Thank you Joyce. You are keeping me afloat these days. This story makes me feel absolutely SICK. 🤢 The the current administration is an insult to all who have sworn an oath to the constitution and the country. From the president down they are an abomination. The worst ones are the representatives and senators going along with the senile charade of a president.
The Oregon Department of Justice has confirmed that at a Portland, U.S. District Court, a 10 am court hearing is set for Friday, October 3, 2025, to halt the deployment of any "troops" using "full force" against anyone. Further, the Oregon Attorney General has declared succinctly that "Oregon is our home not a military target".
Good. I live just across the river from Portland and am mad as hell about all this ridiculousness. My wife and I moved here from Texas last year to get out of Trump country and to a place with a better political climate. Have had nothing but good experiences in Portland since we’ve been here.
I will say I’ve been stopped coming out of three grocery stores over the past few days here in Washington by jack wagons gathering signatures for a ballot initiative “to keep boys out of girls sports”. I made a point of saying (very loudly so all around could hear), “That is such a non issue and even if it weren’t why would I feel threatened by that? I’m more concerned about the soldiers being sent to police American citizens and folks being disappeared without due process. That is an actual threat and it is happening right now. Maybe you should stop wasting time on this nonsense and focus on the actual rights we are losing here instead of this fictitious BS you seem so interested in.”
I’m not very happy with the state of our country right now. And I don’t mind telling these right wing jack wagons how unimpressed I am with what they are wasting time while they ignore the more important things.
Speaking of people being " disappeared" - Our son told us about a movie now running on Netflix called " The Penguin Lessons", starring Steve Coogan and Jonathan Pryce. He told us we needed to watch it. He was right. It's an important film.
Essentially it's the true story about a British English teacher at a boys school in Buenos Aires Argentina who adopts a penguin he has rescued from an oil slick.
But, more importantly, it's set in 1976, the year of coups, incredible inflation, and demonstrations in the streets of Buenos Aires. Demonstrators are being thrown in cars by the authorities and never seen again by their families!
It is estimated that at least 30 thousand Argentinians were " disappeared" during that era.
Do we really think that this could not happen here- in our country? With this administration? I highly recommend watching this movie.
That has been on my radar to watch but you just put it at the tip of my list. I was not aware of the political aspects the film teases out. Thank you for bringing that to my attention!
A beautifully written and moving testimonial of being disappeared under the Argentine junta is Alicia Partnoy's "The Little School." I highly recommend it.
Cletus, thank you for being clear about your personal perspective in that moment. We the people must SPEAK UP in the moment when faced with perceived indignation that distracts from the ELEPHANT: Trump is mentally flawed. Trump must be impeached. Congress must stand up and vote. Call your representatives and stand up peacefully in your neighborhood for our Constitutional Democracy.
I get a bit rude with this kind of stuff too. It's always old white guys outside the store with this stuff, unless they're paid unemployed guys doing it. They usually don't really know what they're asking for, but the old guys have been drinking the koolaidl
Well I can answer that question from my personal experience. I divorced and remarried over a decade ago. My second, non-narcissist wife and I both had kids we were still raising and an elderly parent with Parkinson’s we cared for more than a decade prior to our move. So the short answer is we had people we had to take care of and that was our priority. When our situation changed — and some of it was pretty heartbreaking — and we found ourselves in a new and almost unimaginable position of not taking care of others and in a brand new for us position of prioritizing care for ourselves stage of life, we did what we felt was best and got the hell out of the fascist state of Texas.
It still wasn’t easy just because we lived there for over 50 years each, so I can certainly emphasize with other people making that difficult decision. Pulling up roots and moving hundreds to thousands of miles away from everyone and everything you’ve ever known isn’t easy even when you enjoy the best conditions. This is one of the many reasons I have so much empathy for the immigrants who come here and why I feel so much anger and righteous indignation over the treatment of our nation’s most important and least appreciated contributors to our culture and our economy by the current administration’s exercise of cruelty and animosity to those who drive the engine of economic survival and success.
Daniel, your 1st Link was records what happened with the federal courts during a 12/20/2018 shutdown.
But, the. headline on your Link accurately declared: "Judiciary Operating During Shutdown" meaning courts were OPEN back then in 2018.
The Portland court will be OPEN this Friday at 10 am to deal with the grave "irreparable harm" at-issue faced by folks on both sides of the Columbia River.
He's easily mollified and managed. All he needs is complete adoration, a Big Mac, a diet Coke, and a ride to the golf course. With him out of the way, the evil dudes and dudettes in charge can get to work. He's clueless.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”
Umm. One of these Gandhian pieties. Tyrants don't fail just like that. Power is never relinquished voluntarily and it's taken repeated instances of resistance and struggle by ordinary people showing extraordinary resolve, individually and collectively, that's brought any gain to human dignity, civil and political rights.
Thanks Joyce for keeping us well informed. At 87, I can’t do protesting like I used to, but still want to help. I can only imagine what my father would have said if, as a 4 star general, he had been summoned from his command in Germany or in Korea, to participate in a pep rally to improve his warrior attitude.
Hegseth and his iron cross tattoo says it all.. He follows the Hitler playbook as does his boss. A visit to Normandy or reading history should inform all... but Maga's have no interest in history/reading. I fear this horror may be repeated.. As a senior I will never agin see the country I knew and loved..
The idea that Pete Hegseth could lecture these senior military leaders about “the warrior ethos” - whatever that is - is laughable. Another example of Republican waste, fraud, and abuse. Waste of millions of taxpayer dollars, fraud since the entire stated premise for calling them to DC is a lie (it’s actually all ego and a power play), and abuse of their time that could be better spent actually seeing to national security.
It definitely looks like this is going to be all about Hegseth's and Trump's egos. If so, it means both are going to have the opportunity to demonstrate clearly to the entire leadership of the military just how unfit they are for their jobs. The best-case scenario for the Trump administration is that neither he nor Hegseth literally insult the Generals.
Will these assembled be so controlled that no involuntary snickers or eye rolls will occur? It’s what they are trained to do. If told to sign a loyalty oath or not be transported back and then wherever home is, they’ve no doubt wrestled with the thoughts since the demand appearance request. Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has do doubt received calls. Is it at all possible any real (v Fox) press will be allowed?
The sheer vanity of this exercise fries my mind: Russia has breached the airspace of Sweden, Estonia, and Poland in recent days; US fighter jets have had to scramble when 2 Russian bombers and 2 fighter jets flirted with the airspace border in Alaska. So, of course, now's the time to pull general and flag officers en masse off their active duties because of the strategic importance of...grooming standards.
I hope, fervently, that the 800 or so GOFOs assembled will indeed be subjected to a UN General Assembly-standard of incoherent, spiteful rambling so that they are confronted with clear evidence of their Commander-in-Chief's total unfitness for the role.
Today, 9-30-25, trump comes across as a meandering egotistical ho hum. Hegseth comes across as a Hitler wannabe. Scary to me is those in the audience laughing at their creepy jokes.
Will they act? Will there be enough outrage and the oath taken and what may occur in their absence [for which the consequences could bring many to a personal and world brink] be enough for open rebellion?
So platoon leader Hegseth is going to lecture long-serving flag and general officers on how to fight, many of whom spent years in extended combat during their earlier careers. The insult is only exceeded by the hubris.
This echoes my thoughts: he was a platoon leader, not even a company commander. Really??? High ranking military commanders (in charge of brigades) are lectured by this platoon leader and General Bone-Spurs. My comments aren't intended to insult platoon leaders but just to state it is not a high level of command.
The generals can refuse to pledge loyalty to trump or anyone, or anything, except the United States Constitution.
Maybe they can collectively decide to execute an old fashioned coup on the spot. If trump is physically present, this would be ideal. His security detail would need to quickly decide where they stand on this illegitimate bastard.
Hegseth and trump can be arrested and detained. Perhaps moved to a secure location to ensure their safety while awaiting trial.
Isn't this a very important time to highlight (repeatedly) an important truth about the oath mentioned above, i.e., that it is not unique to people who lead our military?
The relevant federal statute is 5 U.S.C. 3331, and it emphasizes that the first, foremost and constant duty of every executive branch employee below the president (and every judicial branch employee) is to "support and defend" our "Constitution" against "all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear true faith and allegiance to" our Constitution, not to any person, party or ideology. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/3331
This is call of the Generals to a secret meeting is indeed scary and very suspicious. There was a good post on this traversing Face Book:
"A “mystery meeting” in Quantico that could shake the foundations of our military and our democracy
By Dr.John Petrone
A Summons Without Precedent
Pete Hegseth, the Fox News pundit turned Defense Secretary, has ordered hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals—our flag officers from across the globe, including those in combat zones—to drop everything and report to Quantico, Virginia next week. The Pentagon is silent about why.
Think about that for a moment. In the middle of tense Pacific deployments, in volatile Middle Eastern theaters, on NATO’s razor’s edge in Europe—commanders are being yanked from the field. Virtually the entire upper tier of America’s military leadership will be concentrated in one location. Veterans like me know: that’s not how this is done. Command continuity is sacred. The chain of command does not get put on pause for theatrics. And yet, that’s what’s happening.
This isn’t just unusual. It’s dangerous.
Fox News Theater, Military Stage
Why is this happening? Hegseth offers no explanation. The Pentagon won’t say. What we do know: this administration thrives on spectacle and distraction. And what better stage than Quantico, filled with every general and admiral, obediently summoned by a man whose only qualification for running the Department of Defense is that he once shouted into a camera for Fox News?
To call this a wag-the-dog operation is not alarmist. History tells us: leaders who fear exposure, scandal, or collapse often turn to the military—not to protect the nation, but to shield themselves. In a week when the Epstein files are closer than ever to cracking daylight, suddenly all eyes are pulled toward the Pentagon’s closed doors. Coincidence? You decide.
Risks Beyond Distraction
This isn’t just a media stunt. The risks are real and immediate:
Command Vulnerability: By summoning leaders from every theater, the U.S. weakens its ability to respond to crises in real time.
Power Consolidation: A closed-door assembly of all generals is the perfect venue to demand loyalty pledges, to test who bends and who resists.
Civil-Military Breakdown: America’s strength rests on an apolitical, professional military. This kind of mass recall is a page torn from authoritarian playbooks abroad—Turkey, Russia, Egypt. We know where those stories end.
Theatrics of Emergency: If Hegseth announces sweeping changes, a new “war footing,” or emergency powers after this meeting, it will not be to protect democracy. It will be to protect Trump.
Patterns We Cannot Ignore
Look at the pattern:
Purging senior officers under flimsy pretenses.
Proposing to slash the number of generals by 20%, consolidating power in fewer, more compliant hands.
Rebranding the Department of Defense as the “Department of War.”
Now, summoning the entire upper echelon in one fell swoop.
This is not reform. This is capture. The slow hollowing of our institutions. First the courts. Then the agencies. Now the military. Step by step, the guardrails fall.
How We Fight Back
This is not the moment for passive outrage. It is the moment for coordinated civic action. Here’s what fighting back looks like in practice:
Demand Full Transparency
Call your representatives and senators immediately. Insist they demand a public explanation for the purpose, agenda, and outcomes of this Quantico gathering. Use their phone lines, their offices, their town halls—make them feel the pressure. No blank checks for secrecy.
Support Whistleblowers and Military Truth-Tellers
When retired officers or current insiders speak out, amplify their voices. Share their interviews, circulate their op-eds, protect them from retaliation. The public must hear directly from those inside the chain of command who still honor their oath to the Constitution.
Push for Immediate Oversight Hearings
Congress has the constitutional authority to oversee military leadership. Demand hearings before and after the meeting. Drag the facts into daylight. If they refuse, call that refusal what it is: complicity.
Keep the Focus on the Broader Struggle
Do not let this “mystery meeting” erase other scandals from the headlines—Epstein files, assaults on civil rights, the weaponization of government agencies. Authoritarians thrive on whiplash distractions. Stay on message: all of these threads are part of one authoritarian project.......
Stand with Veterans and Active-Duty Families
Veterans’ groups and military families have moral authority in this fight. Encourage them to speak out, organize, and remind the country that service is to the Constitution, not to a man or a party.
Stay Ready to Protest Peacefully but Relentlessly
If this meeting is used to announce dangerous new policies—purges, emergency powers, or war posturing—Americans must be ready to take to the streets. Peaceful, visible resistance shows the world and our own military that we will not quietly accept authoritarian control.
Fighting back means more than anger. It means pressure, oversight, organizing, vigilance, and courage. The men who swore to defend this nation must know the people are watching—and will not let them be turned into pawns.
The Veteran’s Warning
I wore the uniform. I know the pride of service, the trust in your chain of command, and the unbreakable oath to the Constitution—not to a president, not to a party, and sure as hell not to a Fox News talking head playing soldier. This meeting is a test of who still remembers that oath.
If this were happening in another country, we’d call it what it is: the rehearsal of a coup. The United States of America should be no exception. The danger is not that generals gather—it’s why, under whose orders, and for what end.
We cannot allow America’s military to be transformed into a stage prop for an authoritarian regime clinging to power. Our vigilance, our voices, and our unyielding defense of democracy are the only counterweight.
Because when the generals are called home, the Republic itself is at risk."
I have seen that 3 tech executives were sworn in as Lt-Col in the National Guard ( https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-army-tech-executives/ ). I haven't seen whether they had enlisted in the Guard before this so I am wondering whether any MAGATS can simply be sworn in as high level commanders in the regular Services.
Having all the top brass in one place is mehshugenneh, Joyce.
What Kegsbreth is doing is meshugas.
Nothing like having all the top brass of all branches of the military all in one place for a meeting that's been well-promoted so that our enemies will know exactly what to do, should they be of a mind to do so. Why not just schedule the damned thing over Signal? Facebook? X?
Please don't overlook that Kegsbreath was removed from the Minnesota National Guard afer being flagged as an insider threat because of his tattoos that the Guard claimed were associated with extremist groups. The Guard kicked him out, but Orange deemed him sufficiently able to lead the military, including the National Guard.
Thank you Joyce. You are keeping me afloat these days. This story makes me feel absolutely SICK. 🤢 The the current administration is an insult to all who have sworn an oath to the constitution and the country. From the president down they are an abomination. The worst ones are the representatives and senators going along with the senile charade of a president.
The Oregon Department of Justice has confirmed that at a Portland, U.S. District Court, a 10 am court hearing is set for Friday, October 3, 2025, to halt the deployment of any "troops" using "full force" against anyone. Further, the Oregon Attorney General has declared succinctly that "Oregon is our home not a military target".
GRANTED.
Good. I live just across the river from Portland and am mad as hell about all this ridiculousness. My wife and I moved here from Texas last year to get out of Trump country and to a place with a better political climate. Have had nothing but good experiences in Portland since we’ve been here.
I will say I’ve been stopped coming out of three grocery stores over the past few days here in Washington by jack wagons gathering signatures for a ballot initiative “to keep boys out of girls sports”. I made a point of saying (very loudly so all around could hear), “That is such a non issue and even if it weren’t why would I feel threatened by that? I’m more concerned about the soldiers being sent to police American citizens and folks being disappeared without due process. That is an actual threat and it is happening right now. Maybe you should stop wasting time on this nonsense and focus on the actual rights we are losing here instead of this fictitious BS you seem so interested in.”
I’m not very happy with the state of our country right now. And I don’t mind telling these right wing jack wagons how unimpressed I am with what they are wasting time while they ignore the more important things.
Speaking of people being " disappeared" - Our son told us about a movie now running on Netflix called " The Penguin Lessons", starring Steve Coogan and Jonathan Pryce. He told us we needed to watch it. He was right. It's an important film.
Essentially it's the true story about a British English teacher at a boys school in Buenos Aires Argentina who adopts a penguin he has rescued from an oil slick.
But, more importantly, it's set in 1976, the year of coups, incredible inflation, and demonstrations in the streets of Buenos Aires. Demonstrators are being thrown in cars by the authorities and never seen again by their families!
It is estimated that at least 30 thousand Argentinians were " disappeared" during that era.
Do we really think that this could not happen here- in our country? With this administration? I highly recommend watching this movie.
An historical lesson that frighteningly applies to this felonious era.
That has been on my radar to watch but you just put it at the tip of my list. I was not aware of the political aspects the film teases out. Thank you for bringing that to my attention!
A beautifully written and moving testimonial of being disappeared under the Argentine junta is Alicia Partnoy's "The Little School." I highly recommend it.
Cletus, thank you for being clear about your personal perspective in that moment. We the people must SPEAK UP in the moment when faced with perceived indignation that distracts from the ELEPHANT: Trump is mentally flawed. Trump must be impeached. Congress must stand up and vote. Call your representatives and stand up peacefully in your neighborhood for our Constitutional Democracy.
I get a bit rude with this kind of stuff too. It's always old white guys outside the store with this stuff, unless they're paid unemployed guys doing it. They usually don't really know what they're asking for, but the old guys have been drinking the koolaidl
Did you get any engagement from those in earshot?
These were young white guys who appeared (from my opinion) to be influenced by Charlie Kirk and “What Is a Woman?”
Good for you for getting out of Texas. I really don't understand why more decent people don't leave. We should just sell it.
Well I can answer that question from my personal experience. I divorced and remarried over a decade ago. My second, non-narcissist wife and I both had kids we were still raising and an elderly parent with Parkinson’s we cared for more than a decade prior to our move. So the short answer is we had people we had to take care of and that was our priority. When our situation changed — and some of it was pretty heartbreaking — and we found ourselves in a new and almost unimaginable position of not taking care of others and in a brand new for us position of prioritizing care for ourselves stage of life, we did what we felt was best and got the hell out of the fascist state of Texas.
It still wasn’t easy just because we lived there for over 50 years each, so I can certainly emphasize with other people making that difficult decision. Pulling up roots and moving hundreds to thousands of miles away from everyone and everything you’ve ever known isn’t easy even when you enjoy the best conditions. This is one of the many reasons I have so much empathy for the immigrants who come here and why I feel so much anger and righteous indignation over the treatment of our nation’s most important and least appreciated contributors to our culture and our economy by the current administration’s exercise of cruelty and animosity to those who drive the engine of economic survival and success.
Most people can't afford to just pick up and move and TBH I'm slowly coming to the mindset that our country is actually worth fighting for.
If we didn't have kids and grandkids... We're staying for them.
Mexico wants too much money to take that enormous superfund site.
Questionable whether courts will be open for business.....
https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2018/12/22/judiciary-operating-during-shutdown#:~:text=Published%20on%20December%2022%2C%202018,necessary%20to%20support%20such%20work.
Daniel, your 1st Link was records what happened with the federal courts during a 12/20/2018 shutdown.
But, the. headline on your Link accurately declared: "Judiciary Operating During Shutdown" meaning courts were OPEN back then in 2018.
The Portland court will be OPEN this Friday at 10 am to deal with the grave "irreparable harm" at-issue faced by folks on both sides of the Columbia River.
Not so fast. Only if speedy trial rule was in jeopardy.
No Trial is set or even discussed ... so that is why you get a TRO.
Portland Federal Court is NOT a "Rocket Docket".
Stop harm now ... Full Stop.
He's easily mollified and managed. All he needs is complete adoration, a Big Mac, a diet Coke, and a ride to the golf course. With him out of the way, the evil dudes and dudettes in charge can get to work. He's clueless.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”
--- Mahatma Gandhi
Thank you.
Umm. One of these Gandhian pieties. Tyrants don't fail just like that. Power is never relinquished voluntarily and it's taken repeated instances of resistance and struggle by ordinary people showing extraordinary resolve, individually and collectively, that's brought any gain to human dignity, civil and political rights.
But we need to know that they DO fall. We DO know what's going on, at least some of us.
Let's hope thst the curse of social media may help us in this as much as it's hurt in others.
Amen! It’s the only way I sleep at night.
Thanks Joyce for keeping us well informed. At 87, I can’t do protesting like I used to, but still want to help. I can only imagine what my father would have said if, as a 4 star general, he had been summoned from his command in Germany or in Korea, to participate in a pep rally to improve his warrior attitude.
(General Hugh P. Harris, d.1979)
I’m with you on this
Hegseth and his iron cross tattoo says it all.. He follows the Hitler playbook as does his boss. A visit to Normandy or reading history should inform all... but Maga's have no interest in history/reading. I fear this horror may be repeated.. As a senior I will never agin see the country I knew and loved..
I didn’t realize that Hegseth’s meeting is modeled on Hitler’s. They blatantly follow his authoritarian steps at warp speed.
Read William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." They're following it rather closely, if not faster. It's good to know what to expect.
Always makes me wonder what is going on in our European allies minds. Will they have to intervene?
Once unthinkable.
The tally is ongoing.
The idea that Pete Hegseth could lecture these senior military leaders about “the warrior ethos” - whatever that is - is laughable. Another example of Republican waste, fraud, and abuse. Waste of millions of taxpayer dollars, fraud since the entire stated premise for calling them to DC is a lie (it’s actually all ego and a power play), and abuse of their time that could be better spent actually seeing to national security.
And a dangerous idea to have all of these military leaders in one room at the same time!
reminisant of Pearl Harbor...
It definitely looks like this is going to be all about Hegseth's and Trump's egos. If so, it means both are going to have the opportunity to demonstrate clearly to the entire leadership of the military just how unfit they are for their jobs. The best-case scenario for the Trump administration is that neither he nor Hegseth literally insult the Generals.
Do not forget the admirals.
Will these assembled be so controlled that no involuntary snickers or eye rolls will occur? It’s what they are trained to do. If told to sign a loyalty oath or not be transported back and then wherever home is, they’ve no doubt wrestled with the thoughts since the demand appearance request. Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has do doubt received calls. Is it at all possible any real (v Fox) press will be allowed?
The sheer vanity of this exercise fries my mind: Russia has breached the airspace of Sweden, Estonia, and Poland in recent days; US fighter jets have had to scramble when 2 Russian bombers and 2 fighter jets flirted with the airspace border in Alaska. So, of course, now's the time to pull general and flag officers en masse off their active duties because of the strategic importance of...grooming standards.
I hope, fervently, that the 800 or so GOFOs assembled will indeed be subjected to a UN General Assembly-standard of incoherent, spiteful rambling so that they are confronted with clear evidence of their Commander-in-Chief's total unfitness for the role.
Today, 9-30-25, trump comes across as a meandering egotistical ho hum. Hegseth comes across as a Hitler wannabe. Scary to me is those in the audience laughing at their creepy jokes.
Will they act? Will there be enough outrage and the oath taken and what may occur in their absence [for which the consequences could bring many to a personal and world brink] be enough for open rebellion?
Send this to Sen John Thune and others who tout that there is lots of waste, fraud and abuse in the budget that they still need to remove.
Exactly, Susan. Well said!
And they dont need a pep talk from trooper bone spurs.
I would love to see all these military leaders stand up and walk out!
Am sure the senior military members are well aware of those facts Susan. This is more than a photo op.
So platoon leader Hegseth is going to lecture long-serving flag and general officers on how to fight, many of whom spent years in extended combat during their earlier careers. The insult is only exceeded by the hubris.
saw the last part of hegseth's speech....I think pete has been playing too much call of duty
Love to be a fly on THAT wall! 🇺🇸⚓️
This echoes my thoughts: he was a platoon leader, not even a company commander. Really??? High ranking military commanders (in charge of brigades) are lectured by this platoon leader and General Bone-Spurs. My comments aren't intended to insult platoon leaders but just to state it is not a high level of command.
This is when we get together. There will be more than 800 of us.
JOIN THE ROAR!!!
There will be a No Kings demonstration on October 18. Spread the word! 👑👑👑👑👑
To find a location, follow this link--
https://www.nokings.org/
Let’s fly our flag upside down today in clear peaceful protest of We the People!
Oh my. What a day! Congratulations on the book. See you in Los Angeles
I’m fearful that trump will ask for a loyalty pledge to himself and not the constitution.
You can virtually guarantee it.
I also fear that happening and would like to know what can be done if it does happen.
The generals can refuse to pledge loyalty to trump or anyone, or anything, except the United States Constitution.
Maybe they can collectively decide to execute an old fashioned coup on the spot. If trump is physically present, this would be ideal. His security detail would need to quickly decide where they stand on this illegitimate bastard.
Hegseth and trump can be arrested and detained. Perhaps moved to a secure location to ensure their safety while awaiting trial.
Now that is something I would really love to watch on TV! What a beautiful fantasy!
I suspect trump wants that to happen so he can go full blown dictatorship
This I’d love to see. Their loyalty to the Constitution may be greater.
You must've missed the Supreme Court ruling that keeps the President from even being charged with a crime much less held accountable.
only in the movie concerned cit
Yes, that is what I think this is about.
Isn't this a very important time to highlight (repeatedly) an important truth about the oath mentioned above, i.e., that it is not unique to people who lead our military?
The relevant federal statute is 5 U.S.C. 3331, and it emphasizes that the first, foremost and constant duty of every executive branch employee below the president (and every judicial branch employee) is to "support and defend" our "Constitution" against "all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear true faith and allegiance to" our Constitution, not to any person, party or ideology. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/3331
Congratulations, Joyce. I look forward to reading Bella’s review!
Here it is:
Woof! woof! (Mom is the best! She wants me to be nice to the chickens. Always)
Great marketing photo, snout across the book, but the title still readable! Can't wait til my copy comes in!
"When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you."
--- Nora Ephron
I can definitely relate to that!
Joyce: Congrats on the your newly published book!
This is call of the Generals to a secret meeting is indeed scary and very suspicious. There was a good post on this traversing Face Book:
"A “mystery meeting” in Quantico that could shake the foundations of our military and our democracy
By Dr.John Petrone
A Summons Without Precedent
Pete Hegseth, the Fox News pundit turned Defense Secretary, has ordered hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals—our flag officers from across the globe, including those in combat zones—to drop everything and report to Quantico, Virginia next week. The Pentagon is silent about why.
Think about that for a moment. In the middle of tense Pacific deployments, in volatile Middle Eastern theaters, on NATO’s razor’s edge in Europe—commanders are being yanked from the field. Virtually the entire upper tier of America’s military leadership will be concentrated in one location. Veterans like me know: that’s not how this is done. Command continuity is sacred. The chain of command does not get put on pause for theatrics. And yet, that’s what’s happening.
This isn’t just unusual. It’s dangerous.
Fox News Theater, Military Stage
Why is this happening? Hegseth offers no explanation. The Pentagon won’t say. What we do know: this administration thrives on spectacle and distraction. And what better stage than Quantico, filled with every general and admiral, obediently summoned by a man whose only qualification for running the Department of Defense is that he once shouted into a camera for Fox News?
To call this a wag-the-dog operation is not alarmist. History tells us: leaders who fear exposure, scandal, or collapse often turn to the military—not to protect the nation, but to shield themselves. In a week when the Epstein files are closer than ever to cracking daylight, suddenly all eyes are pulled toward the Pentagon’s closed doors. Coincidence? You decide.
Risks Beyond Distraction
This isn’t just a media stunt. The risks are real and immediate:
Command Vulnerability: By summoning leaders from every theater, the U.S. weakens its ability to respond to crises in real time.
Power Consolidation: A closed-door assembly of all generals is the perfect venue to demand loyalty pledges, to test who bends and who resists.
Civil-Military Breakdown: America’s strength rests on an apolitical, professional military. This kind of mass recall is a page torn from authoritarian playbooks abroad—Turkey, Russia, Egypt. We know where those stories end.
Theatrics of Emergency: If Hegseth announces sweeping changes, a new “war footing,” or emergency powers after this meeting, it will not be to protect democracy. It will be to protect Trump.
Patterns We Cannot Ignore
Look at the pattern:
Purging senior officers under flimsy pretenses.
Proposing to slash the number of generals by 20%, consolidating power in fewer, more compliant hands.
Rebranding the Department of Defense as the “Department of War.”
Now, summoning the entire upper echelon in one fell swoop.
This is not reform. This is capture. The slow hollowing of our institutions. First the courts. Then the agencies. Now the military. Step by step, the guardrails fall.
How We Fight Back
This is not the moment for passive outrage. It is the moment for coordinated civic action. Here’s what fighting back looks like in practice:
Demand Full Transparency
Call your representatives and senators immediately. Insist they demand a public explanation for the purpose, agenda, and outcomes of this Quantico gathering. Use their phone lines, their offices, their town halls—make them feel the pressure. No blank checks for secrecy.
Support Whistleblowers and Military Truth-Tellers
When retired officers or current insiders speak out, amplify their voices. Share their interviews, circulate their op-eds, protect them from retaliation. The public must hear directly from those inside the chain of command who still honor their oath to the Constitution.
Push for Immediate Oversight Hearings
Congress has the constitutional authority to oversee military leadership. Demand hearings before and after the meeting. Drag the facts into daylight. If they refuse, call that refusal what it is: complicity.
Keep the Focus on the Broader Struggle
Do not let this “mystery meeting” erase other scandals from the headlines—Epstein files, assaults on civil rights, the weaponization of government agencies. Authoritarians thrive on whiplash distractions. Stay on message: all of these threads are part of one authoritarian project.......
Stand with Veterans and Active-Duty Families
Veterans’ groups and military families have moral authority in this fight. Encourage them to speak out, organize, and remind the country that service is to the Constitution, not to a man or a party.
Stay Ready to Protest Peacefully but Relentlessly
If this meeting is used to announce dangerous new policies—purges, emergency powers, or war posturing—Americans must be ready to take to the streets. Peaceful, visible resistance shows the world and our own military that we will not quietly accept authoritarian control.
Fighting back means more than anger. It means pressure, oversight, organizing, vigilance, and courage. The men who swore to defend this nation must know the people are watching—and will not let them be turned into pawns.
The Veteran’s Warning
I wore the uniform. I know the pride of service, the trust in your chain of command, and the unbreakable oath to the Constitution—not to a president, not to a party, and sure as hell not to a Fox News talking head playing soldier. This meeting is a test of who still remembers that oath.
If this were happening in another country, we’d call it what it is: the rehearsal of a coup. The United States of America should be no exception. The danger is not that generals gather—it’s why, under whose orders, and for what end.
We cannot allow America’s military to be transformed into a stage prop for an authoritarian regime clinging to power. Our vigilance, our voices, and our unyielding defense of democracy are the only counterweight.
Because when the generals are called home, the Republic itself is at risk."
🇺🇸💪✌️🙏
P.S. Release the Epstein Files.
seymour , I thought it was a secret meeting also but this morning I see it on TV
Tell me more please Patricia. What TV source and what did you see.
msnbc cnn
Trump so boring and boorish I turned it off.
me too...never can listen to him for more than 2 minutes
I have seen that 3 tech executives were sworn in as Lt-Col in the National Guard ( https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-army-tech-executives/ ). I haven't seen whether they had enlisted in the Guard before this so I am wondering whether any MAGATS can simply be sworn in as high level commanders in the regular Services.
Hogsbreath doesn’t even deserve to be a grunt. On a lighter note, Bella knows a best seller when she sees it!
As to that last note—the dog’s nose knows.
October 21st cannot wait to hold your book in my hands! 📖 📎
Insurance attorney/Smithsoneon revamping Halligan’s incompetent ignorant debut in court! Hope she’s disbarred &/or jailed.
Bella is beautiful!
Release Trumpstein files!
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read"
--- Groucho Marx
Thank you. 😊
Having all the top brass in one place is mehshugenneh, Joyce.
What Kegsbreth is doing is meshugas.
Nothing like having all the top brass of all branches of the military all in one place for a meeting that's been well-promoted so that our enemies will know exactly what to do, should they be of a mind to do so. Why not just schedule the damned thing over Signal? Facebook? X?
Please don't overlook that Kegsbreath was removed from the Minnesota National Guard afer being flagged as an insider threat because of his tattoos that the Guard claimed were associated with extremist groups. The Guard kicked him out, but Orange deemed him sufficiently able to lead the military, including the National Guard.
We live in Upside Down World.
Thank you for translating the craziness into something we can understand. We are in this together!