Today’s news starts with the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from the military after more than 21 years, citing the “campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation” led by the president for his decision to leave the public service.
I very much appreciate your daily newsletter Heather. I feel it is important that your readers know what we in the psychology profession are saying through “Duty to Warn”, which is a document that over 6,000 mental health professionals signed, regarding Donald Trump’s personality disorder and the danger it presents to our country and the world.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), what Trump’s behavior has confirmed that he suffers from, has many levels of severity. He exhibits all symptoms of the most devastating level- Malignant Narcissistic Psychosis. This condition renders him unable to empathize sufficiently enough with others to place the needs of the country or anyone else above his own personal objectives or desires.
The regions of the brain, and the neural pathways involved, are believed to be the same as those that regulate other preferences and biases, including sexual preferences. In other words, the chances of him being able to change this behavior is about the same as those of someone to consciously choose to change sexual preferences. Not likely.
All of his behaviors, including consistent retaliation against those who speak out against him or provide contradictory information since he was inaugurated, are evidence of his condition and danger to society. There is no doubt about this.
The one bright spot of the last year was watching Lt Col Vindman, Ambassador Zelensky, and Fiona Hill testify - three patriots who lived the ideals of America
I will never forget the sight of Lt Col Vindman in his dress uniform the day of the impeachment hearing. I felt a great foreboding as he spoke those now famous words and I was afraid for him. So many dreadful and unjust events have occurred in the last three and a half years, but betraying his trust was one of the worst because it gave us a measure of how far we have fallen.
This may sound naive, but I am surprised that anyone listens to Trump. When he attacks the CDC, they should ignore him and continue with their best recommendations. When Trump threatens public schools, they should ignore him and do what they think best. When Trump threatens Vindman, the military should ignore him and promote Vindman anyway. When Trump pushes states to reopen, they should ignore him and follow the best guidance on quarantines. Everyone should ignore Trump. What’s he going to do, try to fire thousands? Isolate Trump, ignore him, initiate a virtual Article 25. Tune this “effing imbecile” (as Rex Tillerson labeled him) out.
My last eleven years of teaching were in a classroom with metal, “movable” walls and no windows. In the 1970’s someone had the big idea to build low-bid public schools with AC and no windows. Our building, in Southern New Jersey, only had classrooms with windows of course on the periphery. How might Betsy DeVos suggest that teachers open the windows when one exists in a metal box? Oh, and trying to practice for a school shooter while being inside of a box was a nightmare too, but I digress. It is beginning to look like calculations are made so that schools are forced to open and the virus will spread and then trump will cancel the election due to the spread. I am grateful to be a retired teacher and I support the educators who refuse to return to the building, or the box, as ever the case may be.
Thank you for your work and insight! As a teacher, I just feel anxious. Do you have any thoughts about it? I have some friends that say they’ll walk. And there’s those of us that can’t. Some are calling for a national strike. There are parents that will keep their kids home. We spent all this time trying to be careful, to now having very few precautions. And Texas just didn’t fully shut down. So that didn’t help either! Thanks! Get some rest! 💕
1. If Trump (and those like him) insists on promoting large gatherings of people...maybe there should be a healthcare tax added on to each event venue (like a cigarette tax) to cover the longevity of our critical healthcare workers.
2. If Russia has “armed” the Taliban and is now “paying” the Taliban...who is the real enemy? Russia or Taliban? And who is sleeping with the enemy at “his pleasure”?
Thanks for allowing me to speak in a safe environment.
I cannot stress the following enough. We have to quit blaming everything on his "mental health." Everything is a well planned attack on America. He is a con man. A manipulative con man. Con men are not dumb. They know exactly what they are doing. Every single Tweet is well thought out in advance to distract us from what's really going on behind the scenes. When he frantically tweets, we know something big is going on. He also projects what is about to happen. It's like going to a fortune teller.
“. . .Reminder of how much we have lost . . . “ this about sums it up. What a vindictive, petty, small man. I would like to hope this foray into playing president ruins his “brand.” But we know what people will overlook to be close to power.
Supreme Court says Manhattan prosecutor may see Trump’s personal financial records
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a New York prosecutor is entitled to see President Trump’s private and business financial records, ending an intense legal battle waged by the president to keep them secret. The court will rule later this morning on subpoenas issued by congressional committees for a broader range of Trump’s financial records.
I foolishly thought tRump could not go any lower. His disregard for the military is in plain view as he turns his head to reports of Russian bounties on US troops, or bullies and intimidates a decorated service man because he told the truth. This same military is expected to step up and "protect" the president from people on the streets. And added to his distain for the men and women serving the country he adds teachers and students. He just doesn't care about anything. I sure hope he suffers in hell, but if SCOTUS rules to release his taxes, etc, that hell may be right here on earth!
If Vindman was truly told he would face continuing retaliation and intimidation for the remainder of his career, then this points towards a politically-compromised military, which is a huge issue to resolve.
The Trump cabal's interference in things like Eddie Gallagher's court-martial or Brett Crozier's COVID alarm on the USS Theodore Roosevelt has truly disrupted the chain of command (CoC). One would think there would be major pushback from the Pentagon who rely entirely on proper CoC to function.
Col. Vindman, like so many others who have been fired for their integrity by Trump and his "cohorts", must wait now 6 months to receive their "just desserts" and a full recognition by society of their contribution to the nation. In some ways we all share the shame of Trump in the meantime as this should never be conceivable in our democratic societies.
Trump can "huff and puff and try to blow the house down".....but it is made of brick! Schools are just brick and can be declared open but they are only really alive when they are filled with dedicated teachers and happy smiling young faces eager to learn. Each parent, teacher and pupil will defeat Trump on this by not going to school if they consider that it is dangerous for themselves or others if they go. One person can be bullied and intimidated by force or by law....but when the majority of the population "disobeys" the “diktat”, the dictator falls from his pedestal.
“Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, no one could put all the pieces together again”
Roll on this afternoon at 16h GMT when the SCOTUS rules on Trumps finances...then we'll see the rats scurrying for cover.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our future President Biden appoints Lieutenant Colonel Vindman to an influential position?
I very much appreciate your daily newsletter Heather. I feel it is important that your readers know what we in the psychology profession are saying through “Duty to Warn”, which is a document that over 6,000 mental health professionals signed, regarding Donald Trump’s personality disorder and the danger it presents to our country and the world.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), what Trump’s behavior has confirmed that he suffers from, has many levels of severity. He exhibits all symptoms of the most devastating level- Malignant Narcissistic Psychosis. This condition renders him unable to empathize sufficiently enough with others to place the needs of the country or anyone else above his own personal objectives or desires.
The regions of the brain, and the neural pathways involved, are believed to be the same as those that regulate other preferences and biases, including sexual preferences. In other words, the chances of him being able to change this behavior is about the same as those of someone to consciously choose to change sexual preferences. Not likely.
All of his behaviors, including consistent retaliation against those who speak out against him or provide contradictory information since he was inaugurated, are evidence of his condition and danger to society. There is no doubt about this.
The one bright spot of the last year was watching Lt Col Vindman, Ambassador Zelensky, and Fiona Hill testify - three patriots who lived the ideals of America
I will never forget the sight of Lt Col Vindman in his dress uniform the day of the impeachment hearing. I felt a great foreboding as he spoke those now famous words and I was afraid for him. So many dreadful and unjust events have occurred in the last three and a half years, but betraying his trust was one of the worst because it gave us a measure of how far we have fallen.
This may sound naive, but I am surprised that anyone listens to Trump. When he attacks the CDC, they should ignore him and continue with their best recommendations. When Trump threatens public schools, they should ignore him and do what they think best. When Trump threatens Vindman, the military should ignore him and promote Vindman anyway. When Trump pushes states to reopen, they should ignore him and follow the best guidance on quarantines. Everyone should ignore Trump. What’s he going to do, try to fire thousands? Isolate Trump, ignore him, initiate a virtual Article 25. Tune this “effing imbecile” (as Rex Tillerson labeled him) out.
My last eleven years of teaching were in a classroom with metal, “movable” walls and no windows. In the 1970’s someone had the big idea to build low-bid public schools with AC and no windows. Our building, in Southern New Jersey, only had classrooms with windows of course on the periphery. How might Betsy DeVos suggest that teachers open the windows when one exists in a metal box? Oh, and trying to practice for a school shooter while being inside of a box was a nightmare too, but I digress. It is beginning to look like calculations are made so that schools are forced to open and the virus will spread and then trump will cancel the election due to the spread. I am grateful to be a retired teacher and I support the educators who refuse to return to the building, or the box, as ever the case may be.
Thank you for your work and insight! As a teacher, I just feel anxious. Do you have any thoughts about it? I have some friends that say they’ll walk. And there’s those of us that can’t. Some are calling for a national strike. There are parents that will keep their kids home. We spent all this time trying to be careful, to now having very few precautions. And Texas just didn’t fully shut down. So that didn’t help either! Thanks! Get some rest! 💕
My FarOut thoughts:
1. If Trump (and those like him) insists on promoting large gatherings of people...maybe there should be a healthcare tax added on to each event venue (like a cigarette tax) to cover the longevity of our critical healthcare workers.
2. If Russia has “armed” the Taliban and is now “paying” the Taliban...who is the real enemy? Russia or Taliban? And who is sleeping with the enemy at “his pleasure”?
Thanks for allowing me to speak in a safe environment.
I cannot stress the following enough. We have to quit blaming everything on his "mental health." Everything is a well planned attack on America. He is a con man. A manipulative con man. Con men are not dumb. They know exactly what they are doing. Every single Tweet is well thought out in advance to distract us from what's really going on behind the scenes. When he frantically tweets, we know something big is going on. He also projects what is about to happen. It's like going to a fortune teller.
Also of interest today:
House Armed Services Committee
Full Committee Hearing: “Department of Defense Authorities and Roles Related to Civilian Law Enforcement”
Thursday, July 9, 2020 (1:00PM ET – Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium/Virtual – Open)
Witnesses:
The Honorable Dr. Mark T. Esper
Secretary of Defense
U.S. Department of Defense
General Mark A. Milley
Chairman
Joint Chiefs of Staff
“. . .Reminder of how much we have lost . . . “ this about sums it up. What a vindictive, petty, small man. I would like to hope this foray into playing president ruins his “brand.” But we know what people will overlook to be close to power.
How many times per week do we hear the phrase “Today President Trump threatened...”?
Supreme Court says Manhattan prosecutor may see Trump’s personal financial records
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a New York prosecutor is entitled to see President Trump’s private and business financial records, ending an intense legal battle waged by the president to keep them secret. The court will rule later this morning on subpoenas issued by congressional committees for a broader range of Trump’s financial records.
This just in from the Washington Post
I foolishly thought tRump could not go any lower. His disregard for the military is in plain view as he turns his head to reports of Russian bounties on US troops, or bullies and intimidates a decorated service man because he told the truth. This same military is expected to step up and "protect" the president from people on the streets. And added to his distain for the men and women serving the country he adds teachers and students. He just doesn't care about anything. I sure hope he suffers in hell, but if SCOTUS rules to release his taxes, etc, that hell may be right here on earth!
If Vindman was truly told he would face continuing retaliation and intimidation for the remainder of his career, then this points towards a politically-compromised military, which is a huge issue to resolve.
The Trump cabal's interference in things like Eddie Gallagher's court-martial or Brett Crozier's COVID alarm on the USS Theodore Roosevelt has truly disrupted the chain of command (CoC). One would think there would be major pushback from the Pentagon who rely entirely on proper CoC to function.
Col. Vindman, like so many others who have been fired for their integrity by Trump and his "cohorts", must wait now 6 months to receive their "just desserts" and a full recognition by society of their contribution to the nation. In some ways we all share the shame of Trump in the meantime as this should never be conceivable in our democratic societies.
Trump can "huff and puff and try to blow the house down".....but it is made of brick! Schools are just brick and can be declared open but they are only really alive when they are filled with dedicated teachers and happy smiling young faces eager to learn. Each parent, teacher and pupil will defeat Trump on this by not going to school if they consider that it is dangerous for themselves or others if they go. One person can be bullied and intimidated by force or by law....but when the majority of the population "disobeys" the “diktat”, the dictator falls from his pedestal.
“Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, no one could put all the pieces together again”
Roll on this afternoon at 16h GMT when the SCOTUS rules on Trumps finances...then we'll see the rats scurrying for cover.