In the event of conscription (and Trumpite insiders say the demented octogenarian is considering it) conscript ICE first, and then deploy them.

Chuck, Reid, John. . . history awaits.

There's precedent for it.

When Woodrow Wilson, after campaigning on keeping us out of war, committed us to the greatest one in the world's history at that time since the Napoleonic Wars, he was faced with the problem that his pacificist Attorney General was of the view that National Guardsmen could be Federalized only to spats within the United States.  That's what kept them on the border, but not over it, during the Punitive Expedition.

But somebody came up with the brilliant idea that as the U.S. was introducing conscription, the entire Guard could just be conscripted. . . so it was, on August 5, 1917, specifically.

ICE already acts like an occupying military force, and it dresses like one.  It's familiar with weapons, as we all know.  If troops are needed for boots on the ground, draft them en masse. 

I'm not joking.  Those who signed up for ICE had to be comfortable with MAGA extremism.  Let them go fight for MAGA.  Draft them into the Army, and if boots are going in, send them.

I'll note I've seen a similar idea posted elsewhere:

Draft MAGA First for Trump’s war!

Go fight for their Trump!

I feel the same way here.  I'm tired of the rah rah MAGAs who are were against war until Trump was for it, and support anything that Trump supports.  Over half of the American public feels Donald Trump is a demented twat waffle.  Let those who admire him go fight and if necessary die for their beloved.  They portray Trump as a hero. . . well here's there very own chance to be one themselves.

Let the Trumps go first.  Barron is of military age and, based on the life history of his family, is more likely to be a boil on the butt of humanity than something benefitting it. Service would do him, and his two brothers, and heck his sisters good.  Maybe the Trump family will pull itself out of the world it lives in and inflicts on the rest of us if they see a little of the rest of it that isn't so rich and gaudy.

Let them go fight, and if necessary die, in their father's war.

And the same for Wyoming mega MAGA Trumpites.  Chuck Gray is still young enough to serve and hasn't had a real job a day in his life.  He's not married and doesn't have any dependents either.  Here's his chance.  He can come back a veteran, maybe a hero, or, if in a body bag, well, there won't be a widow or orphan. Reid Rasner already has the crewcut, and he's single too.  Let him go put his life on the line for Donald.  He talks might big, let him put his mouth, and his body, where his words are.   Yes, there's risk involved, but if that risk isn't accepted, well the words were just that.

Chuck and Reid, a recruiting station is a near as the mall.

And then there's all the "I'm a veteran" candidates out there who on the far right in Wyoming.  Well, if there's one thing being a veteran qualifies you for its military service.  Brent Bien.  . . your chance to show us your mettle once again awaits. . . 

Shoot, let non veteran John Barrasso go.  Heck, make him go.  He's been practicing the Patton "war face" for years.  Yes, he's a geezer, but I'm confident if he asked Donny, Donny would let him go and shortly forget who he was. 

Most Americans didn't want this war.  Most Americans shouldn't have to fight in it.  Perhaps only those who are willing to volunteer for it within the service right now should have to.  We let servicemen with moronic objections to vaccinations out of the service during the Biden Administration.  We should let those who have no desire to fight and die for whatever we're fighting and dying for now get out, if they don't want to serve. Their ranks can be filled by MAGA, ICE, and Trumps.

But it won't happen.

ICE will simply carry on as it is, until 2027.  MAGAs will continue to support any dumbass thing Trump spews out of his decaying brain.  People who have connections with Epstein Island will go on doing what they do.

And if we're still in it by fall and its turning to shit, well 9 out of the 10 "Trump was always right" crowed will deny they ever saw anything in him.  They knew, they'll claim, he was a fraud all along.

Only the dead, Santayana tells us, have seen an end to war.  It's a pretty good guess that no Trumps and no fire breathing MAGA politicians are going to see war at all.  They're okay with Trumps war, but not so much that they'll ever seek out to fight in it.

Not that this is a surprise.  Trump has always felt that servicemen are schmucks.  He's loyal to no one other than himself, and perhaps to those who have something over him.  The dead, well, you know, that just happens.

Movies In History: Der Tiger

I watched this 2025 German movie a couple of months ago and hadn't gotten around to posting a review of it.  With the launching of a Donald Trump war against Iran, it feels a bit odd to do so now.

This review contains spoilers.

Der Tiger, released in the US as The Tank, is about, on the surface, an improbable mission given to the crew of a German Tiger tank that has just seemingly survived the detonation of a bridge to go deep into Soviet territory and rescue a behind the lines German commander who was apparently on some secret mission commanding a body of men likewise behind the lines.  Their former CO, they learn that he did not die, as claimed, at Stalingrad.  Because of the nature of the film, it's been compared, unfairly as in my view, with Apocalypse Now or Heart of Darkness, upon which its based, but the theme is completely different.

Going into it, on the surface the premise is absurd.  A tank would make a very poor means of rescuing anyone, let along a Tiger I was was very prone to mechanical breakdown. They're far from stealthy. And the Eastern Front, like the Western Front, was a dense combat environment.  It wouldn't work.

And that's not actually what the film is about.

In reviews of this film, a lot of reviewers are simply baffled by it. The excellent Fighting On Film podcast was one.  But, from a certain prospective, the film makes perfect sense.

That sense is a Catholic one.

I don't know if the director is Catholic, but if he isn't, he's heavily invested in Catholic views.  The clues are there throughout the entire film, from beginning to end.  The tank and its crewmen (with one exception) aren't on a mission to rescue their former commander, whom they do meet at a bunker, but rather they're on a trip, literally, to Hell.

During the trip we learn of the reason why.

Everything is there.  Odd grim reminders.  One wounded tank crewman is is taken out of the stricken tank to go into "the light".  A Mass, in Latin, is on the radio, which the Nazi era German radio would never have broadcast.  The entry into the bunker is guarded by metaphorical angels, although they superficially do not seem to be so.  The fires of Hell are at the end.

All in all, frankly, this film, which is nearly 100% metaphorical, is very well done, but a person needs to be aware of the imagery and background, which I suspect a German audience, where the two significant Christian religions are Catholicism and Lutheranism, which is based on it, may be more than most American ones, in order to grasp it.

In material details, this movie is pretty good, although it seems odd to even discuss the topic in this film. The depictions of German and Soviet armor are excellent, and the uniform details well done.  The tank crew, as mentioned, is of the SS, and they wear SS tank crew uniforms.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2026 Election, 5th Edition, part two: The Saddle Up Edition

Lex Anteinternet: The 2026 Election, 5th Edition: The Saddle Up Edit...: The last edition of this was already sufficiently confusing that a new one is in order. In this one, when we list the candidates to start wi..

February 27, 2026

For some reason, this thread won't update, so were on to a part two of it.  This same glitch impacts a few other threads on the site as well.

Here's the old one:

The news to post is that David Giralt, combat veteran, is promising to be the biggest Trump stooge in the GOP if elected to the House, which now means that Chuck Gray, whose never really had a job, has to compete with somebody who has, for complete sycophant status.

Gray's released television ads, by the way, featuring himself in rural settings and promising a bunch of things won't happen on his watch, including men in girls sports, and "woke" wind projects, an easy promise to make as that's already been addressed.  He even went out and bought a Western cut wool shirt, which now means he gets to be subjected to Yeoman's questions, including "Chuck, would you like to ride this horse. . . "

In something really disturbing, it's been revealed that executive orders have been prepared for Trump to try to take over the 2026 election.  He will try it.  If he succeeds, that's the end of American democracy.

Cont: 

Gray took time out of his busy job of stamping UCC filings to shovel some s*** about the State of the Union address:

Secretary Gray Releases Statement Applauding President Trump’s State of the Union Address

 CHEYENNE, WY – Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has released the following statement applauding President Trump’s State of the Union Address: “President Trump’s State of the Union was an absolute masterclass triumph.  President Trump discussed the tremendous accomplishments of his administration in unleashing American innovation and prosperity with an America First agenda.   

He has brought our economy roaring back. As we approach our 250th anniversary, President Trump also discussed the courage and perseverance of the American people with tremendous introductions of American patriots.  

And when the radical Left refused to stand and acknowledge that American citizens should come first, the truth was laid bare for all to see.  The radical Left is out of control and outrageously wrong.  But the silent majority will continue to stand for common sense policy that puts America First!” 

Gray is probably hoping for Don to endorse him.  Nobody really gives a rat's ass what the Wyoming Secretary of State thinks about a State of the Union address. 

March 5, 2026

Voting started Tuesday as primaries were held in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas.  As these are primaries, state funded party elections (which are generally probably unconstitutional, frankly) I don't know that a person can draw too much from them.  I would note that the Texas GOP appears to be going even more MAGA than it already is, which is pretty extreme, which may end opening things up for Democrats in November.

In Wyoming, Converse Count Commissioner Robert Short became the first candidate to announce a bid for Secretary of State.  He is a long serving Republican.

Regarding voting in primaries:

Draco of Athens and 8/18/26

March 10, 2026

Kevin Richardson has jointed the House race as a Republican.  He's a combat veteran, former employee of the BLM, and works in Denver.  He claims he's for protecting Wyoming's lands for industry, agriculture and tourism.  Other than that, you can't tell much about him.

There's a draft Bo Biteman movement going on, we'd note, although I've forgotten what its that his supports want to draft him to.  Drafting in a political sense is a long held tradition, although its very tough in a state with primaries, and a lot of snarky commentators don't know what that actually means as they associate "draft" with the military and Sportsball.  Looking at his legislative voting record, I wouldn't be in favor of him.

A Democrat has finally entered the race for something, with Worland Resident Bryan McCarty entering the race for Secretary of State.

March 11, 2026

On the best of the third parties, the American Solidarity Party:

A statement on yet another United States’ Attack On Iran:

Feb 28 

Written By American Solidarity Party

On June 22, 2025, I issued a condemnation of “President Trump’s unilateral, unjustified, unconstitutional, and unnecessary military action against Iran” on behalf of the American Solidarity Party.  Our principles, commitment to peace, and opposition to reckless and unjustified military aggression remain the same.  Accordingly, I again condemn President Trump’s unjustified, unconstitutional, and unnecessary attacks on Iran.

 Our platform states:  “Administrations of both parties have pursued a policy of reckless overreach, at great cost to both ourselves and other nations.   We oppose this tired elite consensus and believe the United States should use its influence to promote an international order that respects the dignity of the human person through means other than aggression.”  Additionally:  “Military interventions by the United States have rarely complied with just war principles and have usually been counterproductive.  We call for an end of the exertion of military hegemony over the world.”  Furthermore, “We insist that the United States must end unilateral military intervention in foreign countries.”

As Americans, we do not need regime change abroad; we need it at home.  We must escape the ghastly bloodlust and other demonic impulses of the Democratic and Republican parties.  Men and women of goodwill must unite in solidarity to build an alternative to evil.  

Jack Ternan

Chair, National Committee

A statement recognizing the affiliation of the Conservative Party of Delaware: 

Mar 4  

Written By American Solidarity Party 

At its most recent party congress, the Conservative Party of Delaware resolved to affiliate with the American Solidarity Party.  On January 19, 2026, the National Committee of the American Solidarity Party adopted a “Resolution Concerning the Affiliation of the Conservative Party of Delaware with the American Solidarity Party” setting forth the process and conditions of affiliation.  The Central Committee of the Conservative Party of Delaware adopted a resolution meeting those conditions and executed an affiliation agreement on February 27, 2026.

Accordingly, I am pleased to announce and recognize that the Conservative Party of Delaware has become a state party affiliate of the American Solidarity Party.  I appreciate the hard work of James Sloven and the rest of his state committee in making this affiliation possible. 

Jack Ternan

Chair, National Committee

Something to remember about third parties, because of the monopolistic illegality of the two major parties conspiring to seize control of the primary process, you can be a Republican or Democrat and still be in a Third Party.  This in fact drives Republicans in particular nuts, as in some localities its surprisingly common.

In the present day and age, frankly, anyone who is solidly Republican or solidly Democratic, flat out isn't thinking.  Looking at third parties makes sense, and indeed, may well be necessary to save the republic.

Last edition:

The 2026 Election, 5th Edition: The Saddle Up Edition.

Labels: 2026 Election, Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, Curt Meier, Daniel Workman, David Giralt, Eric Barlow, Harriet Hageman, Jillian Balow, Jimmy Skovgard, Megan Degenfelder, Politics, Reid Rasner

Friday, March 10, 1911. Zapata joins the revolution.

Emiliano Zapata gathered seventy men in Morelos as the start of his revolutionary army.

Kansas became the first state in the union to subject securities and investment brokers to state regulation.

T/he greatest snow fall in U.S. history concluded in Tamarack, Californian.  451 inches.

Last edition:

Tuesday, March 7, 1911. Taft deploys troops to the border.

Labels: 1910s, 1911, Army, Colorado, Cuba, Cuba (Guantanamo Bay), Elk, hunting, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, U.S. Navy, United States Marine Corps, William Howard Taft

Sunday, March 10, 1901. Blood rain.

An instance of "blood rain" occurred in southern and central Italy, and Sicily.  

Last edition:

Saturday, March 9, 1901. Tolstoy excommunicated.

Labels: 1900, 1901, Automobiles, Leo Tolstoy, religion, Russian Orthodox Church

Friday, March 10, 1876, "Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you".

Alexander Graham Bell successfully transmitted the first intelligible human speech over a telephone system, saying, "Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you".

Also:

March 10, 1876: Alexander Graham Bell Invents the Telephone

Last issue:

Wednesday, March 8, 1876. Establishing the Crow Reservation.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, Crow people, Montana, Native Americans, U.S. Grant

Ascendant Ignorance in the Age of Donald Trump. Ignoramus Watch Part 3. The Quack Edition.

 

BASH: Is this measles outbreak a consequence of the administration undermining support for vaccines?

DR OZ: I don't believe so. Secretary Kennedy has been advocating for measles vaccines

BASH: Oh, come on

From a CNN Interview of Mehmet Oz, a prime example of the Oprah Effect.¹ 

In fairness to Dr. Oz, who in fairness should not be a government official, he does want people to get the measles vaccine.

Also in fairness, the dissing of vaccines isn't really a Trump thing in and of itself, but he gave it some boosted unneeded assistance by taking the political step of promising Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. a job as the HHS Secretary if he'd drop out of the last Presidential race.  Kennedy is a quack, and an opponent of vaccines in varying degrees (it seems to change day by day).  The rise of this movement, however, started with people like Jenny McCarthy who sadly has a son with autism.  McCarthy herself was a Playboy model and her only real expertise is in showing her naked visage, something that really doesn't qualify a person for anything serious, and in fact may achieve much the opposite.

Oh, and by the way, Jenny McCarthy appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show multiple times in the 2000s to discuss her erroneous theories on autism and vaccines, and to promote a book she wrote.

Much of this story has to do with the inability to understand the difference between present conditions and past ones.  People tend to assume that negative developments in a population mean a negative present condition. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they also represent a positive one.  I'll give a personal example.

In 1982 I had pneumonia while at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  I was extremely ill, literally on death's door.  

Before the advent of antibiotics the fatality rates for bacterial pneumonia were between 60% and 70%.

Not good.

Now, the survivability rate is pretty good.

I've had a colon surgery for a developing condition that would have killed me even thirty years ago.

The point?  Well, if I go on to develop Alzheimer's, which I pray I do not, it'll mostly be because I didn't die at age 19 of pneumonia.

Also, fwiw, Meet The Press this weekend had a physician on who noted that diseases we can now vaccinate for are associated with cancer, which is a developing field of medicine.  I.e., you get some disease that's not big deal when young, and then you get cancer when older.  You don't want cancer.

A fellow I know who suffered a heart attack, and who was otherwise very healthy, may have developed his heart condition this way as well.

Get vaccinated.

March 10, 2026

The worst cabinet in American history

And it's not even close.

Footnotes:

1. The Oprah Effect is so named here to explain the phenomenon of Oprah Winfrey putting some flaming bogosity on to her popular daytime television show and thereby having millions of people give it credence.  There are a fair number of examples, including the rise of Dr. Oz.

Last edition:

Ascendant Ignorance in the Age of Donald Trump. Ignoramus Watch Part 2. The War is a Racket edition.

Labels: Ascendant Ignorance in the Age of Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Ignorance, Imperialism, Nicolás Maduro, Petroleum, Predictions, Racism, Rudyard Kipling, Stephen Miller, The Second Trump Administration, Venezuela, War

Thursday, March 9, 1916. Germany declares war on Portugal,

Germany declared war on Portugal.

The Germans attacked the commune of Cumières-le-Mort-Homme from Béthincourt, France.

The Italians launched an offensive around Gorizia and Tolmin.

The Western Frontier Force left Sidi Barrani and marched to capture Sollum, Egypt from the Ottoman Empire and their Senussi allies.

Arnold Spencer-Smith of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition died while en route to Hut Point for medical treatment for exhaustion and scurvy.

And peace was about to end for the United States:

Remembering Pancho Villa’s attack on Columbus, N.M.

 

Thursday, March  9, 1916. The Raid On Columbus New Mexico. 

And with this entry, the day to day tracking of events from January 1, 1914, up to the this date in 1926, is complete. There won't be any daily updates for 1916 hereafter, as we've already done that.

Anyone tracking this in the future will note that our styles changed over time.  Indeed, considerably.  For one thing, on later posts you can always look back and see the post right before it in a link.  When we started these daily entries in 2016, that wasn't the case.  In some instances, however, that feature has been later added.

Additionally, as with the entries from March 9, 2016, we often did more than one, if there was more than one thing to feature for the day.  At some point we stopped doing that.

You'll still find, for the time being, daily updates, when there's something worth noting, for 1876.  We're unlikely to carry that past the summer, however, as the 1870sn are really outside the focus of the blog.  I've thought about stopping it earlier, and may do that.

You will likely still see events carrying forward from 1901, which started with 1900.  This is backfill, frankly, for the 1910 to 1920 period that is the focus of the blog. The same is true for the 1911 entries, which are backfilling up to 1914.  As 1911 is already within the Mexican Revolution period, that will carry on, even though the first decade of the 20th Century may very well not.

We don't post many entries from the 1920s now that we're up to 1926, although we do occasionally. This is really outside the focus period of the blog and by 1926 the country was on to a new era.  The same is true for the 1940s, now that we're past the Second World War, although we still post a few.  The fifty years ago entries, now into 1976, are few and far between as well as there just aren't that many things I find interesting from that period, historically, which of course I have a personal memory of.

Anyhow, I hope the readers enjoyed reading the daily entries from March 9, 1916 up to March 9, 1926, and enjoyed the backfill that brought in the rest of World War One and the daily happenings as it was going on.  The immediate prewar era, 1910 to the end of 1913, will still be getting backfilled, which we hope you also enjoy.

Last edition:

Wednesday, March 8, 1916. Villa crosses the border.

Labels: 1910, 1916, Battle of Columbus, Battle of Dujaila, British Army, Columbus New Mexico, Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Iraq, Mexican Border War, Ottoman Army, Pancho Villa, The Punitive Expedition, World War One

Saturday, March 9, 1901. Tolstoy excommunicated.

The Russian Orthodox Church excommunicated Leo Tolstoy.  It was deserved, given his adoption of unconventional religious views.

The Oldsmobile plant was destroyed in a fire, which oddly enough would benefit the company as it was forced to rely on purchased parts, rather than manufacturing all of their own parts, massively dropping the price of their automobiles.

March 9, 1901 – Olds Motor Vehicle Co. prototypes destroyed in fire

Last edition:

Friday, February 8, 1901. Russian overreach.

Labels: 1900s, 1901, China, Japan, Manchuria, Russia

 

Dirty secret corporate media won’t discuss: US is reason Iran’s democracy ended and Ayatollah came to power

Friday, March 8, 1946. Helicopters approved for civil use.

The Civil Aeronautics Bard granted a certificate to Bell Helicopter for the Bell 47 to be sold to civilians.

If you've seen M*A*S*H you've seen the Bell 47.

Last edition:

Tuesday, January 22, 1946. Central Intelligence Group formed.

Labels: 1940s, 1946, 1947, actors and actresses, Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Group, Iran, Kurds, Office of Strategic Services, Post War United States (and Canada), USSR, Women

Wednesday, March 8, 1916. Villa crosses the border.

Pancho Villa and about 400 of his men crossed the Mexican border near Columbus New Mexico.

The town had a U.S. Army garrison of 600.  

The town was also the home of Sam Ravel, a man to whom Villa had given money to buy arms but who had not delivered, although that is unlikely to have been the reason for the attack, as we discussed here:

The Columbus Raid. Why did it occur?

Ottoman forces stopped a much larger British force attempting to relieve Kut.

The sledging party of the second arm of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was reduced to three walking members during their return trek from Mount Hope in the Antarctic.

Last edition:

Tuesday, March 7, 1916. Villa close to the border.

Labels: 1910s, 1916, boats and ships, British Army, Egypt, Mexican Border War, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Pancho Villa, Royal Navy, Senussi

Wednesday, March 8, 1876. Establishing the Crow Reservation.

 March 8, 1876

Executive Mansion

By an Executive order dated October 20, 1875, the following-described tract of country, situated in Montana Territory, was withdrawn from public sale and set apart for the use of the Crow tribe of Indians in said Territory to be added to their reservation, viz: “Commencing at a point in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River, where the one hundred and seventh degree of west longitude crosses the said river; thence up said mid-channel of the Yellowstone to the mouth of Big Timber Creek; thence up said creek 20 miles, if the said creek can be followed that distance; it not, then in the same direction continued from the source thereof to a point 20 miles from the mouth of said creek; thence eastwardly along a line parallel to the Yellowstone—no point of which shall be less than 20 miles from the river—to the one hundred and seventh degree west longitude; thence south to the place of beginning.” The said Executive order of October 20, 1875, above noted, is hereby revoked, and the tract of land therein described is again restored to the public domain.

U. S. Grant

Note how the White House was called the "Executive Mansion". 

Last edition:

Tuesday, March 7, 1876. Bell patents the telephone.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, technology, telephone

Best post of the week of March 1, 2026.

The best posts of the week of March 1, 2026.

Wednesday, March 1, 1876. The Big Horn Expedition commences.

A 1915 Sandwich tour de force.

Wars and Rumors of War, 2026. Part 2. Quand les riches font la guerre, ce sont les pauvres qui meurent Edition.

I Can’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (traditional) - Murphy Campbell

 

CliffsNotes of the Zeitgeist, 121st Edition and Wars and Rumors of War, 2026. Part 3. The War against Iran Edition and other Military Topics.

Kuwaiti speaks to shot down U.S. pilot.

Friday, March 3, 1876. Redistributing horses.

Froma Harrop: So you want to be a plumber

Lex Anteinternet: The 2026 Election, 5th Edition, part two: The Saddle Up Edition

March 5, 1946. Winston Churchill - Iron Curtain Speech (The Sinews of Peace) - 5 March 1946

Sandwiches of History, 1916.

Wednesday, March 6, 1946. North Vietnam allows the French in. The US wants the USSR out of Iran.

Subsidiarity Economics 2026. The Times more or less locally, Part 2. The "War, what's it good for?" edition.

Wars and Rumors of War, 2026. Part 4. Sumer and Elam.

Tuesday, March 7, 1911. Taft deploys troops to the border.

Tuesday, March 7, 1916. Villa close to the border.