasn’t mustered the gumption to join my local group.
It took an invitation from an acquaintance to a meeting to get me involved. Today I decided to attend a virtual meeting to potentially support a candidate for a Democratic representative—I don’t know how much I will be able to contribute to a campaign, but I feel it’s important to at least try.
MAGA feels they are winning because they are inflicting pain on the “libs” (even if they are hurting themselves.) This is even more foolish because many of them are of lower economic levels.
If folks continue to keep MAGA in their life, they need to ask them questions that will push them to verbalize their insanity. Make them vomit their lies so they can’t hide from them. Just like reporters hold Trump’s prior statement against him, we too much do the same. Make them live in and explain the contradiction and how anyone should trust them if they can deny facts and reality.
I haven't heard any of my MAGAs complain lately. We are winning the patriotic war against Iran and gas will be $2 a gallon this summer. That's what I hear.
I suspect that’s what I would hear if we didn’t resolutely avoid politics.
🤣
I don’t do that. If I did, we wouldn’t have a relationship. I concluded after much handwringing that it is better to be happy than to be right, and these are people I’ve loved for years or in one case my whole life.
I hope you do not regret your decision to continue to associate closely with people who continue to support vile and evil people. Your statement it is better to be happy than be right belies the fact that what they support is immoral - not just a bad answer, but a morally reprehensible one.
I agree that they are supporting a corrupt and incompetent would be autocrat. It’s not all they are, though.
I know I am some rando on the internet, but look at the language you are using. “Corrupt, incompetent, and would be autocrat” is incredibly generous language to describe the man after everything we know.
I get that you have big feelings about Trump and his lawless administration. So do I. I’m not trying to be generous—corrupt is one of the worst adjectives I can use. I hate him, and I try not to hate anyone. I’m also just some rando on the internet but hating him doesn’t hurt him and it poisons us. I try not to let my hate consume me.
Elbridge Gerry should also be remembered for his opposition to a standing army, where he compared a standing army to an erection. “A standing army is like a standing member. It's an excellent assurance of domestic tranquility, but a dangerous temptation to foreign adventure.”
Ha ha, that is an excellent quote.
Thank you Gavin for taking on this fight. I’m not sure if any other states would’ve followed trying to revise their laws if Gavin hadn’t done it right upfront to respond to Texas.
Once Florida redistricts the overall advantage will tilt back to Republicans but it will likely the entire effort favor to net them an extra 2-3 seats not the 12 or so had Democrats not fought back. And if Democrats keep 1-2 of the Texas seats in a wave year it would about become an even result.
On the gerrymandering thing, the Dems put it up to a vote of the people. The GOP did it by virtue of state legislatures, most of them already gerrymandered for a big GOP advantage. The GOP truly is the no power to the people party.
Great piece, Bill. Thank you for your vote, and congrats. Glad there were enough of you who were willing to do what needed to be done; and hope the courts don't undo it.