Mr. Trump, center, during his senior year at the New York Military Academy. He would receive a medical exemption from the draft a few years later. Credit...Fred R. Conrad for The New York Times
Trump issued an executive order Monday calling for the dismissal of 15,000 honorably serving transgender military members.
In his order, AP Reports, Trump claimed that service by troops who identify as a gender other than their biological one “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and is harmful to military readiness, requiring a revised policy to address the matter.
Trump instructed his newly confirmed, morally indefensible, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to write the policy. This of course is bullshit as the policy is already written as it is a component of Project 2015.
Trump's excuses for not serving were fluid. At times he said he wasn't selected because he had a high draft number. A quick internet search indicates that a service draft number of 580 would very likely indicate Trump would have been eligible to be drafted during the Vietnam War. Trump did appear for his intake physical but was medically disqualified and eventually classified as 4-f unfit for duty.
Trump used every means at his disposal to avoid serving our country during the Vietnam War. As a vet who servered honerably that is in my opnion cowardly.
AP Reports that two groups, Lambda Legal and Human Rights Campaign, which represented transgender troops the first time, vowed to fight again.
“We have been here before and seven years ago were able to successfully block the earlier administration’s effort,” Lambda Legal attorney Sasha Buchert said. “Not only is such a move cruel, it compromises the safety and security of our country and is particularly dangerous and wrong. As we promised then, so do we now: we will sue.”
Respectfully, Sasha Buchert, I disagree. We haven't been here before. Expect a polished legally defensible argument from the legal minds at Project 2025.
When asked about Joe Biden's comment on the possibility of election day 'chaos', Trump dismissed them, saying the real threat comes from within the country, specifically from radical leftists. 'The enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia, and all these countries,' said Trump. / Image Guardian US
Trump's Shock and Awe war on his "enemy within" began before his first day in office when he signed 26 executive orders. Most of those executive orders don't carry the weight of law and one has already been ruled "blatantly unconstitutional", but they had the desired effect.
If you felt overwhelmed and defeated by the enormity of Trump's executive orders, know that was the desired effect. All of us did, even those of us warning about Project 2025. The hate being channeled towards the Democrats and freedom in general was like nothing I have ever experienced.
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Specifically, I would like to address the executive order attacking transgender rights.
The war began when the GOP ran the horrific anti-trans ads during the Superbowl playoffs.
I have lived in the same place in Texas for 13 years and as a runner have traversed the same routes countless times past a high school. This is where I became aware of the insidious phase one of Trump's war on trans people when high school football players misgendered me and tried to block the sidewalk in front of their school. They were obviously unaware that I am a retired Army Supply Seargent and after using my command voice they scattered to the four winds.
The second phase began when Trump signed his "executive orders".
I have been targeted by grown adults several times since then who have mocked me, one even threatened me with his SUV at the neighborhood gas station. Again, every one of those "adults" was shocked when I stood up to them. I realized that these seemingly unrelated occuances are a preplanned concerted attack on transgender people's well-being. These MAGATs thought that through sheer intimidation and threats of violence, they would drive the rest of us underground. They have no idea what we have been through to obtain our basic rights, so no MAGAts, I'll see you in hell.
The last phase of the war on trans people would be to use the military against us. That is why we must regroup, prioritize our actions, and fight these fascists with everything at our disposal.
As a sociologist, I need to tell you:
Your overwhelm is the goal
🧵 1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.
2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy
3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.
The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
What now?
1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context
5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.
