Wednesday, December 17, 2025

The Madness of King Donald. The 25th Amendment Watch List, Seventh Edition. Night of Camp David

From Amazon:

Night of Camp David Kindle Edition

by Fletcher Knebel (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars   (863)

 “What would happen if the president of the U.S.A. went stark-raving mad?” Back by popular demand, The New York Times calls the 1965 bestselling political thriller by the author of Seven Days in May, “A little too plausible for comfort.”
 
How can one man convince the highest powers in Washington that the President of the United States is dangerously unstable—before it’s too late?
 
Senator Jim MacVeagh is proud to serve his country—and his president, Mark Hollenbach, who has a near-spotless reputation as the vibrant, charismatic leader of MacVeagh’s party and the nation. When Hollenbach begins taking MacVeagh into his confidence, the young senator knows that his star is on the rise.

But then Hollenbach starts summoning MacVeagh in the middle of the night to Camp David. There, the president sits in the dark and rants about his enemies, unfurling insane theories about all the people he says are conspiring against him. They would do anything, President Hollenbach tells the stunned senator, to stop him from setting in motion the grand, unprecedented plans he has to make America a great world power once again.

MacVeagh comes away from these meetings increasingly convinced that the man he once admired has lost his mind. But what can he do? Who can he tell?

Sound sort of familiar?

December 12, 2025


I'm reminded that as the Third Reich crumbled around him, Hitler concluded that the German people just weren't worthy of him.

And then there's this:
Q: Can you explain what's going on with the bandages on Trump's hand?

LEAVITT: We've given you an explanation. The president is literally constantly shaking hands.

Machinegun Lips Leavitt's statement is a dog that doesn't hunt.  At this point, it's clear that there's something going on.  The constant bruising on the hand suggest pretty strongly that Trump is frequently getting a picc line to his hand.  He's getting IVs, probably, but for what? 

He also recently had an MRI, and speaks of getting cognitive tests.  Somebody is monitoring him pretty closely medically, and Trump himself doesn't seem to know fully why.

Cont:

A blog entry on the same topic:

The Alarming Signs of a President in Decline

December 15, 2025

Trump's a complete a**hole.

cont:

Q: A number of Republicans have denounced your statement on Rob Reiner. Do you stand by it?

TRUMP: Well, I wasn't a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned.

December 17, 2025

The National Review: 

The president of the United States is a hateful raging lunatic with all the empathy of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Last edition:

The Madness of King Donald. The 25th Amendment Watch List, Sixth Edition. The demented panicked Octogenarian edition.

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Churches of the West: Unsettling news for Catholics in Rock Springs.

Churches of the West: Unsettling news for Catholics in Rock Springs.: This comes as bit of a shock, as well as evidence of how slow news actually travels in our current age in which everything seems flash drive...

Unsettling news for Catholics in Rock Springs.

This comes as bit of a shock, as well as evidence of how slow news actually travels in our current age in which everything seems flash driven:

Giving some credit to the news, I'll note that this hit smaller news venues earlier, which I guess leads me to wonder a bit about how well Natrona County is served by the media.

Anyhow. . . 

The church is this one:

Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, Rock Springs Wyoming


 

 


This Romanesque church was built in 1912 after a protracted period of time in which efforts were made to build a church specifically for the Catholic Slavic population of Rock Springs, which was quite pronounced at the time. The church was named after brothers Cyril and Methodius who had been the evangelists to the Slavs.  The first pastor was Austrian born Father Anton Schiffrer who was suited to the task given his knowledge of Slavic languages.

The news broke just before the celebration of the church's 100th anniversary, which isn't great timing, but no doubt that was simply coincidental.

To my surprise, there are three Catholic churches in Rock Springs.  I was aware of there being two. The Catholic community seems to be served there in the same way the community in Casper is, as a Tri Parish, rather than three separate parishes.

 Here's the announcement that was given by the Diocese:



Not too surprisingly, there has been some local opposition and the Bishop has suspended his order until February, when he will meet with the aggrieved parties.  The suspension is on line, but I was not able to download it, in order to post it.  

I'm not terribly optimistic, but the potential closure has drawn opposition from secular quarters as well:

Watch List: Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, Rock Springs


In terms of timing, another interesting aspect of this is that it comes right as the Catholic parish in Rock Springs started undertaking an effort to build a community center for the parish, the brochure for which is partially set out here:



There's more to the brochure than that, but I can't think of something more likely to put a damper on this effort than to close a century old church while its ongoing.

I'd also note that one of the stated desires is exactly the opposite of what brought Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church about in the first place, that being the desire to "create unity and one Catholic identity".  That's a common, and admirable, goal but in the real world, people don't like it.  Individual ethnicities within the Catholic Church have always struggled against this, sometimes with pretty disastrous results.  Indeed, Orthodoxy in the US got a big boost just from such an event when Bishop John Ireland disapproved of Eastern Catholicism remaining separate, causing Fr. Alexis Toth to lead a group of them into the Russian Orthodox Church.  In  the early 20th Century Catholic Diocese often responded just the way that the Diocese of Cheyenne did here, by simply creating additional churches that recognized the different identifies.

That won't happen here, and these are all Latin Rite churches.  Moreover, the strong ethnic identities in Rock Springs from a century ago have no doubt dissipated considerably.  But that doesn't mean that parishioners in a unique Church, or really any Church, like to have their church closed and be told they need to go elsewhere, even if it makes sense, which it very well might, given the antiquity of the building.  Doing it while also undergoing a campaign that expresses the goal of unity is more than a little unfortunate.

Indeed, that's the case as even in this modern age, not everyone likes to be grouped into one big group.  I'm one of those people.  The Diocese here had an event several years ago where all the local Masses were cancelled so that one huge Mass could be held at Casper's David Street Station. Rather than do that, I drove to Glenrock and attended Mass there. . . and I noticed some other Casperites I recognized there as well.
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Thursday, December 17, 1925. Billy Mitchell Guilty.

Billy Mitchell was convicted of all eight chargers of insubordination at his court-martial.  He was suspended without pay for five years.

Last edition:

Saturday, December 12, 1925. The first motel.

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Friday, December 17, 1875. Bread riots in Montreal.

Violent bread riots broke out in Montreal.

Last edition:

Thursday, December 16, 1875. Sweezy replaces Wolcott.


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Wars and Rumors of War, 2025. Part 9. The Neville Chamberlain Edition.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Matthew, Chapter 24.

The settlement of the Czechoslovak problem which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is a paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine. Some of you perhaps have already heard what it contains, but I would just like to read it to you. " ... We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again".[3]

* * *

My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour.

I believe it is peace for our time...

Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.

Neville Chamberlain.

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain showing off the Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler that granted Germany territorial concessions in Czechoslovakia and which set the stage for increased German avarice and World War Two.

November 23, 2025

Russo Ukrainian War.

Regarding the articles of surrender being pushed by Donald Trump on Ukraine, a CST headline:

KYIV’S ALLIES PUSH BACK ON US PEACE PLAN

The claimant of Presidential Power, Дональд Трамп, stated that the proposal was his "final offer", as if the US is doing the offering.  Secretary of State Rubio, who always looks like he's caught in a bad dream and who is probably the only significant member of the cabinet who is not a complete today, claimed that the plan is a "wish list", not a plan.

Independent Maine Sen. Angus King said earlier in the day that the plan is “one of the most serious geopolitical mistakes in my lifetime" comparing it to the 1938 Munich Pact.  Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in statement, “if Administration officials are more concerned with appeasing Putin than securing real peace, then the President ought to find new advisors.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said McConnell’s criticism didn’t go far enough. “Putin is a murderer, a rapist and an assassin. . .  We should not do anything that makes him feel like he has a win here.” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the plan an “outrage.”

Israel v. Hamas in Gaza

Israel hit Gaza yesterday with airstrikes.

November 24, 2025

Israel v. Hezbollah

Israel launched a raid in Lebanon Saturday that killed Hezbollah's chief of staff.

November 26, 2025

Russo Ukrainian War

Steve Witkoff: Hi Yuri.

Yuri Ushakov: Yeah Steve hi, how are you?

SW: Good Yuri. How you doing?

YU: I am ok. Congratulations my friend.

SW: Thank you.

YU: You made a great job. Just a great job. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.

SW: Thank you Yuri and thanks for your support. I know your country supported it and I thank you.

YU: Yes, yes, yes. Yes. You know that’s why we suspend the organization of first Russian-Arabic summit.

SW: Yes.

YU: Yeah, because we think that you are making the real job there in the region.

SW: Well listen. I am going to tell you something. I think, I think if we can get the Russia-Ukraine thing solved, everybody’ll be jumping for joy.

YU: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you need to solve only one problem. [laughs]

SW: What?

YU: Russian-Ukrainian war.

SW: I know! How do we get that solved?

YU: My friend, I just want your advice. Do you think that it will be useful if our bosses will talk on the phone?

SW: Yes, I do.

YU: You do. And when you think it could be possible?

SW: I think as soon as you suggest, my guy is ready to do it.

YU: Ok, ok.

SW: Yuri, Yuri, here’s what I would do. My recommendation.

YU: Yes, please.

SW: I would make the call and just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported it, you supported it, that you respect that he is a man of peace and you’re just, you’re really glad to have seen it happen. So I would say that. I think from that it’s going to be a really good call.

Because — let me tell you what I told the President. I told the president that you - that the Russian Federation has always wanted a peace deal. That’s my belief. I told the president I believe that. And I believe the question is — the issue is is that we have two nations that are having a hard time coming to a compromise and when we do, we’re going to have a peace deal. I’m even thinking that maybe we set out like a 20-point peace proposal, just like we did in Gaza. We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you. My point is this...

YU: Ok, ok my friend. I think that very point our leaders could discuss. Hey Steve, I agree with you that he will congratulate, he will say that Mr. Trump is a real peace man and so and so. That he will say.

SW: But here’s what I think would be amazing.

YU: Ok, ok.

SW: What if, what if... hear me out...

YU: I will discuss that with my boss and then I come back to you. Ok?

SW: Yeah because listen to what I’m saying. I just want you to say, maybe just to say this to President Putin, because you know I have the deepest respect for President Putin.

YU: Yes, Yes.

SW: Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things — to explore what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done. Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here. And I think Yuri, the president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal.

YU: I see...

SW: ...so if we can create that opportunity that after this I talked to Yuri and we had a conversation I think that could lead to big stuff.

YU: Ok, that sounds good. Sounds good.

SW: And here’s one more thing: Zelenskiy is coming to the White House on Friday.

YU: I know that. [chuckles]

SW: I will go to that meeting because they want me there, but I think if possible we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting.

YU: Before, before — yeah?

SW: Correct.

YU: Ok, ok. I got your advice. So I discuss that with my boss and then I come back to you, ok?

SW: Ok Yuri, I’ll speak to you soon.

YU: Great, great. Thank you so much. Thanks you.

SW: Bye, bye.

YU: Bye.

[Call Ends]

From Bloomberg.

This comes at a time when the illegitimate Trump Administration, headed by a man who committed actual sedition, is threatening to prosecute members of Congress for sedition.

November 28, 2025

Russo Ukrainian War

Putin termed the Trump surrender terms a "starting point" and threatened to overrun Ukraine with Russia's larger army if Ukraine did not come to terms.

It should be plain by now that Russia's army is crap.  It has been since some point before 1900.  If it could overrun Ukraine, it would have by now.  If all aid was cut off to it, and Russia then overran Ukraine, a guerrilla war would then ensue.

cont:

US. v. Venezuelan boats

From the Washington Post:

Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all

As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors

 

So now we kill people in the water.  Something we decried in World War One and World War Two.

A U-boat commander was tried and executed for that after the Second World War.

Heinz-Wilhelm Eck.  He ordered his crew to kill survivors and was convicted of a war crime and sentenced to death as a result.

November 30, 2025

United States v. Venezuela

Trump threatened to close Venezuelan air space.

cont:

The United Kingdom no longer shares intelligence with the US in the Caribbean due to the illegal actions of the United States in this region.

December 5, 2025

Congo

Rwanda and Congo signed an agreement aimed at bringing peace in the region, but analysts are skeptical of it holding.

United States v. Venezuela

U.S. Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley denied in front of Congress that there'd been a "kill them all" order given by Hegseth.

December 8, 2025

United States v. Venezuela 

Members of Congress appeared on the weekend shows about the murder of two men in the fist strike who were on a remnant of the destroyed boat.

Tom Cotton showed himself the most extreme, maintaining that they were a dangers as they were attempting to upright the boat and reload the cargo, which is absurd.  He pretty much took the position that killing drug runners through military force is perfectly okay.

If that's the GOP position, and it apparently is in Congress, they should just state that.  The problem is, of course, that Trump just pardoned convicted drug runner, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.  Cotton claimed not to know the details of that while berating the host of This Week.

Add Cotton to the list if individuals who are temperamentally unsuited to be in Congress.

Thailand v. Cambodia

The countries entered into a ceasefire agreement recently which Trump claims as one of his "eight wars".  Thailand bombed Cambodian positions on their disputed border yesterday.

December 11, 2025

United States v. Venezuela

The US seized the Guyana-flagged "Very Large Crude Carrier" that was loaded covertly with 1.1 million barrels of oil in mid-November.   The ship was headed for Cuba, but has been anchored offshore Venezuela since being loaded with oil.  Half of the country's oil production goes to Cuba.

Why did we stop it?

This isn't clear, actually.  The government claims the ship is involved in the illegal transportation of oil.

December 14, 2025

US (and Syria) v ISIL

An attack in Syria killed U.S. troops and civilians.

Israel v. Hamas

An attack by Hamas wounded Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated by killing a top Hamas figure.

December 15, 2025

US (and Syria) v ISIL

The soldiers killed in Syria were National Guardsmen:

Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack

Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar were killed on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria.

December 16, 2025

United States v. Venezuela


And so Mad King Donald inches us that much closer to a war we'll still be waging when he's out of office.

And land? WTF is he talking about?

December 17, 2025

United States v. Venezuela

CST  headline:




Related threads:



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