I am sharing this article from the Washington Post because it confirms what I suspected. Trump picked cabinet members based on whether they looked the part. He wanted his cabinet to look as if they came from Central Casting. Doesn’t Rex Tillerson look like a Secretary of State? Doesn’t Betsy DeVos look like a woman who devoted her life to little children (except for the smirk and the designer suits)?
There are a couple of sane people that somehow got into the mix. Like General McMasters. Trump thinks that the way to defeat ISIS is to say the magic words, “radical Islamic terrorism.” General McMasters thinks it is a bad idea to demonize an entire religion, since we need the help of non-radicals to defeat ISIS. But Trump’s mentor Steve Bannon and his chief speechwriter Stephen Miller don’t agree with General McMasters. So expect to hear more about the war between civilizations. Even George W. Bush is speaking out against Trump’s war on the media and Trump’s war on Islam, but Trump knows his base loves it. Who ever thought we would look back on W. as a model of civility?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
He listens to Bannon, what he thinks are sounds of the ocean and a white gecko that sounds strangely Mormonesque in its orations and prophecies.
“Mormonesque?” What do you mean by that?????
If you’re referring to the supposed “White Salamander” letter, that was a forgery.
It’s a joke.
“He picked cabinet members based on whether they looked the part” I don’t think you have checked out some of those mug shots…all the stars, eagles, ribbons and air brushing cannot hide the wear and age on some of them. These are tough and successful people who do not entirely agree with the president. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I certainly cannot understand claiming that the general is “sane”. Perhaps a bit more pragmatic than the others but I’ll never consider anyone who rises to the top of the world’s leading death and destruction machine as “sane”. One doesn’t get to his position being sane-pragmatic, guiling, cunning, even intelligent in a certain fashion but sane, no.
Sad state of affairs trying to find a “sane” person in the Salmon Swamp Monster’s inner circle.
Hi señor Swacker;
How are you? Yes I quite agree with you that “anyone who rises to the top of the world’s leading death and destruction machine”, can be considered as “sane”, BUT being “sane-pragmatic.”
However, according to General McMaster’s profile, he is definitely intelligent, pragmatic, and well strategic, and NOT being CUNNING at all.
I admire his well learning, well preparing and well strategic. I wish all the best to him and his army under his guidance. Hopefully, he can believe in his own divergent conscience in order to bring out the best of him in all situations. May.
Doing fine enough, thanks! Except for the lower back that seems to get a kick out of reminding me just how much fun I had when I was younger. When the back isn’t working right everything else gets ugly also. But hey, it’s better than the alternative at this stage.
Hope all is well with you, May!
I just don’t share with, what appears to be a rather large majority, in believing that to rise in the military ranks is something to admire.
Hi señor Swacker:
It should read as …”cannot” be considered as “sane”…
Body aching is part of old age. If there is no body aching, people would be rowdy, rough and tough to their body, ha ha ha
I admire General McMasters for his “sane-pragmatic.” He would use psychology more than weapon to win the support of people in the opposite side, like do not label religion as being radical terrorism.
In short, if you prefer to have gun for protection, then naturally, America should have the best general like General McMasters and American elite soldiers.
We cannot agree all things, but at least, we mutual respect people who shoulder their lives for our peaceful living.
Respectfully yours,
May.
You enjoy your freedom, because men like Gen McMaster have been risking their lives for you. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._McMaster
This man earned the Silver Star in Iraq.
Obviously, you never put on a uniform. It really “twists my gritts” when people run down our military.
And yes, I am a veteran (Air Force). I served in Iraq/Afghanistan as a civilian contractor. Two of my co-workers were killed, and another lost a hand.
I am delighted that President Trump has chosen a man of his integrity and service, to be our national security advisor.
Me too, Charles.
McMaster is a good contrast to the cabinet of nuts, flakes, lobbyists, and know-nothing’s.
Charles
I will not fault the American military for wars that our civilian leaders have initiated . But it is a rough case to make that we enjoy our freedom because men like McMasters have risked their lives .
Few of our engagements since WW2 have been warranted. Including 2 wars that MicMasters served in. Would 9/11 have happened if not for the first Gulf War, maybe.
Perhaps men like McMasters and men like Mad Dog and the hundreds of thousands under them , would be better off, would not have had to sacrificed, if we were not so quick to go to war. All too often it is our carrier serviceman who lead the charge into battle . Like men like Mike Flynn.
Give me a General who hates war any day.
“Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war — as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years — I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight. “
That Silver Star??
For an explanation of that one see:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/02/27/resume-inflation-at-the-nsc-lt-general-mcmasters-silver-star-was-essentially-earned-for-target-practice/
“You enjoy your freedom. . .”
Horse manure. Pure military propaganda what you are selling Charles. All of our “foreign engagements” by the military have only served to make more people around the world hate us and make our lives less safe.
I stand by my statement about the insanities involved in rising in the ranks of the death and destruction machine that is the US Military.
Q Horse manure. Pure military propaganda what you are selling Charles. All of our “foreign engagements” by the military have only served to make more people around the world hate us and make our lives less safe.
I stand by my statement about the insanities involved in rising in the ranks of the death and destruction machine that is the US Military.
END Q
I do not believe what I am reading. I have been to Omaha beach in France. Over 9,000 men died in the first 24 hours. The ground is stained red with the blood of American patriots. Our military freed Europe from the Nazis, and then guarded the freed nations from the Soviets during the Cold War. And what did we ask from the Europeans? Only enough land to bury our dead, and then we went in with the Marshall Plan, and rebuilt Europe.
I served in a front-line NATO combat base for two(2) years. The base was 10 (ten) minutes flying time, from the nearest Soviet combat base in East Germany.
I served at a Strategic Air Command base, in nuclear weapons control. Our base was a priority target for Soviet nuclear forces.
I served during the VietNam conflict (I did NOT serve in the combat area). When I was stationed in California (1974), I was spit on and called a “baby-killer”.
I served (civilian) for over 10 years, in Iraq/Afghanistan/Kuwait, on military projects. Two of my co-workers were killed. I saw a man be hit with a rocket, and explode in front of me.
The military does not start wars. At least not in the USA. The civilian leadership, that refuses to accept reality, gets us into these wars. The US military did not attack Pearl Harbor, the Japanese did!
I have walked through the concentration camp at Dachau, Germany. I have met people with tattoos on their arms. You should ask a holocaust survivor, what they think about the US military.
You are starting to “twist my gritts”!!
Duane E Swacker
Like this guy.
“I think there are many times when it would be most efficient to use nuclear weapons,”
“However, the public opinion in this country and throughout the world throw up their hands in horror when you mention nuclear weapons, just because of the propaganda that’s been fed to them.”
“We are now living in an age when it can no longer be an issue of morality that a nation must receive the first physical blow before it can respond with force,”
He was so good they made a satiric movie in which his character had a staring role. With a look alike. playing his role.
“Who ever thought we would look back on W. as a model of civility?”
Yes, but not only that, also, who ever thought we would look back on W. as a model of intelligence?
I had the same thoughts. We’ve reached a mighty low bar.
Last night from Trump’s speech to Congress
“I am calling upon members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African-American and Latino children,” Trump said. “These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them.”
Trump, just like Bush and Obama called education “the civil rights issue of our time.”
This resistence must continue. Choice means schools choose students. Choice as a federal policy helps segregated schools flourish.
The goal from the start