Vaporware Nation (American Revelation XX, Two.)

The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn't die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well, it's a simple answer after all. You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." There is a point beyond which they must not advance. This is the meaning in the phrase of Barry Goldwater's "peace through strength." Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits — not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty. ~Ronald Reagan

...

If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! ~Patrick Henry

...

The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering — a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons — a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting — three hundred million people all with the same face. ~George Orwell, 1984.

I saw this last night.

Apparently, Elon and Trump are fighting.

It occurred to me that when this crap goes down, it's going to go very fast.

I remember in August of 2021, writing about the collapse of Afghanistan and the Fall of Kabul, I mean, like, seriously in the space of just a few days and entire country pretty much evaporated. Like, literally one day we heard "Oh shit, it's bad, the Afghan Army is getting their ass kicked by the Taliban." A day or two later, the Taliban were outside of Kabul and the Afghan government fell, everybody who could started trying to get the fuck out of the country and then the enemy held back for just a few days to permit an evacuation because the US and NATO all hurried up and at least got troops as far as Kabul international airport to protect an evacuation, which I also wrote about extensively for several days.

The Republic of Afghanistan was pretty much Vaporware Nation.

I know people, I served with people, who fought in Afghanistan. One of my best friends from my Air Force days ended up with severe PTSD because there was some part of his Self that never came back from that place, and he's one of the ones that didn't make it. The fall of the Republic of Afghanistan was one of the saddest damn things I have ever seen.

I'm starting to think when all this MAGA shit goes down, it's gonna be like that.

The only problem is that both Republicans and current Democratic leadership have effectively made sure that there's no one to replace them if they go.

And please, tell me, aside from idiot MAGA's like Cat Turd, who the hell's confidence does this government or the Republican Party even have??

I think when all this MAGA shit goes down, or when Trump kicks the bucket, or whatever, it's gonna take America with it.

And honestly, people like Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer are acting more like they wanna be the first-Presidents of US-successor states, and too few other people even care.

As for Republicans, LOL.

These fucking people cannot even agree on all the shit they allegedly agree about.

And I'm not even sure, if America collapses on our own idiocy and narcissism, that the rest of the world is gonna miss us when we're gone.

Five years ago I was writing about the height of COVID-19 and George Floyd and here's even post the I wrote five years ago today. Five years ago I was reasonably sure that we'd make it even through all that because we were America and here we are, now, five years later and I'm not even sure what that means anymore.

And if I, who swore an oath to this country and its Constitution, feel that way?? I believed in America enough to put my ass on the line for it. Now? A transgender friend in the Navy is being forced into early retirement and she's one of the lucky ones. (???)

How do all the Americans who America has never worked out for feel??

Damn, what's next??

Meanwhile, the rest of the world seems to be figuring out how to live without us just fine.

Like what the fuck do you even teach at the end of the day, about a country, historically speaking, that would elect Donald Trump as its last leader and put idiots like Dan Bongino (who doesn't even seem to know what his job is) in charge of its national security??

When there's a major crisis, or when there's resistance to their diktats, or what-the-fuck-ever...These Fucking People will crumble. Oh, sure, they'll try to kill their way into staying in power...and they'll kill plenty of MAGA's too...but when that doesn't work??

People like Dan Bongino or the idiot grocery cashier fresh out of college with no experience that he put in charge of counter-terrorism will shit themselves and run away screaming, only to be dug out of a spider hole months later by cops or troops from the beginning of whatever rises up to replace this goddamned soup sandwich.

And these assholes, yet again, appear to be way more concerned with what's happening to Russia than what's going on in the United States.

They are absolutely terrified that somebody, anybody, might follow the example of the Ukrainians and fight back.

Dan Bongino's initial claim to expertise, or at least sort-of fame was that he was a Secret Service agent.

This testicular-ly-challenged freak who's more afraid of our allies than the goddamned Enemy, Russia, or more accurately per Putin's own designs, what Reagan called the Evil Empire (which Vladimir Putin wants to bring back, he wants to make Russia the Soviet Union again, by the way) was an agent in the Clinton White House or something.

Stop and think about that, for a second.

I seem to remember pretty much the entire rest of the agency hated Dan Bongino, but for fuck's sake you'd think being a goddamn Secret Service agent would require a basic level of personal courage or some leadership ability? He has neither.

Not for the first time, I'm asking; What the fuck are we even doing here, America??

Do we know??

For fuck's sake the majority of Trumpers I've ever asked directly cannot or will not even tell me why they like Trump, and the rest offer some bullshit non-answer to the effect of "I like the shit he says."

But this is America and I sort of expect at least half the basic people on the street to be useless dumbasses. It's worse than that, now.

Trust me, I used to work in a casino.

People Are Stupid does not even begin to cover it.

But at least historically we expected better from certain people, I guess.

I generally expect even worse from half of Congress now, but I expect enough survival instincts to not do the kind of stupid shit that'd cost them their jobs, at least, I think??

Anybody that's allegedly a deputy director of a government agency should know something.

Or at least should have the sense not to panic about anything on goddamn TV??

How long has our system been being eaten from within by these useless twats who are supposed to know better if they paid attention to briefings or even their own fucking experience or training??

Does nobody at least have the sense to at least ask Chat GPT or whatever the fuck it is "What are principles of leadership??" Or, ya know, Google "I am a government official. Why am I here??"

The thing is, what a lot of us are about to find out the hard way is that Actions have Consequences.

Arrogance, lack of proper planning, stupidity, even something as simple as drinking local water or forgetting to change your socks can get you killed, severely injured or terribly sick in some of the dark and dangerous places in the world and being sick out in the field is about the worst thing imaginable for a young Airman.

These Fucking People, being poisonously stupid, want to make America like that...because they think it won't happen to them.

They figure they can cash out before it gets too bad, or some shit.

Real life tends not to work like that, as some people are finding out.

And in that specific context, either you believe in freedom or you don't.

That spell it out for you??

Disgusted??

Hell yes, I'm disgusted. Disgusted doesn't even begin to cover it.

Historians, teachers, if you're starting to look for some way to explain this bullshit to future generations, I'd suggest that we be covered as America: Vaporware Nation.

Слава Україна!

 [Cassian plays Nemik's audio diary]

Karis Nemik: There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. Remember this. Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously and without instruction. Random acts of insurrection are occurring constantly throughout the galaxy. There are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they've already enlisted in the cause. Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward. And then remember this. The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try. ~From the Star Wars series Andor, S1.E12 "Rix Road."

One

"The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride." ~Volodymyr Zelenskyy, allegedly 25 February 2022, Associated Press