So, General Milley talked to his Chinese counterpart after the 2020 election. I’m not sure I get what all the fuss is about. Leave aside all the scorching-hot criticism he has received because of the alleged politicization of the military; that’s another topic. Milley has stated, and no one has contradicted him, and I don’t find it the least bit surprising, that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (in this case, him) talks to military leaders around the world on a regular basis, the Chinese included. After the chaotic election last year, when all sorts of crazy rumors were flying, including that Trump was going to start a war with China in order to stay in power (and it takes a particularly malignant form of Trump Derangement Syndrome to think something that crazy), of course Milley would pick up the phone, call the Chinese chief of staff and say something along the lines of, “Oh, calm down, we’re not about to start a war. You’ve been dealing with Donald Trump for 4 years, and you know that, in spite of his occasionally-crazy rhetoric, he’s not stupid or insane.” And if that’s the way it went down, fine. If a joke or 2 was told in the process, well, humor can be wonderfully disarming, so no problem. Tensions reduced, less chance of somebody making an awful mistake.
On the other hand…If the conversation was along the lines of, “Oh, calm down, General, you know we’re not going to let Trump start a war”, then it’s another matter. That’s a coup d’état. But that’s just not credible. They may wear uniforms, but the admirals and generals who make it to the top have to be very smart, and good politicians and diplomats, too. They would never say anything like that to anyone, much less an adversary, for the sake of their own careers if nothing else.
The lunatic left, it seems, is paranoid enough to think that Trump would start a war to stay in power, and the lunatic right, it seems, is paranoid enough to think that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (appointed by Trump, it should be noted) is a traitor and party to a coup d’état. For those of us still attached to reality, it seems they’re both just crazy.
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Speaking of crazy talk. The allegations come from a book by Bob Woodward of Watergate fame. He has specialized over the years in books with good reporting liberally mixed with unsubstantiated rumor, cynical and sometimes malign speculation, and character despoilation if not assassination. Which brings to mind the old axiom: Believe half of what he says, and check that half. I know why he gets book deals – sensationalism a là the tabloids sells like crazy – but why the legitimate press pays any attention to him is beyond me.
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And more crazy talk. This is a course offering at the University of San Diego. In case you don’t believe me, here’s the link to the PDF:
HUMC 294: Black Lives Matter: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Course
Heeding the call of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and global network, this course joins the nationwide effort to deconstruct anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy, center Black resistance and build solidarity movements that support the wellness and self-determination of Black communities. This collaborative, team-taught course will contextualize the complex histories of Black people in the US and center Black wisdom, joy and antiracist praxis. Students will be exposed to a range of interdisciplinary analyses of the movement for Black lives and engaged in critical, transformative reflection.
This course is offered through USD’s Humanities Center and is taught by a diverse team of faculty from across the university, with expertise covering history, philosophy, ethnic studies, theology and religious studies, engineering, communication studies, biology, architecture, art history, sociology, political science, environmental sciences and more.
This isn’t education, it’s indoctrination into radical, anti-Western, anti-American politics. The study of Black Lives Matter is a subject of real academic interest. Allowing it to take over a university classroom is the worst kind of educational malpractice. The inmates have taken over the asylum.
- Kenneth D. Gough © 2021
NET3D 
Similar to the FBI monitoring General Flynn when he was speaking to his counterparts in other countries. I figure the Director of the NSA would be assumed to do that as part of their normal duties.
Yet the FBI vilified him and persecuted and prosecuted him, for NO REASON.
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