Category: Military
Let’s talk about Fox calling Biden a wannabe….
DeSantis Signs Bill Creating $100 Million State Military
Please tell me why an authoritarian highly ambitious arrogant Christian nationalist racist bigot who has already threatened BLM protestors and has been documented as abusing helpless prisoners want with his own military force with the power to arrest people? Considering the hate that the Governor and his supporters have for the LGBTQ+ will they use this new military police force against that community? What about drag queens? Hugs
Florida Politics reports:
The Florida State Guard’s (FSG) budget will grow to 10 times its current level, nearly quadruple in personnel, and become a permanent part of state government under legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed.
The measure (HB 1285), promulgated by Republican Rep. Mike Giallombardo, creates a Division of the State Guard within the Department of Military Affairs as a separate budget entity headed by a Governor-appointed director, who will be confirmed by the Senate.
ACLU Florida said this expansion moves Florida closer to a police state. The new law expands the scope of its mission from being ready for activation in emergencies to also “protect and defend the people of Florida from threats to public safety.” Its members also have arresting powers.
More from the ACLU of Florida:
The sweeping nature of this bill is astounding: it would divert nearly $100 million in taxpayer funding to build, arm, clothe, equip, and train a volunteer armed guard of 1,500 people to assume the duties of the National Guard.
These volunteers would have access to weapons, ammunition, planes, helicopters, boats, and surveillance technology, and would, unique among states with a State Guard, create a special unit within the State Guard with authority to make arrests.
What makes this even more troubling is that the newly-envisioned State Guard will only be accountable to the Governor and can be activated not just in a state of emergency, but any time the Governor deems necessary to broadly protect ‘from threats to public safety.’
This broad language fails to provide guardrails to ensure this special unit could not be deployed to crack down on activities that this Legislature is in the process of criminalizing.
Under the bill, the Governor will appoint the director of the state guard who serves at the pleasure of the Governor – meaning there will be no checks and balances on when and how this force is used.
Additionally, the Governor can order his State Guard to take action in other states. This is a terrifying bill that puts Floridians’ privacy, security, and safety in grave danger.
Via press release from DeSantis:
“Florida is the most military and veteran friendly state in the nation and through this legislation, we are further supporting our military, veterans and their families with the resources they need while they are serving and after they have fulfilled their duty,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
HB 1285 establishes the Florida State Guard as a permanent component in Florida’s state militia and creates the Division of the State Guard within the Department of Military Affairs. The Florida State Guard has been appropriated $108 million in the General Appropriations Act.
“Additionally, the Governor can order his State Guard to take action in other states.”
without the other states’ request or permission?
Sounds like a civil war declaration
Would this be to assist in flying immigrants in Texas to Northern states? They have a budget and can do anything the governor wants!
DuhFuhrer’s Gestapo
Just to be clear: There’s nothing that can be done at a federal level to stop this madman? Nothing in the Constitution that can be used against him?
I’ll repeat my mantra: GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!
A dictatorship needs it’s own special military police to enforce the new rules and protect the Dictator.
After Hitler came to power, the Brown Shirts got government support, uniforms, equipment, etc.
Just saying.
The Brownshirts: The Role of the Sturmabteilung (SA) in Nazi Germany
A lot of echoes of the past shown in this piece.
Now DeSatanis has his own Gestapo to enforce his evil Orbanite agenda.
Fascist wants his own army
And of course, the people who scream about the horrors of Fidel Castro as why they won’t vote Democrat say nothing about this.
Fuck them.
Not really. Cubans loved fascist dictator Batista; they only hated Castro because he confiscated their property and money, not because he was also an evil fascist dictator. They love fascism and want it in the US.
Let’s talk about Biden, Tuberville, and the Joint Chiefs….
The Stomach-Churning Things Nazis Did To Gay Men
And yet history is repeating itself again. The very acceptance of homosexuality and personal sexual freedom experienced by German People was attacked by a movement that wanted to villainize it and made a virtue of not just all things heterosexual but of attacking the homosexuals along with those things that symbolized them or support for them. The things happening in Florida, on the Daily Wire, and in the fundamentalist Republican Party are the same steps taken by Nazi’s in 1930 Germany and in Russia more recently. As yourself, if the Nazi’s stopped with just the homosexuals or trans? Are you comfortable with the direction of the Russian / openly Nazi supporting Republican Party today? Hugs
The conversation had been growing and growing by the week. What started as murmurs of far-right thugs had developed into a fear of a coming political party. Across the bars and meeting places all over the country, the LGBT community of Germany could feel a storm coming. Homosexuality was illegal at the start of 20th century Germany but was counterweighted by a healthy thriving gay culture. Yet what was once angry grandstanding from a fringe socialist worker’s party soon became national policy. In 1933, Adolf Hitler would become Chancellor of Germany and enforced a thoroughly phobic policy agenda by the day. Barely a year later, following a Night of long knives, the Nazi police state made Germany’s homosexual population a primary target. Persecution, arrests, physical abuse, castration, and even the fate of the concentration camps lay ahead. Welcome to History on Fleek, today we examine the unspeakable fates of gay men in Nazi Germany.
Going broke because the wealthy want all the money, no help for the people / public
Defaulting would also slash the dollar (and our trade balance), jack up interest rates (putting the brakes on housing and infrastructure construction), and reduce our status as the largest free economy.
Aside from the usual times he makes himself look and sound stupid in public, he has a magical way of doing that to himself in pics, too. Our Commander in Chief of all our armed forces actually saluted a Russian military official as if that was what needed to be done to show his abject subservience. Even the Russian would have settled for a handshake. He, along with all the other “felonies” attached to him, did so much to trash America’s prestige and standing in the world.
DeSantis: Drag Queens Hurt US Military Recruitment
How soon do they forget. DeathSantis is counting on his right wing followers having no memories other than what the scaremongering politicians and Christian Taliban are pushing on them. It is tragic how they entirely change history and make up mythical wrong facts. For example, there has always been drag in the military and the government has always paid for drag shows to entertain the troops. Ever hear of Bob Hope and the USO. Famous for drag shows. Drag shows are men or women cross-dressing despite the rights attempt to make it seem like sex shows such as stripping and other adult entertainment. And before you say the men wear exaggerated boobs, remember this fact. A total of 212,500 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2000, and 287,085 procedures were performed in 2019. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast augmentation numbers dipped for the first time in 20 years. If you read the linked article, you will see DeathSantis makes all sorts of scary claims he can not back up with fact. The recruitment numbers go up and down with the economy. If the economy is bad then you get more people joining the military to survive. If the economy is good for workers like now where employers are offering more to entice workers then recruitment falls. This idea that everyone in the military is there for the love of country is stupid and fake. They want a place to live and food to eat. Do they get indoctrinated and propagandized too? Yes. But that is not why the majority join. Hugs
Florida Politics reports:
In Iowa Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said “drag queens” were part of the reason people didn’t want to enlist in the United States military.
“When you see videos of folks recruiting for the military services using things like drag queens, you know, that is just fundamentally wrong,” DeSantis said in Sioux Center at the Feenstra Family Picnic, a major confab of Iowa Republicans.
The U.S. Navy, which DeSantis was a member of, used a female impersonator as a “digital ambassador.” The service member, named Joshua Kelley, performs as “Harpy Daniels.” DeSantis will sign legislation cracking down on drag shows later this Spring.
Read the full article. As most of you surely know, troops have been entertained by drag shows since forever.
Drag has long been alive and well in the military. I believe Orbanism hurts military recruitment. Fascism hurts military recruitment. Forcing one “religious belief” down everyone else’s throats hurts military recruitment.
Not to mention Some Like it Hot, South Pacific and two or three episodes of McHale’s Navy, among others.
Bugs Bunny. Bosom Buddies. Mrs. Doubtfire.
Jethrine Bodine
EDIT: adding what I just learned. Who knew?
Here is the South Pacific movie (1958) scene in color with Mitzi Gaynor and Ray Walston while they were singing “Honey Bun.”
I guess they didn’t watch M.A.S.H.
The man’s obsessed. It’s enough to make you wonder why.
This bastard is pushing through increasingly draconian laws. Just wait.
Same sign was posted at public pools in Florida when my parents were children except “Mexicans” was replaced by “Latins”‘. That way they could exclude not only Spaniards and Cubans but also Italians and Sicilians.
Again with the hatred, Ron. There’s a long tradition of female impersonators in US military history. Read a book other than the Buy-bull, Ron.
My husband’s dad did drag in WWII before he was shot in the heart by a Nazi. He survived and did drag in the hospital for the troops as he and they recovered.
He’s a fucking veteran, if he doesn’t know that then his memory isn’t good enough to be a governor.
I’ll bet he doesn’t even read that book either. Most Christians rely on a religious leader to interpret it for them.
Military enlistment by men frightened by drag resulted in a treasonous Nazi enlisting in the National Guard. He then published military secrets in an effort to impress his audience of fellow Nazi traitors.
I’ll take a patriot in panties and a push-up bra over a Nazi any day.
Tired of reading about more nonsense from DeSantis. The drag queen thing is going to follow Dr. Suess and Mr. Potato Head and whatever other made-up right wing outrage down the memory hole as soon as it’s no longer effective.
Agreed to an extent in that it’ll be memory holed at some point, but it definitely has some real-world impacts that the others didn’t. After all, no one was going to go an attack or have rallies with threats of violence in front of every store that sold Mr. Potato Head toys. Too many stores that they had too much need of for other things – even the Nazis wouldn’t want to risk being trespassed from every WalMart in their state, probably. They likely don’t get email alerts telling them where Hasbro employees are visiting, stuff like that.
With the drag show issues, though, they can focus the rage in a way that likely won’t impact their day-to-day lives. And it’ll impact other real people more directly, which gives them a thrill that just burning a Potato Head doll on YouTube won’t provide.
So I expect the next big thing they attack will have similar qualities – stuff they can focus more and hit individuals than complaining about a candy’s boots or pretending to care about children’s books (especially since they’re also pushing to limit books now).
The reason armed forces recruitment is down, by the way, is because Biden fixed the economy (!)and the unemployment rate is now at the lowest it’s ever been since 1969. Of course recruitment was higher when unemployment was at 13% under Trump — people need to eat and pay bills, and when the Army-Navy recruiter in your dusty podunk town is the only place that’s hiring, then that’s what you sign up for.
Some news stuff I have been reading over the last few days
ND Gov Signs Bill Ordering Outing Of Trans Students
Texas Mass Shooter Posted Praise Of Libs Of TikTok
Republicans hate democracy and free-and-fair elections because they and their vile policies cannot win majority popular support.
So they have to rig and cheat.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/desantis-florida-trump-education-politics.html
“Stop using taxpayer values to push an agenda!” the bigoted governor screeched, as he used taxpayer dollars to push his agenda on everyone in the state.
Dave B21 hours ago edited
Stitt said. “I’m just tired of using taxpayer dollars for some person’s agenda. I represent the taxpayers.”
Who the fuck are LGBTQA+ people and their families if not fucking tax payers?
Thorn Spike Dave B21 hours ago
And he’s using their tax dollars to push his own agenda. Irony still dead.
LGBTQIA+ Oklahomans need to start demanding their tax dollars back.
Elagabalus MrRobotoLA20 hours ago
That’s the problem with being a minority which represents roughly 5% of the population (except in larger cities with large gay populations). Unless the majority of citizens stand with you, which they usually don’t, you’re on your own.
Darreth Dave B20 hours ago edited
And that’s the bottom line. Not that they’re taxpayers but rather the fact that that evangelical governor doesn’t see them as citizens, taxpayers, or as a demographic worth even bothering with; by acknowledging who and what they are.
Thus, he’s worse than evil. He literally can’t see LGBT people as a thing. His religion has rotted his forebrain.
Houndentenor Dave B17 hours ago
Yes, queer people are taxpayers, but they don’t consider us citizens with rights.
Frank McCormick Dave B2 hours ago
He reminds me of the Chicago aldermen that insisted that no gay people lived in their ward during the debate over gay rights.
Gregory In Seattle21 hours ago
No, sweetie, you represent a very narrow, exceedingly bigoted minority of taxpayers hell-bent on forcing the rest of the country to kowtow to your twisted views of morality.
“the [white male] ones that are blamed for any social ills”
Feel free to look at the office holders for the Republican (and some D) party. Pretty much white male. Also old, rich and christian. So yes, it’s entirely fair to put all the crap at their feet. it’s their show in a large part of the USA.
When you don’t have a Benghazi but need one, you do this.
Legislature declares victory after badly failing Floridians | Editorial
Legislature declares victory after badly failing Floridians | Editorial
At the behest of lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis Floridia lost ground on abortion, guns, school vouchers, LGBTQ freedom, open government and more.
By ORLANDO SENTINEL AND SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL EDITORIAL BOARDS | insight@orlandosentinel.com |
May 7, 2023 at 5:27 a.m.
It’s over.
The best that can be said about Friday’s finish of the 2023 legislative session is that it has ended.
Senators and representatives packed up and headed home, where most can no longer do more damage to Florida citizens. But the misery will continue as Gov. Ron DeSantis gleefully signs into law the many harmful, hateful or wrongheaded decisions made by his fellow Republicans over the past nine weeks.
Floridians, their kids and grandchildren will feel the effects for a long time. The ramifications are grave. But such are the consequences in a state that no longer has a competitive two-party system at the state level, and where far too many lawmakers unquestioningly rubber stamp a far-right agenda fashioned mostly by an authoritarian, ambitious and secretive governor.
Less safe and less free
Floridians will be less safe. Women will be less free.
Legislators approved a near-total ban on abortion after six weeks, when many women don’t even know they are pregnant (SB 300).It’s now legal in Florida to carry a loaded and concealed gun with no permit or training (HB 543).
Lawmakers approved a universal taxpayer-funded school voucher program (HB 1) that will wreak havoc on a public school system that for too long has been chronically underfunded by both parties.
They made it easier to impose the death penalty than any state in the U.S. and allowed for the death penalty to be imposed on child rapists when the victim is under age 12 (HB 1297). The law won wide approval from members of both parties and will look good in a political mailer but is of dubious constitutionality. The 19 Democrats who voted no showed courage, because some will surely be vilified as “soft on crime” in the next election.
A lot less sunshine
This was a terrible session for weakening Florida’s “sunshine” laws, as legislators draped a dangerous and senselessly retroactive cloak of secrecy over official travel by the governor and other top state officials. They made claims of supposed threats against DeSantis that have not been substantiated. The governor goes everywhere closely surrounded by a half-dozen FDLE agents.
Lawmakers also handed the law-and-order governor an expanded Florida State Guard, a state militia under his personal control.
In a mean-spirited attack against public sector workers, they gutted union protections for teachers, 911 dispatchers and other front-line employees.
They did nothing to provide meaningful relief for property insurance policyholders and instead made it harder for them to sue companies that refuse to pay claims.
For the third year in a row, they attacked democracy by further weakening state election laws. They made it so financially risky for third-party organizations to register voters that many threaten to stop the practice — the Republicans’ objective all along.
They imposed new regulations on use of bathrooms and pronouns and imposed a ludicrous crackdown on drag shows — acts of oppression that stifle artistic expression, criminalize gender-affirming care and encourage more bullying and discrimination against already-marginalized groups.
What they got right
Did lawmakers do anything right over the past 60 days? Yes.
They passed a record-high $117 billion budget with nearly universal bipartisan harmony, which was unusual enough in itself in Tallahassee’s hyper-partisan bubble, but Democrats praised Republicans for even-handedness and the budget came together without the trench warfare that tarnished previous sessions.
The budget has 5% pay increases for rank-and-file state workers, salary hikes for assistant public defenders, assistant state attorneys and correctional officers, $1,000 bonuses for police officers, more money to acquire environmentally sensitive lands and other initiatives.
With so much money floating around, they could easily have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But they refused, preserving Florida’s status as an outlier state that neglects the well-being of its residents. Only nine other states refuse to expand Medicaid.
Showing more bipartisan cooperation, they voted to expand eligibility under Florida KidCare and Healthy Kids, which will help more than 40,000 children obtain affordable coverage. More positives: a stronger law to combat human sex trafficking, in response to the Sun Sentinel series Innocence Sold, and later start times for Florida middle and high schools.
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, took a welcome stand for public safety. After the House voted 69 to 36 to repeal a key provision of the post-Parkland gun law and allow immature and troubled 18-year-olds to buy rifles and long guns, Passidomo refused to consider it in the Senate, and it died. There’s nothing to celebrate here except the rarity of a Republican leader breaking with her own party for a change.
“I voted for the Parkland bill,” said Passidomo, who visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas days after the massacre five years ago. “It was a horrific day. I will not change my position.”
A changed Capitol, for the worse
Sun Sentinel opinion writers have watched every session for the past 35 years, and this must be said: Florida no longer has a traditional bipartisan Legislature where people of good intentions and different beliefs come together and work cooperatively to improve the state.
The political agenda and outcome is all preordained. Citizens who openly challenge the system risk being arrested, as 14 were this week in the Capitol.
In its current form, hopefully temporarily, it has evolved into a partisan political arm of DeSantis’ presidential campaign.
The vastly outnumbered Democrats, led by their caucus leaders, Sen. Lauren Book, D-Davie, and Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, fought valiantly most of the time against impossible odds. We implore Democrats to stick together and to hold Republicans more accountable.
People increasingly talk about leaving this state because of policies that show outright contempt for women, the LGBTQ community and others. The former Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade, a Hall of Famer and one of the most popular pro athletes in South Florida history, who has a transgender daughter, disclosed that he moved his family to California because they no longer feel accepted in Florida.
As events drew to a close Friday, a celebratory House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, called it “a session like no other.”
That’s true — but for all the wrong reasons.
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney and Anderson. Send letters to insight@orlandosentinel.com.
