Can you imagine the current occupant of the White House giving a speech about the "Great Society" or any speech from any former president for that matter? Fast forward to the "Golden Age" and the return of the robber barons. All the sacrifices made in WW2, all the lives lost for what? History repeats itself and, unfortunately, we've entered 1930's Germany and I'm very much afraid. Here's hoping Bruce Springsteen can reenter the US when his world tour ends. Free speech, in this country, is teetering on the edge.
Thank you, Ken, for the touching story of Mr. Croissant, especially for this Memorial Day weekend.
It brought back thoughts of my dad, who also served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was stationed at an airbase in England. He barely spoke of that time of his life. When he did, I could see that they were painful and sad memories. He lost buddies that never returned from missions or seeing some of them perish in horrific crashes when their crippled bombers made it back to the airfield.
I am glad that first hand stories and memories from those who served in WWII are being memorialized in books and seeing or hearing those voices on video or audio in documentaries.
And if you haven't been to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, check it out and say hi to my son while you are there. It is well worth the trip to NOLA just to do that.
...a (terribly) mesmerizing story and, doubtless, book / [The Fascist-and-Fascism-fascinated millions here in America have no idea who and what they radically advocate for and deliriously embrace: Or, do they?]...
I agree. The carnage of that mission, just to eradicate a town where Hitler was born seems to be a spiteful vendetta. I am not defending Hitler's horrible crimes, but neither can I defend this killing spree.
You can almost guarantee that the new GOP war on the poor will make new prisons pop up across our land like dandelions after a Spring rain. Before, it was Nixon's "War On Drugs" & the crack epidemic. New York's prison system, from which I retired, will no longer have to depend on another man's relapse on drugs for their job security. We have a huge incarceration rate, some also claiming that 1 in 10 inmates nationwide is a veteran. Here in the North Country, I also did drug counseling for a few years in a county jail. We called some wintertime returning inmates "snowbirds." Having been poor & homeless as a little kid, I know that greatly reducing Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, Head Start, etc., will make hardscrabble poverty, crime, & incarceration go through the roof.
There were competing bombing strategies in the WW2 European theater, the transportation vs the oil field, with the objective of ending the war sooner but also in setting up the US vs the Soviets in controlling post war geography. The bombing during the last days was not about ending the war sooner, it was about the Cold War that was about to start.
A major proponent of the oilfield strategy was Walt Rostow who became Johnson’s national security director (or something like that) and a major proponent of the Domino Theory and of bombing North Vietnam - even when people like McNamara had decided Vietnam was unwinnable.
I can’t remember who, a congressman (if memory serves) who opposed escalation in Vietnam recalled the very different roles he and Rostow played in WW2 saying something like “the difference between Walt Rostow and me was that he was picking the targets, and I was flying a bomber.”
Johnson valued Rostow’s advice on Vietnam, a huge mistake which doomed Johnson’s political career and his ability to further his Great Society agenda. And doomed America to Nixon, and Roger Stone, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq…
Thank you, Ken! So much, so much! So much to ponder, to digest, to stand up against. Lest we stand up for love, justice, and the good, we fall for anything.
Not only is the loathsome Mr. Trump inciting racial enmity, as is his wont, but he seems to enjoy luring leaders of other states to his Oval Lair and springing humiliation upon them. I was happy to see that South Africa's President Ramaphosa evaded the trap as smoothly as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. Both men are braver, smarter, saner and cooler than the Grifter-in-Chief. And thanks, Bruce, for speaking the truth - may you motivate an army of resistance!
I think what we are seeing is that Donald Trump has turned the presidency into a daily Reality show and he just creates new episodes of madness to increase the ratings - and his own wealth. He believed he is a big TV star. Nothing more.
I didn't catch who the two lawyer people on The Weekend this morning were, by name, but one of them commented that it was probably GOOD that Martin was the lawyer making the threats because he is such a TERRIBLE lawyer....almost a cheerful thought.
What an amazing story about Mike Croissant's uncle....chilling but so meaningful, especially on Memorial Day weekend. How do people live when wars reach a conclusion...just unbearable memories.
Like the overwhelming majority of her GOP colleagues, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (I won't call her "Representative" because she can't represent those she ignores) voted to harm her constituents and funnel taxpayer dollars into the pockets of wealthy people. It's a sad time for our country that one political party has coalesced around the goal of enriching the few and harming so many. Great Society, RIP.
Can you imagine the current occupant of the White House giving a speech about the "Great Society" or any speech from any former president for that matter? Fast forward to the "Golden Age" and the return of the robber barons. All the sacrifices made in WW2, all the lives lost for what? History repeats itself and, unfortunately, we've entered 1930's Germany and I'm very much afraid. Here's hoping Bruce Springsteen can reenter the US when his world tour ends. Free speech, in this country, is teetering on the edge.
Thank you, Ken, for the touching story of Mr. Croissant, especially for this Memorial Day weekend.
It brought back thoughts of my dad, who also served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was stationed at an airbase in England. He barely spoke of that time of his life. When he did, I could see that they were painful and sad memories. He lost buddies that never returned from missions or seeing some of them perish in horrific crashes when their crippled bombers made it back to the airfield.
I am glad that first hand stories and memories from those who served in WWII are being memorialized in books and seeing or hearing those voices on video or audio in documentaries.
And if you haven't been to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, check it out and say hi to my son while you are there. It is well worth the trip to NOLA just to do that.
...a (terribly) mesmerizing story and, doubtless, book / [The Fascist-and-Fascism-fascinated millions here in America have no idea who and what they radically advocate for and deliriously embrace: Or, do they?]...
...Mr. Martin: You, yourself, should be (deeply) ashamed: Have you no shame?! [rhetorical question; i.e. we know the answer]...
I agree. The carnage of that mission, just to eradicate a town where Hitler was born seems to be a spiteful vendetta. I am not defending Hitler's horrible crimes, but neither can I defend this killing spree.
That applies to many many killing sprees sponsored by the US and others.
“The price of light is less than the cost of darkness.” - Arthur C. Neilson.
Dark times right now, sadly.
You can almost guarantee that the new GOP war on the poor will make new prisons pop up across our land like dandelions after a Spring rain. Before, it was Nixon's "War On Drugs" & the crack epidemic. New York's prison system, from which I retired, will no longer have to depend on another man's relapse on drugs for their job security. We have a huge incarceration rate, some also claiming that 1 in 10 inmates nationwide is a veteran. Here in the North Country, I also did drug counseling for a few years in a county jail. We called some wintertime returning inmates "snowbirds." Having been poor & homeless as a little kid, I know that greatly reducing Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, Head Start, etc., will make hardscrabble poverty, crime, & incarceration go through the roof.
AND increase homelessness - as did shutting down help for mental illness years ago.
There were competing bombing strategies in the WW2 European theater, the transportation vs the oil field, with the objective of ending the war sooner but also in setting up the US vs the Soviets in controlling post war geography. The bombing during the last days was not about ending the war sooner, it was about the Cold War that was about to start.
A major proponent of the oilfield strategy was Walt Rostow who became Johnson’s national security director (or something like that) and a major proponent of the Domino Theory and of bombing North Vietnam - even when people like McNamara had decided Vietnam was unwinnable.
I can’t remember who, a congressman (if memory serves) who opposed escalation in Vietnam recalled the very different roles he and Rostow played in WW2 saying something like “the difference between Walt Rostow and me was that he was picking the targets, and I was flying a bomber.”
Johnson valued Rostow’s advice on Vietnam, a huge mistake which doomed Johnson’s political career and his ability to further his Great Society agenda. And doomed America to Nixon, and Roger Stone, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq…
Thank you, Ken! So much, so much! So much to ponder, to digest, to stand up against. Lest we stand up for love, justice, and the good, we fall for anything.
Not only is the loathsome Mr. Trump inciting racial enmity, as is his wont, but he seems to enjoy luring leaders of other states to his Oval Lair and springing humiliation upon them. I was happy to see that South Africa's President Ramaphosa evaded the trap as smoothly as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. Both men are braver, smarter, saner and cooler than the Grifter-in-Chief. And thanks, Bruce, for speaking the truth - may you motivate an army of resistance!
I think what we are seeing is that Donald Trump has turned the presidency into a daily Reality show and he just creates new episodes of madness to increase the ratings - and his own wealth. He believed he is a big TV star. Nothing more.
I didn't catch who the two lawyer people on The Weekend this morning were, by name, but one of them commented that it was probably GOOD that Martin was the lawyer making the threats because he is such a TERRIBLE lawyer....almost a cheerful thought.
What an amazing story about Mike Croissant's uncle....chilling but so meaningful, especially on Memorial Day weekend. How do people live when wars reach a conclusion...just unbearable memories.
Like the overwhelming majority of her GOP colleagues, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (I won't call her "Representative" because she can't represent those she ignores) voted to harm her constituents and funnel taxpayer dollars into the pockets of wealthy people. It's a sad time for our country that one political party has coalesced around the goal of enriching the few and harming so many. Great Society, RIP.
And then she bragged that she was the deciding vote! I hope every voter remembers that in the 21st Congressional District.
Well said my friend...
President Johnson's speech sure is a far cry from the "commencement speech" given by the current WH felon at West point, isnt it?
Bet they would have enjoyed Kermit's speech much more!