Eyes right

 When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election for July 4, he could have held on until autumn.  The move was seen as wanting to get it over with before most people left on their holidays, "it" being the mother of all arse-kickings that the Tories anticipate.  As he stood in a sudden downpour he seemed to be thinking of ways to make sure nothing would go wrong, i.e., right, how to drive the last nails into his premiership.  Nail number one was a bizarre announcement of the possibility of restoring military conscription for eighteen-year-olds.  This was quickly clarified:  only twenty-five days of actual service for only 30,000 boys (and girls?), and although compulsory, no repercussions for failing to participate.  It sounds like not a lot of thought went into this, and polls suggest that only people over 70 support the idea.  Nail number two was Sunak's hasty exit from the D-Day commemoration in Normandy to go home and campaign, widely seen as an insult to veterans.  (If you don't think veterans are sacred in British culture, appear in public without a poppy in your buttonhole next November.)  At this point the PM might as well clear out his office and buy a nice Greek island with his considerable fortune.  (John Crace goes a bit overboard but makes the same point today.)

A quick search for "conscription" turned up articles like "Ukrainian parliament adopts measure to expand military draft," "Myanmar's military junta starts conscription and draft-age men flee," and "Russia extends conscription up to age 30."  Ukrainian commanders have the same problem with conscripts that American generals had in Vietnam:  nobody wants troops who really don't want to be there.  This has always been the selling point of a "volunteer" professional military, even though the volunteers are overwhelmingly poor and see military service as their one pathway to education and a future career.  So why is this a topic now?

Yesterday's Washington Post had an article called "In Trump's Orbit Some Muse About Mandatory Military Service."  Nobody paid much attention because The Story of the Day was Hunter Biden's conviction on charges of possessing a gun while using cocaine.  It seems the planets around Trumpstar did a lot more than muse.  Christopher Miller, the Defense Secretary who did nothing to terminate the coup attempt, goes into great detail in the infamous Project 2025 about how a huge conscript army would "reinforce the bonds of civility" by posing a clear, violent threat to any domestic dissent.  Since Trump has no interest in respecting the US's treaty obligations, what else would they do but gun down unarmed border crossers and women fleeing to Mexico or Canada for abortions?  

Perhaps vaguely aware of who Rishi Sunak is and how he has stumbled, Trump insisted the WaPo article is "completely untrue" and that he has "never even thought" of restoring the draft he successfully dodged with his phantom bone spurs.  It cited Miller's contribution to Project 2025, which Trump has certainly not read as it has no pictures.  Which doesn't mean he has grounds for objecting to it; the Heritage Foundation lays out a comprehensive plan for the Christofascist future dreamed by the Alitos and their kind.  Only the Sacred Heart flag is missing.

This was only part of a busy week.  Following his Zoom meeting with his probation officer, Trump blew off steam by violating the gag order with a lengthy rant about witness Michael Cohen.  Then he promoted as a "MUST READ" another piece of printed material he will never read, the racist ravings of Charlie Kirk.  (He directed Donnie's Book Club to Barnes & Noble rather than Amazon because that will bring Jeff Bezos to his knees.  Bezos is no longer involved with the company but don't tell Trump.)  

Then he -- well, let courtier Sean Hannity explain:  "There are some even saying...Trump might be wise to pass on the first debate, wait till he's nominated, then debate him."  Because a convicted felon who is officially nominated would be much more effective than just a convicted felon?  Because that would leave only the September 10 event to weasel out of?  Old bone spurs acting up again?  The smart money still says no way the Glitchmeister shows up for either.  Insert chicken noises here.  (Please don't call him "chickenshit," which is a completely different term descriptive of meaningless trivial paperwork.  Read Paul Fussell's Wartime instead of Kirk.  Or really, almost anything.)

The days dwindle down for Steve Bannon, who will soon begin a four-month sabbatical training his lice to march in formation.  Today's topic was James Comey and Andrew McCabe, who ran the FBI years ago and wouldn't truckle to Trump.  Under pressure Bannon has gone full Liam-Neeson-in-Taken:  "We will hunt you down," he promised, ordering them to "Get your passport, get the hell out of the country."  Clearly his audience is aroused by fake violence -- who could fill in during Stevie's stay at Club Fed?  Is Chuck Norris busy?

Fathers and sons, a perpetual subject.  Joe Biden addressed a conference on gun violence before making an unscheduled trip to Wilmington to meet Hunter after the verdict was announced.   

 "I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers his appeal," the president said.  "Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support.  Nothing will ever change that."  I know this will be taken as a sign of weakness, and I don't care.  Jesse Watters can pound sand.  Meanwhile in South Carolina Mark Martin, 32, faces up to twenty-five years in prison on prison for drug and gun charges.  Mark Martin has had no contact with his adoptive parents since he was in high school:  "I tried to communicate with them a couple of times, but I've never gotten any response."  The couple who "raised him like a son," Clarence and Ginni Thomas, and shared a life of privilege on Harlan Crow's dime, are not returning his calls.  Just a reminder that Sam and Martha Alito are not the most horrible couple in Washington, no matter what the neighbors think of them.

All right, what else?

Most members of Congress struggle to stand out from the crowd.  Some have staff members whose sole job is to get their names in the papers, a job which used to be called "press agent."  Lauren Boebert, however, would not agree that there's no such thing as bad publicity.  "The media, they do a great job of dehumanizing me, right?" she complained to radio host Ross Kaminsky.  "You just said you like me as a person.  I'm funny.  OK, well, nobody sees that.  That's not the front page headline on the Denver Post."  But Congresswoman, it's the US House of Representatives, not Club Giggles in Durango.  Wanda Sykes is funny as hell, but I don't know if she could find sponsors for an appropriations bill.  Pick a career.

Remember Herschel Walker?  They've nominated another jock for the Senate only with a far less impressive career.  Royce White played in the NBA for nearly nine minutes, helping to hold down the LA Kings bench in the 2013-14 season and scoring zip, and now he wants to replace Amy Klobuchar as Minnesota senator.  He started his campaign by publishing a map of crime in Minneapolis, which turned out to be a map of the city's water fountains.  His response when this was pointed out by Christopher Ingraham was Walker-worthy:  "You're a cuck.  We're leaving the plantation...You and your weird liberal buddies read it and weep."  When Keith Olbermann called him "a geyser of material" he riposted, "You pencil necked dweeb...I'm winning so much I might have to change my middle name to WINNING.  Where are you at on drag strip shows for small children?"  See?  Incoherent and yet a better speller than Trump.  Minnesota is not Georgia, so I doubt a runoff will be necessary.

According to Forbes, his favorite spank prop, Trump is creaming off millions in campaign funds to his perpetually needy businesses, $4.6 million to date, which is why he can't afford to hire an air conditioned venue for his Southwest hate tour.  Today supporters were invited to contribute more money to save America under the patriotic heading, "Haul out the guillotine.  It's not just me they want gone, THEY'RE COMING AFTER YOU!"  I suppose the Trump Media share price tanked again.  He then reminds them of the stupid Kathy Griffin picture of a severed Trump "head" that made Barron wet his bed seven years ago and derailed her career.  (The gallows is still too fresh a reminder of HANG MIKE PENCE.)  He really is getting crazier as even the remote possibility of prison looms.