On Substack, which I frequent daily, a German-American writer, cartoonist and commentator, who goes by the name of Oliver Markus Malloy1, is one person whose posts I read fairly regularly.
A couple of days ago, he posted on Substack, the following: “Question for all Non-Americans: What do you think about Trump’s America?” To this, I replied: “It is buggered. Even if the Trump regime is deposed by the armed forces tomorrow, the damage to the US; its institutions, its science, its medicine, its soft power, will take decades to repair, if indeed that is possible.”
It was all I could think of at the time, but one thing I omitted was ‘its alliances’. Now, however, it seems that some of those in the Republican Party are starting to realise these alliances are much more important than the Mango Paedo would have you believe. This was brought into very sharp focus by several Republicans, including the old age mutant turtle, Mitch McConnell. His comment was in response to the EU’s joint statement committing to work on Arctic security. This, of course was only a short time after the Trump administration reiterated its drivel about taking over Greenland. This response was unlike the retort expected by the halfwits in the White House, in that it outflanked them. The expected response would have been outrage, escalations and threats. After this European move, several Republicans in the Senate, publicly panned the Greenland takeover idea, rejecting it outright. McConnell himself opened his statement with: “Arctic security matters. So does the strength of our alliances. These interests are not in conflict. They are inseparably linked”2.
McConnell is no longer Republican senate leader, having relinquished the role in 2024 (he is 84), not long before he stupidly endorsed Trump as the Republican candidate for the presidency3.
He is blamed by many for his lack of fortitude in allowing the Republican Party to be taken over by Trump. For a few weeks in January and February 2021, McConnell held a unique power to stop Trump, once and for all. That was the brief time when McConnell considered voting to convict Trump on an impeachment charge relating to his role in the January 6 insurrection. Had he done so, and had he used his ability to corral the nine additional Republicans necessary to convict the Mango Paedo, the latter could have been constitutionally barred from ever again holding “any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States”4.
While McConnell’s and others’ statements may have put paid to the Greenland folly, the important thing is that they realise alliances are vital in the modern world, which is why malevolent bastards like Putin try to rip them asunder at every opportunity.
Had McConnell voted to convict Trump, it would likely mean the US would not have been turned into such a shithole country, where spivs and conmen run the government, the Gestapo roams the streets abducting and shooting people, where science is in decline, where diseases preventable by vaccination are on the rise, and which fewer people want to visit.
Sources
- https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/olivermarkusmalloy
- https://www.theconcis.com/p/germany-and-canada-two-leaders-one
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/mcconnell-who-once-blamed-trump-for-disgraceful-jan-6-attack-endorses-him-for-president
- https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/how-mitch-mcconnell-blew-americas-best-chance-to-stop-trump
mind you, cadetfuckinbonespurs is simply the bloated rotting mouthpiece, the US policy bands conductor is the putrid pile of excrement that is miller & his slimy ilk & the odious heritage mob!
so i expect little would change with vance & thiel/Palantir at the helm.
Yep, and the spineless Republican lawmakers who ignore their constitutional duties and encourage and enable Trump’s lust for power.
The main difference between Putin and Trump is – ironically – that the latter craves credibility and respect from the “establshment” – neither of which will EVER be granted to him by decent thinking people, irrespective of their politics.
Clive,
Yep. The Mango Paedo is only the figurehead. If he carks it, nothing will change, except there will be a considerable number of empty plonk bottles at our place.
McConnell’s view is irrelevant. He and other Republican marionettes don’t have the ticker to take the “draft-dodging coward” Trump, Hegseth, Vance, Stephen Miller etc on, or even make them uncomfortable.
The Trump administration has a disdain for international laws and treaties and is only interested in alliances which significantly advantage them. Plenty of them believe America is untouchable legally, economically and militarily, and that gives them the “right” and power to usurp the territory and resources of other nations. Unsurprisingly they also believe they are somehow more ethical, “righteous” and “christian” than other murderous international thugs.
Jon,
The old age mutant turtle was one of several people who have said similar things. There are now reports that when Trump asked the armed forces to develop a plan to invade Greenland, they said ‘no’.
They advised against it. Big difference because that pos consistently ignores advice based on decency and common human morality.
This is the mentality of zero sum, making things negative sum. That they appear to “win” is all they seek, that it diminishes the pie for everyone is conveniently not recognized, even denied, they can do “simple” arithmetic, and how to stack that, but gross incomprehension of the reality of compound growth in the longer term, just exploiting for their warped objectives in the short term.
They also complain loudly and bitterly about others freedoms and ideals, while imposing theirs to fatal effects on others. To that, there are women dying because of the ideology of protected personhood at conception, maintained even with unviable and dying fetuses, which murders the mother for lack of medical care. Similar stupidity in other ways, and a regrettable similarity of impost of their beliefs to the worst of the Taliban, whom they have such contempt for. Both the Taliban, and the Heritage foundation and MAGAt crew have too many who will kill even pet animals for ludicrous reasons of personal incompetence.
Mark,
Yep, it is a deeply sick country. I expect it to go ‘bang!’ soon.
Well worth a read. I find it too depressing to read Thom’s articles regularly simply because they reflect the reality of Trump’s America.
Renee Nicole Good Is Dead. Benjamin Franklin Warned Us This Would Happen…
The Founders didn’t build this country for secret police and point-blank executions…
Thom Hartmann
Jan 8
https://hartmannreport.com/p/renee-nicole-good-is-dead-benjamin-514
Great song about sanctioned state murder which appears in this entry of Thom’s substack : https://hartmannreport.com/api/v1/audio/upload/c654f0ae-3e05-40a6-bad1-937e39a1bb71/src
Jon,
Yep, it is a good read. Hartmann talks about accountability, but there seems to be no mechanism in the US to enforce it. The acquiescence of local coppers as masked ICE thugs wander around abusing and kidnapping people, with no identification other than the logo on their clothes, makes me wonder what the point of having the police force is.
There are ways and means for accountability, but the “orthodox” ones that usually apply are subverted. There will be other legal and legitimate ways, but prosecuting them will be a narrow and tortuous path. Some of it may have to wait until there is a major change and the current (mal)administration is kicked out at an election. There are suggestions of postponing the mid term elections, which should also be grounds for pressing Insurrection charges, with some novel approaches and methods. It might be used not to directly decapitate the current (mal)administration, but to hollow out the intermediate support just below the “Executive”, leaving the head vulnerable.
The other matter is that having recruited into ICE people who “party” in such a violent fashion, and the lack of identification, along with the naked display of bigotry, it should be possible to bring that before the Supreme Court of the USA, with a requirement that those too closely linked to the current (mal)administration have to recuse themselves from the case. That would wipe out the majority of the Justices currently on the bench, and the remainder regarded as a full quorum.
There are legitimate and legal ways and means other than the usual, but it will take intelligent thinking people to seek then out, then use them to good effect.
In most cases local police can’t act. I’ve read quite a few reports which suggest cops would love to run ICE out of their towns and states, and would if given the order by local governors.
Sorry, that last link uploads the mp3, doesn’t auto play it. You can hear it at the bottom of Thom’s article.
Louise’s Daily Song: “The Shot They Never Had to Take”
Excellent summary of the demonisation of Renee Nicole Good by Trump apologists. ICE and its enablers is classic fascism right under the noses of Americans and the free world. I wonder if the killer got his $50K bonus?
https://youtu.be/yB33JOB4oQE?si=oDPpcdWo5AXdgU_p
Copy of a comment on The (UK) Independent:
In 2025 Morgenbesser, an academic at Griffiths University and an internationally recognised authority on global authoritarian regimes, published an article in which he listed 5 major criteria defining their secret police organisations and compared these to ICE:
1. The targeting of political opponents and dissidents.
In the US people are being targeted for their activism and the government “retaliating” against constitutionally protected free speech it disagrees with.
2. Not controlled by other security agencies and answer directly to the dictator.
While ICE does not report directly to Trump, it is controlled by people who have shown intense loyalty to him and largely appointed by him because of this.
3. Identity of members and their operations are secret.
ICE agents often operating in secret, in plain clothes and face masks and without warrants.
4. They specialise in political intelligence and surveillance operations.
ICE is organised into two distinct law enforcement components, giving it both political intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities. It also uses outside private sources with direct access to Trump.
5. They carry out arbitrary searches, arrests, interrogations, indefinite detentions, disappearances and torture.
ICE conducts arbitrary searches, arrests, interrogations, and indefinite detentions, enter schools under false pretences, make collateral arrests of those not targeted, detention of visa holders for unknown reasons, disappearance of US citizens, solitary confinement-many of these are deemed illegal and a form of torture by UN and ICHR.
This was published in April and before ICE shootings!
Jon,
Given the way ICE has operated, this is stating the bleeding obvious.
Australia is waiting for Trump’s impeachment or more permanent departure I guess but what right-minded country would want an alliance with the USA with him pulling the strings?
A reminder of just a few of “Christian” America’s appalling western hemisphere policies in the not too distant past. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-colombia-cartels-drugs-venezuela-b2897814.html
Extract:
In an interview with The New York Times, he was asked whether there were any limits on his use of American military might. “Yeah, there is one thing,” he replied. “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people.”
Presumably he meant morTality because we know Trump’s source of morals can be found in gutters and cess pits across the globe.
Jon,
It was disturbing to hear trump’s statement. He has no morality.
Correction, he was brought up to have negative morality. His elder brother could not cope with that “training” and died of the internal and external conflict. Details in Trump’s niece’s(?) book.
mote