Why It Matters/Alex: I’m taking you at your opening offer—'ask me anything’ on Why It Matters, but am unable to get msg to you otherwise.
I’m writing as a ‘Nam’ vet because we were fighting a guerilla war in SEA with little experience or training for such. I don’t want to see that again anywhere, much less in US cities and communities. The MAGA goons throughout our society are even less identifiable than the pajama-clad North Vietnamese and appear to be everywhere.
Trump has left little to the imagination about what a second Trump presidency would mean. The MAGA 2025 game plan is complete and published by the same Heritage Foundation that has put forward candidates for SCOTUS nominees to GOP presidents for decades! The plan builds upon the ‘Christian nationalist’ movement that has spread like an unseen plague. And just this weekend, Trump promised (called for) a national bloodbath if he isn’t re-elected.
My question of you is about how the exhausted, shaken democracy responds to the thugs and morons who are eager to take up arms against democracy if/when Trump looses? I believe that there are enough crazies around the country eager to rebel violently to cause great harm to individuals, institutions, markets, political venues, and social minorities that the US government will have to act broadly, even if well prepared. And are they?
What options do you see for our government to control such rebellion? What does it take for the National Guard or U.S. Army to be activated against citizen insurrectionists? Can state guards be called out? Can red state governors refuse to support the administration? Do we have any indication of loyalties among our uniformed troops, many of which are young, confused, impressionable enlistees, many with access to serious weapons?
I’m not easily frightened, but this potential is terrifying for my beloved United States, family and friends. Where do we ‘good guys/gals’ stand against such a thread? Thanks for your thoughtful reply and your posts on Substack. Cliff/SWFL
I feel the exact same way you do, and have the same question. What is our country prepared to do? I hope our President Biden has the wherewithal to declare martial law if needed, and to help defend the Constitution and our Democratic Republic. It seems to me that the intention to defend us, the pro-law, non-followers of the right-wing insurrectionists, needs to be put out there, and stood behind in defense. If the opposition (who are fellow citizens remember) knows that, then they may heed the warning. It would be the worst thing yet to pit us against each other.
Thank you for serving in Nam. I have friends who came back, and some who did not, and I served with Nam vets for 4 years. I have the highest respect for you and them.
You have no idea how much I would love to attend and shake these peoples’ hands. You’ll have to do it for us Alex and tell them about the legions of supporters that they (and you) have.
In August, 1994, I visited Tallin, Estonia, and was pleased to see the TV tower that Estonians successfully defended, in 1991, against the Russian attempt to reattach Estonia to the no longer extant Soviet Union and destroy the communications tower. According to the article linked below, it still took 3 years to get all Soviet troops out of Estonia.
2019 article: "Twenty-eight years ago, on August 20 1991, volunteers rushed to protect Tallinn's TV tower after Soviet forces were sent to the country to cripple the country's communication systems. The events took place during a three-day attempted coup in Moscow by hardline members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who were unhappy with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost reforms." https://news.err.ee/972006/twenty-eight-years-since-estonia-regained-independence-from-soviet-union
Why It Matters/Alex: I’m taking you at your opening offer—'ask me anything’ on Why It Matters, but am unable to get msg to you otherwise.
I’m writing as a ‘Nam’ vet because we were fighting a guerilla war in SEA with little experience or training for such. I don’t want to see that again anywhere, much less in US cities and communities. The MAGA goons throughout our society are even less identifiable than the pajama-clad North Vietnamese and appear to be everywhere.
Trump has left little to the imagination about what a second Trump presidency would mean. The MAGA 2025 game plan is complete and published by the same Heritage Foundation that has put forward candidates for SCOTUS nominees to GOP presidents for decades! The plan builds upon the ‘Christian nationalist’ movement that has spread like an unseen plague. And just this weekend, Trump promised (called for) a national bloodbath if he isn’t re-elected.
My question of you is about how the exhausted, shaken democracy responds to the thugs and morons who are eager to take up arms against democracy if/when Trump looses? I believe that there are enough crazies around the country eager to rebel violently to cause great harm to individuals, institutions, markets, political venues, and social minorities that the US government will have to act broadly, even if well prepared. And are they?
What options do you see for our government to control such rebellion? What does it take for the National Guard or U.S. Army to be activated against citizen insurrectionists? Can state guards be called out? Can red state governors refuse to support the administration? Do we have any indication of loyalties among our uniformed troops, many of which are young, confused, impressionable enlistees, many with access to serious weapons?
I’m not easily frightened, but this potential is terrifying for my beloved United States, family and friends. Where do we ‘good guys/gals’ stand against such a thread? Thanks for your thoughtful reply and your posts on Substack. Cliff/SWFL
I feel the exact same way you do, and have the same question. What is our country prepared to do? I hope our President Biden has the wherewithal to declare martial law if needed, and to help defend the Constitution and our Democratic Republic. It seems to me that the intention to defend us, the pro-law, non-followers of the right-wing insurrectionists, needs to be put out there, and stood behind in defense. If the opposition (who are fellow citizens remember) knows that, then they may heed the warning. It would be the worst thing yet to pit us against each other.
Thank you for serving in Nam. I have friends who came back, and some who did not, and I served with Nam vets for 4 years. I have the highest respect for you and them.
You have no idea how much I would love to attend and shake these peoples’ hands. You’ll have to do it for us Alex and tell them about the legions of supporters that they (and you) have.
Sorry, way too steep for us retired folk
Congratulations to the recipients! All worthy individuals who do very important work.
In August, 1994, I visited Tallin, Estonia, and was pleased to see the TV tower that Estonians successfully defended, in 1991, against the Russian attempt to reattach Estonia to the no longer extant Soviet Union and destroy the communications tower. According to the article linked below, it still took 3 years to get all Soviet troops out of Estonia.
2019 article: "Twenty-eight years ago, on August 20 1991, volunteers rushed to protect Tallinn's TV tower after Soviet forces were sent to the country to cripple the country's communication systems. The events took place during a three-day attempted coup in Moscow by hardline members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who were unhappy with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost reforms." https://news.err.ee/972006/twenty-eight-years-since-estonia-regained-independence-from-soviet-union