For our friend skudrunner (and Dave M.)

 

It's been a busy weekend at the goat farm.

We worked both Friday and Saturday because of 4 new kids and a doe who's ready to kid today.

But I had time to read some postings on social media and thought this one hit the mark:

Vance didn't get a deal.

Pentagon Threatened the Pope After He Criticized Trump

So, now the crazy former weekend FAUX NOOZ host, serial adulterer, and DUI Secretary of Defense, Hegseth, is going after religions that don't support his war-crazed policies?

Where have we seen this sort of madness in history? 

Nazi Germany (1933-1945): Despite a 1933 treaty, the Nazis violated the concordat, closing church schools, suppressing press, and sending thousands of priests to concentration camps, most notably in the "Priest Barracks" of Dachau. 

 Mexico's Calles Law (1920s): President Plutarco Elías Calles' 1926 penal code aimed to break the Church's power, sparking the Cristero War, a violent conflict between Catholics and the government. 

German Kulturkampf (1871-1876): Chancellor Otto von Bismarck initiated laws to assert state control over the Church, arresting bishops and priests, and forcing religious orders to disband. 

Soviet Union (1917 onwards): The Bolshevik government actively attacked the Catholic Church, seizing properties and arresting clergy. 

Early American Anti-Catholicism: In the 17th and 18th centuries, several colonies, including Maryland and Virginia, banned or restricted Catholic settlers and forced them to pay taxes to established Protestant churches.

Pentagon Threatened the Pope After He Criticized Trump 

"Relations between the U.S. and the Catholic Church have not been the same since January, when senior U.S. defense officials shared an abrasive message with a Vatican official. 

 Days after Pope Leo XIV delivered his State of the World speech, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s U.S. representative, to a closed-door Pentagon meeting for a bitter lecture. 

 'The United States,' Colby said, according to a blistering new report by The Free Press, 'has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.' 

One U.S. official present at the meeting brought up the Avignon papacy, a period in the 14th century in which the French monarchy bent the Catholic Church into submission, ordering an attack on Pope Boniface VIII that led to his downfall and subsequent death and forcing the papacy to relocate from Rome to Avignon, a region inside France. 

 The Trump administration had taken issue with the pope’s critique of its militaristic proclivities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top Pentagon officials were particularly aggrieved by portions of Leo’s January 9 speech in which the pope argued that 'a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force,' and that 'war is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.'

 

Meidas Touch Report (Yes, I know, this is a left leaning source, but its report has been confirmed):

"SHOCK REPORT: Did the Trump administration threaten the Pope's life?!

The Vatican has shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States after what officials describe as a deeply alarming confrontation with the Pentagon.

A stunning new report — now independently confirmed the publication Letters from Leo — reveals that a top U.S. official summoned the Pope’s then-ambassador, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and delivered a stark warning: America has the military power to do whatever it wants — and the Church 'had better take its side.' ”

JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT TRUMP THINKS HIS HOLY IRAN WAR ACCOMPLISHED:

 

Trump's cultists are giddy with excitement because the Strait of Hormuz was reopened.

The strait was freely open BEFORE Trump started his Holy Iran War! His war with Iran closed it!

Iran is now charging vessels $2 million to go through the strait. It was free before Trump's war.

And now, according to reports, it's closed again:

Trump's Press Secy., Karoline Leavitt:

 Karoline Leavitt: "Lebanon is NOT part of the ceasefire agreement". 

 FACT: The PM of Pakistan, who mediated the ceasefire, tweeted out that it WAS included. He's literally the one who witnessed the deal.

Either she's deliberately lying or is stupidly incompetent.

The Aftermath of the Raving Lunatic's Threats

 

Brett McGurk

And this is madness!

Hegseth: "God deserves all the glory. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes, carried out under the protection of divine providence. A massive effort with miraculous protection."

Greg Sargent:

This is the reality, not the B.S. being propagandized by the Trump regime:

Is this what MAGA voted for?

 

A maniac willing to commit war crimes in the name of the US by destroying an entire civilization?

I

From Stars and Stripes:

Trump warns ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ as Iran deadline looms

A self-imposed deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran to reach a peace deal was looming Tuesday, as Trump escalated his threats to destroy the country’s infrastructure and talks appeared to stall.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social account. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

This is an American president, not the North Korean crazy man:

According to the Department of Defense's "Law of War Manual," Trump's "Truth Social" post is a war crime itself:

TRUMP'S EASTER MESSAGE TO IRAN AND THE WORLD:

 

FROM RAWSTORY:

"President Donald Trump issued a curse-laden threat to Iran on Sunday, warning its leaders that unless they cave to his demand to re-open a critical shipping channel to U.S. vessels, the United States would launch an unprecedented attack Tuesday on Iranian civilian infrastructure. 

 “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F----- Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.” 

(I read that FAUX NOOZ hasn't published Trump's crazy Easter Truth Social post, so his cultists on the Mother Ship won't see what a raging maniac he truly is.)

Trump’s post said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!” 

In his post, Trump did not elaborate on what needed to be “done,” but said the U.S. “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran.” 

 On Friday, Trump said in another Truth Social post: 

“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE.” “IT WOULD BE A “GUSHER” FOR THE WORLD???” said the post.

 1. General Protections for Civilian Objects Under the Geneva Conventions, parties to a conflict must distinguish between "civilian objects" and "military objectives." 

Definition of Civilian Objects: All objects that are not military objectives are considered civilian and are protected from direct attack. 

Presumption of Civilian Status: 

In cases of doubt about whether an object (such as a school, house, or place of worship) is being used for military purposes, it must be presumed to be civilian and cannot be attacked.

********************

Everyone who voted for this psychopath is complicit in what he's threatening and in what he may do next to Iran. 

The civilian destruction and deaths will be on the conscience of every person who voted for this maniac.

 

HAPPY SPRING.

AND HAPPY EASTER TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE TODAY.

 

There's something desperately wrong with Trump.

He told the American people that America doesn't need the Strait of Hormuz, and it's not our problem.

This morning he posted on Truth Social account:

Trump posted that if Iran doesn't open up the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, "...all hell will reign[sic] down on them." And then ended his post with "Glory be to GOD."

We have a mad man running the country.

TRUMP FIRED AG BONDI

 

TRUMP'S SPEECH ON HIS IRAN WAR

I've been reading Krugman since 2005. Of all the reviews I've read about Trump's speech last night, my opinion is that Krugman's take is the most accurate:

 Paul Krugman:   

"It turns out that the speech was sort of an anticlimax, although not in a good way. Many people expected Trump to pull the mother of all TACOs, to declare victory and surrender. He did not do that. He declared victory, of course, but he did not actually announce an end to hostilities. On the contrary, he said we’re going to bomb Iran into the Stone Age. 

So add massive war crimes to your schedule. There is clearly no strategy here. There’s no endgame. There’s nothing. It’s hard to tell, as always, whether Trump is delusional or just completely unable to admit something that he actually knows.

 One of the moments that really struck me in the speech was him declaring that the whole world was extremely impressed by what happened. He said, the whole world is watching and they can’t believe the power, strength and brilliance. They just can’t believe what they’re seeing. The world can’t believe what it’s seeing.

 What it’s seeing is that the world’s greatest military power took on a fourth-rate power. Again, as I said the other day, Iran’s military budget is a rounding error in our military budget. And we lost. For all practical purposes, we’ve left ourselves in a much weaker position and Iran in a stronger position than it was before."

This is how the world sees Trump:

HEGSETH'S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: STUPID, INEPT, INCOMPETENT, AND CHILLING

 

Hegseth says suspensions lifted for helicopter crews who hovered over Kid Rock home 

Pentagon chief’s remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in Tennessee. 

 "Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.

 'No punishment. No investigation,' Hegseth wrote on social media. 'Carry on, patriots.' 

 Hegseth’s announcement came just hours after a US army spokesperson said the crews had been suspended from flying pending a investigation. 

 'The army has confirmed that on 28 March, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention,'  according to a statement from the army on Tuesday. 

 The army said it was reviewing 'the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements' ”. 

***************************

If Hegseth is publicly thanking Kid Rock for getting an Army pilot’s suspension lifted, it implies: 

•the decision wasn’t based on evidence or proper review 

•it was based on celebrity influence and political connections 

•and military discipline is now subject to who knows who.

Hegseth ordered them on his own but Kid Rock probably asked him to, and it seems evidence based on the fact he had cameras there to record it.

Reckless, lawless, rogue administration staffed by inept and incompetent amateurs. 

So the pilots get a pass for misusing a military helicopter to wave at Kid Rock from Hegseth and Trump.

This tells you everything you need to know. 

The Kid Rock helicopter thing is, like a lot of things right now, both stupid and chilling, because it shows how casually Hegseth will waive away anything he perceives to be "patriotic" and righteous. 

This is Kid Rock, the guy who sang about promoting pedophilia and who Hegseth praised as a patriot and who fits right in with Trump's administration:

Rock’s 2001 song, “Cool, Daddy Cool,” which contains the lyrics, “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ’em underage, see some say that’s statutory (but I say that’s mandatory).”

GUEST POST BY DAVE MILLER

My Gas Bill Jumped 45%…  

Who’s to blame?

 

In early February, I left my home in the Las Vegas Valley for two months of work in Mexico. At that time, gas was $3.19 per gallon at my local Smith’s Food King. 

I returned just a few days ago to find the price at that same pump had jumped to $4.59—an increase of nearly 45%. 

During the 2024 campaign, then-candidate Trump argued that President Biden’s policies had destroyed the economy and were responsible for surging gas prices. 

Trump pledged to end a "war on American energy" on his first day in office and promised to bring gasoline below $2 a gallon. That hasn’t happened. 

Like most Americans, I live on a fixed budget. I make what I make, I have little extra to put into savings, and I’m going to struggle with this increase. I try not to get angry about things like this. 

Personally, I don’t think presidents have much control over energy prices; after all, oil is a commodity traded on a global market. But if a candidate opens that door and promises to slash the per-gallon cost, I’m going to hope for the best—and hold them to it. 

 Which brings me to today’s discussion: 

Gas prices are up. Whose fault is it? Joe Biden’s? Donald Trump’s? The Ayatollah’s? The greed of Big Oil? The American people and our own 401(k) investments? Or maybe all of the above? 

The man who said he’d have it all under control was either wrong or lying. Now, what do we do?

 

YAHOO!  NEWS: 

 ‘Five Alarm Fire’: 

Devastating New Poll Shows Trump’s Approval Cratering to 33%.

MERITOCRACY IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS JUST ANOTHER LIE

 

Pete Hegseth removed 4 decorated Army officers from a promotion list. 

Two are Black. Two are women. 

The Army Secretary refused—called their records exemplary. So Hegseth overrode it himself. Possibly illegally. His chief of staff reportedly said Trump wouldn’t want to stand next to a Black female officer at public events. 

These officers gave decades to this country. Hegseth erased them and called it meritocracy. 

Call it what it actually is: white Christian nationalism.

From "Military Times:"

"Neither the Defense Department nor the White House has offered an explanation based on the officers’ performance or record for Hegseth’s decision. About three dozen officers remain on the promotion list, according to the Times; the majority are white men. 

'This moment should not be separated from a broader, documented pattern,' Jose Vasquez, executive director of Common Defense and an Army veteran, said in a statement. 

'Since taking office, Hegseth has fired generals, renamed ships, and systematically targeted women and people of color in uniform. He is not making our military more lethal. He is making it more loyal to him and that is the true threat to national security and military readiness.' ”

*********************************

Just a reminder: 

This shameful erasure of women and people of color from the Department of Defense comes from the administration whose leader, Donald J. Trump, nominated Matt Gaetz, a former U.S. Representative who was the subject of a long-running Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and sexual misconduct. 

Federal prosecutors investigated allegations that Gaetz and a former associate, Joel Greenberg, paid underage girls and escorts for sex, and violated sex trafficking laws. The probe ended with no charges filed against Gaetz. 

Following his nomination for U.S. Attorney General and subsequent resignation from Congress in November 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report in December 2024.The report stated there was "substantial evidence" that Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl, engaged in sexual activity with women in exchange for money, used illegal drugs, and accepted impermissible gifts. 

The Trump administration claims it makes its decisions on personnel based on merit, except when it comes to the cabinet heads Trump nominated. Those decisions are based on ass-kissing loyalty and fanatical allegiance to Trump.

• Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense): Often described as the "least qualified" pick, Hegseth, a Fox News host and combat veteran, was picked to lead the Department of Defense, a role overseeing over 3 million employees and a $850 billion budget. Critics, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, pointed to his lack of high-level management experience compared to previous secretaries.
• Matt Gaetz (Attorney General - Withdrawn): Tapped to lead the Department of Justice, the former Congressman had no experience as a prosecutor or judge and was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, leading to questions about his suitability for the role. Gaetz withdrew from consideration.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Secretary of Health and Human Services): A prominent critic of vaccines, Kennedy was selected to oversee the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), prompting concern from health professionals about his lack of traditional public health experience.
• Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence): A former Democrat and Fox News contributor, her critics pointed to her lack of background in the intelligence community and past controversial foreign policy views.
• Linda McMahon (Secretary of Education): Former WWE executive who was tapped for the Department of Education, drawing criticism over her background. 

YOUR SUNDAY MOMENT OF ZEN

 

"People who elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors are not victims... but accomplices" ~ George Orwell

SATURDAY NIGHT WUNDERKIND

 

Joelle Poon is just 3 years old.

At three years old, she'd still be considered a toddler!

She played Shoshtakovich's Waltz #2 from memory!

GUEST POST BY DAVE MILLER

What if we really screwed up? 

What if the plans that POTUS Trump had for success in an Iran war are nowhere to be found 

What if the only way to subdue the mullahs and the religious fanatics ruling that country is to commit massive ground forces for an indeterminate amount of time? 

What if Iran does not trust the US Government under Trump because as they have noticed, he and his Admin cannot, based on empirical evidence, be trusted? 

What if what the Trump administration is offering Iran for peace is mostly— as some have reported— the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action from the Obama years that President Trump rescinded in his first term, but which Iran has now rejected? 

What if all of our high-tech, multimillion-dollar weapons are, as Russia has recently found, no match for a basement-built force of fast, nimble, cheap drones that can wreak havoc across borders and make safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz impossible?

Then what do we do? 

We have elected a president whose administration has shown itself unable to think strategically, unable to be truthful with the American people, and unable to admit when it is wrong, reset, and move ahead. 

America and the world are facing a critical moment right now. And the person in charge seems to have no clue what we should do.

‘Damning’ New Evidence Suggests Trump Stole Classified Documents to Advance Business Interests

 

This is the result of poorly informed voters believing a convicted felon --  a man who partied for decades with convicted pedophiles and is mentioned in the Epstein files thousands of times -- would make America great again. 

The most shocking realization of the Trump era is that people who identify as Conservative Christians admire and idolize Trump, who has never shown any adherence to Christian values and its commandments. 

After 10+ years, a minority of the American population still clings to the idea that Trump is some sort of liberator who'll deliver them to the promised land of a great America and the return of their savior. There is nothing in his character or life's work that remotely matches their delusions, even if they continue to believe their god is using this deeply flawed human being as an instrument of change. 

Meanwhile, almost every day new evidence of his corruption surfaces while he wages war on a country that did not attack us. 

*******************************

 ‘Damning’ New Evidence Suggests Trump Stole Classified Documents to Advance Business Interests 

 “If the DOJ is so confident in Trump’s conduct, why are they desperate” to hide former special counsel Jack Smith’s report, wondered Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. 

Democrats on the US House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday demanded that President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice “stop the cover-up” of former special counsel Jack Smith’s full investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents following his first term, after new material sent to the panel revealed that some documents were stolen to advance the president’s business interests. 

Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi about “cherry-picked documents” related to Smith’s investigations into Trump’s taking of classified documents, which he stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

"The special counsel’s team found Donald Trump held onto documents so secret only six people could legally review them — and believed his reason for doing so was personal financial gain."

THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED