I'm a long-time lefty who happens to also have a soft spot for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. The Venn Diagram where I fit isn't the most capacious of properties, but there are enough of us. I've banged on for years about the right's cynical and disgusting embrace of The TroopsTM as a useful prop nearly always accompanied by lack of vital funding for mental health, family issues, and post-service support. And so I return once again to the soapbox for your entertainment and edification, and my own cathartic yawping.
Support the Troops? If you're waving the flag at this fucking debacle of a parade through the streets of Washington, DC, a $45m (and counting) monument to raging leadership ego funded by the units themselves, and you're not screaming that the Department of Veterans Affairs be properly funded, you know what you're actually saying?
Support the Troops? If you applaud Pete Hegseth's bullshit performative Omaha Beach PT stunt but don't concern yourself with potential impacts to readiness, you know what you're actually saying?
Fuck the Troops
Support the Troops? If you're cheerleading for a fascistic occupation of on an American city by United States Fucking Marines but not demanding answers about the lack of planning, supplies, food, shelter, and water for the very same Marines, you know what you're actually saying?
Fuck the Troops
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| It's okay to say "fuck this guy". Preening fascist. |
Fuck the Troops
Doesn't play as well as a political slogan, but sure feels like a more accurate depiction of the reality on the ground. People are going to die because of this administration and the GOP more broadly care more about wrapping themselves in the flag than they do tackling the hard work of managing a massively complex organization facing real and ongoing challenges related to climate change, asymmetric combat, emerging threats, readiness, and a litany of others.
Fuck the Troops doesn't have a great beat, and you can't dance to it, though Lee Greenwood's workshopping some new material. But it sure feels like the message being sent from Washington.
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It's all so hypocritical, and it's all so disingenuous, and it's just all so mind-numbingly dumb. Super dumb.
ReplyDeleteLike stop-in-the-street-and-turn-your-head-with-mouth-agape dumb.
Ain't that America...
Fret not, the free press will surely give citizens the context they need to judge for themselves.
ReplyDeleteHere at GTB and in pockets of the press, social media, and life, we can all intelligently explain the problem and point out the decimated logic and blatant corruption.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we do to fight the power? Fight the powers that be?
lyin' in bed, just like brian wilson did takes on a new meaning now. and here's whitney wishing mike love went first.
ReplyDeleteIn a surprise to nobody, Mike Love is a Trumper.
ReplyDeleteAs bad as the news is, you'll all be happy to hear of the scene I witnessed at the gym today.
ReplyDeleteRetired editor of local paper (who wears a mask to work out), fist bumping with retired guy who used to play Rush Limbaugh in the locker room on his phone speaker.
I'm certain these guys are far apart on the opinion spectrum, but that doesn't stop them from bumping knucks!
nice potemkin village allusion!
ReplyDeleteMike Love will never die. He will just annoy the living shit out of everyone everywhere for the rest of eternity. Congrats on outliving Brian Wilson, Mike Love, you fucking parasite. When the bedbugs bite at night, I know you pray they devour you and kill your well-warranted misery.
ReplyDeleteMandy Potemkin Village would be a good band name.
ReplyDeleteWhit is much more knowledgeable and qualified to discuss Brian Wilson's chops and legacy. One factoid I came across was that Beatles noodled and executed the White Album in response to BW's Pet Sounds -- a genius record.
ReplyDeleteAlso, parenthetically, highly recommend the music doc The Wrecking Crew. About bunch of LA studio musicians in '60s who played on every-damn-thing, including Beach Boys records.
Hi Gheorghies. And I mean that in a "I've been away too long" way, not premature midnight shoutout way.
ReplyDeleteI did get sfaced with Whit, so I've got that goin for me. And The Wrecking Crew is awesome.
Correction to previous comment: Brian Wilson's work on Pet Sounds inspired the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's, not the White Album. The copy desk regrets the error.
ReplyDeleteHappy King Kamehameha Day to those who observe
ReplyDeletemahalo!
ReplyDeleteoakmont is out here devouring dudes
ReplyDeleteWhat's up, Mr. KQ? Sorry nobody bothered to say hey back...
ReplyDeletei texted him!
ReplyDeleteI’m headed to the Outer Banks for the weekend. oBXDave has been keeping me posted on the house reno progress but now I get to see it live.
ReplyDeletepostcounnnnt!
ReplyDeletesomething else pep guardiola doesn't have (get) to do: design new uniforms. we're due for new kits, and i'm in charge of designing them. this is some high-pressure shit. already gonna get props from the kids for ditching white shorts for our away kits (away jerseys must be white), which has been a point of contention for a while. but the rest of it is hard, man.
ReplyDeleteYou could crowdsource the design to GTB.
ReplyDeleterob, do your players have any strong feelings about certain NWSL or Euro, S. American kits? How much input you soliciting from girls, and how much your own considered, impeccable fashion design?
ReplyDeletei don't think they have much in the way of strong feelings other than NO FUCKING WHITE SHORTS. i'm going to put together a few design options for their feedback and let them provide their input.
ReplyDeleteI see denim and tiny shin guard belts
ReplyDeletehappy hour at a local brewpub and the dude playing guitar to entertain the crowd goes 'see a little light', 'stone cold yesterday', and 'hang the dj' in order. and then the rains came and interrupted the set. wheelhouse interrupted.
ReplyDeleteWhitney is going to OBX this weekend. I’m going to Orlando for Volleyball Nationals. It’s held at the Orlando Convention Center. Literally tens of thousands of people and volleyball courts as far as the eye can see. Pray for me.
ReplyDeletethree teams the huskies faced this year (in four games - played one of them twice) play for state championships tomorrow in two different classifications. two of them face each other. the schedule, she was robust.
ReplyDeletePep Guardiloa doesn’t haven’t to deal with that shit. Wait…
ReplyDeleteHang the DJ is actually called Panic
ReplyDelete