Honestly, the whole Code Talkers event was just bizarre. A lovely speech by Peter McDonald, one of the Code Talkers, and then Trump just was at peak narcissism and idiocy: https://t.co/gt5XhPkVf5
— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) November 28, 2017
MR. MACDONALD: Thank you, Honorable President of this great United States of America, President Trump. Thank you for inviting us, Navajo Code Talkers, to the Capitol and to the White House of this great nation we call the United States…
My name is Peter MacDonald. I’m the president of the 13 surviving Navajo Code Talkers. I went in — I’m 90 years old — I went in when I was 15 years old in 1944. I was with the 1st Marine Brigade on Guam, and then went on to North China with 6th Marine Division to get those Japanese in Northern China to surrender. They didn’t want to surrender, but it took 1st Marine Division, 6th Marine Division to get them to surrender eventually. We had a separate treaty ceremony in Tsingtao, China, October 25th, 1945.
Navajo Code Talkers, in the early part of World War II, the enemy was breaking every military code that was being used in the Pacific. This created a huge problem for strategizing against the enemy. Eventually, a suggestion was made in early 1942 — February ’42, essentially — to use Navajo language as a code.
The Marine Corps recruited 29 young Navajos, not telling them what they are being recruited for, because this was a top-secret operation. They were just asked, “Do you want to join the Marines? You want to fight the enemy? Come join the Marines.” So they volunteered…
In every battle — from the frontline, beach command post, command ship, all other ships — Code Talkers were used. On the island of Iwo, Major Connor said, the first 48 hours of battle, over 800 messages were sent by the 5th Marine Division, only. The first 48 hours, over 800 messages. Major Connor also said: Without Navajo, Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima. (Applause.)
So thank you very much. The 13 of us, we still have one mission — that mission is to build national Navajo Code Talker Museum. We want to preserve this unique World War II history for our children, grandchildren, your children, your grandchildren to go through that museum.
Why? Because what we did truly represents who we are as Americans. America, we know, is composed of diverse community. We have different languages, different skills, different talents, and different religion. But when our way of life is threatened, like the freedom and liberty that we all cherish, we come together as one. And when we come together as one, we are invincible. We cannot be defeated. That’s why we need this national Navajo Code Talker Museum so that our children, the future generation, can go through that museum and learn why America is so strong…
Trump really said, "That was so incredible, and now I don't have to make my speech. I had the most beautiful speech written out. I was so proud of it. Look." That was before the "Pocahontas" shit.
— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) November 28, 2017
If you read the Oval Office Occupant’s remarks, it’s clear that he thought the whole event was a godsdamned joke. Old not-white dudes in weird regalia! So much to laugh at!
If the Repubs had any self-respect, they wouldn’t let this man out of his compound without putting a muzzle on him. Yeah, I know — self-respect is one of those concepts the GOP ditched around 1972.
Extremely good and normal to make native American WWII veterans listen to an ethnic slur while standing near a portrait of Andrew Jackson
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) November 27, 2017
Belittling non-white veterans and their families is a constant theme with Trump, from the Khan family to La David Johnson to the Navaho code talkers
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) November 27, 2017
If there's a Trump strategy here, it's to sideline her as a CFPB messenger by starting round 10,000 of the stupid "Pocahontas" story
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) November 27, 2017
there's no strategy. trump saw a native american person and his brain started screaming "pocahontaspocahontaspocahontaspocahontaspocahontaspocahontaspocahontas" and he had to yell it out. https://t.co/yJXN0XXB1t
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 27, 2017
I don’t expect Trump to be adopted by any native nation. But some of them may end up giving Trump a name. https://t.co/PvMNoqVJrA
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) November 28, 2017
Mustang Bobby
I honestly believe Trump had no idea who the Code Talkers were. All he saw were a bunch of old men and his notes said “Indians.” It was either “Pocahontas” or Apu jokes.
frosty
Should any of my fellow Juicers want some history to go with this sorry display, this week was the 75th anniversary of the Code Talkers deployment to Guadalcanal.
http://ww2today.com/23rd-november-1942-navajo-code-talkers-join-the-guadalcanal-battlefield
This site is a good daily stop for anyone who wants to learn more about WWII. In the last month or so, it’s been El Alamein, Guadalcanal, and Stalingrad. 1942 turned the tide.
ETA: from the article, I found this to be interesting:
One of the characteristics of the Navajo language was its oral tradition. The men were accustomed to remember quite long and detailed instructions rather than writing them down. This was to be an important aspect of the Navajo Code talkers work in addition to the fact that they their communications were impenetrable to the Japanese. Under the stress of combat conditions they were able to remember and pass on detailed instructions quickly without writing them down:
jl
“That was so incredible”
Well, Trump did start out with a complement, even if it was a trite Trumpian version. Then, considerable backsliding occurred.
frosty
@Mustang Bobby: Of course he didn’t know who they were. That would have required a basic level of curiosity and interest in learning. This was probably the most disheartening event of the last year for me.
Montanareddog
It just looks like he is the Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry David* made flesh
* not the real Larry David who I am sure is a splendid chap
Major Major Major Major
@frosty: More and more people are hearing about them.
NotMax
He’s holding the phrase “pardon me” in reserve for a different occasion.
Viva BrisVegas
@Montanareddog:
Trump is on the spectrum. He’s on the spectrum.
Is there such a thing as political Asperger’s? If there is, Trump has it. Although dementia would also explain a lot.
Major Major Major Major
@Viva BrisVegas:
No he’s not, look at some political interviews from the 90’s and stuff. Clueless, puffed-up, buffoonish, yes, but not like this. Which brings us to…
Tehanu
Asperger’s? Dementia? My mother had dementia and I promise you, she never, ever, in her 88 years of life, including the final five years or so when her memory was completely shot, said one single thing that was even in the same universe as Dump’s racist spew. “Evil sociopath” is too kind a description for him.
Major Major Major Major
@Tehanu: “evil sociopath” and “dementia sufferer” are not mutually exclusive.
NotMax
@Viva BrisVegas
One can fairly suspect the so-called scalp reduction procedure in actuality involved intrusive brain surgery of some sort instead.
Viva BrisVegas
@Major Major Major Major:
It was Curb Your Enthusiasm reference.
It involved a kid whose mother insisted he was Asperger’s, but as Larry figured out, was just an asshole instead.
NotMax
@NotMax
Amended for clarification.
One can fairly suspect the so-called scalp reduction procedure was a cover story and in actuality involved intrusive brain surgery of some sort instead.
Duane
Every day Trump is in office makes Obama a more likely candidate for Mt. Rushmore.
Patricia Kayden
Trump has no shame. That may end up being his downfall.
Elizabelle
@Patricia Kayden: Yes. I hope so.
Dementia plus continuous exposure to Fox News and the Giuliani ghouls of the world. On top of being incurious, a grifter, and having very poor judgment (as exhibited over the length of his life and career). All the bankruptcies, the lack of personal relationships, albeit a shrewd talent for marketing himself to yokels.
Anyway: good morning jackals.
Got to get ready to meet a fellow American for coffee, who is bringing her white standard poodle along. I wanna see Brody’s pet passport!
mai naem mobile
I bet Dolt45 has no idea who the Code Talkers are and what they did even after the event.
bluefish
Trump is giving NPD a very, very bad name.
Patricia Kayden
@Elizabelle: Where are you now?
Van Buren
To be fair, Hillary did use the word deplorable to describe fellow Americans, so both sides.
OzarkHillbilly
@NotMax: That doctor should be sued for malpractice.
OzarkHillbilly
@Duane: trump will tear it down before he allows that to happen.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@bluefish: To be completely fair to NPD sufferers, Trump isn’t merely NPD; he’s a textbook case of malignant narcissism, which is what you get when you mix NPD, anti-social personality disorder, paranoia, and aggressive sadism. And in Trump’s case there’s bound to be some dementia as well. Mere NPD looks pretty harmless by comparison.
Smut Clyde
That whole speech from Peter McDonald is a class act. No wonder President Gobshite felt he had to crap all over it.
lowtechcyclist
@Patricia Kayden:
The Republicans have no shame, otherwise they’d have already sent a delegation over to the White House to give Trump a choice of resigning or being removed. So it’s hard to see how he goes, unless Mueller actually indicts him.
Amir Khalid
@Smut Clyde:
I read Mr McDonald’s speech at the whitehouse.gov link and it is indeed lovely. I couldn’t get through more than a few sentences of what Trump spewed.
Amir Khalid
@lowtechcyclist:
Can Mueller indict a sitting POTUS? Or maybe the question should be, can he get the DoJ, i.e. Rod Rosenstein, to do it? I think there’s still a question of whether you can indict POTUS before he has been removed from office.
eclare
@Amir Khalid: I don’t think you can, but you can subpoena them. And once he is out of office, charges can still be prosecuted. IANAL, just based on what I’ve read.
Zinsky
I am all too familiar with the signs of Alzheimer’s, having had both a mother and a sister die from this terrible disease. And Trump is showing distinct signs of its onset – lack of ability to focus, inappropriate affect, failure to respond appropriately to social cues, unexplained bouts of anger and frustration – it’s all there. If the Republican leadership had any sense at all, they would 25th Amendment this POS before his dementia gets even more embarassing and dangerous!
JPL
Luckovich’s cartoon today is spot on!
http://luckovich.blog.myajc.com/2017/11/27/11-28-mike-luckovich-smoke-signal/
PaulWartenberg
MacDonald gave a more Presidential speech than trump did.
Why the hell didn’t we vote for Peter MacDonald?
eclare
@JPL: That is good!
bluefish
@(((CassandraLeo))): Indeed! The black hole of need that he is makes for a hellish existence. Tomorrow will bring another series of outrages and the next day will be the same.
Schlemazel
@Patricia Kayden:
Well if the first 300 events that were the start of his downfall weren’t I really don’t expect 301 to be the magic one
OzarkHillbilly
@Amir Khalid: That question has been asked and answered. The answer is no.
JPL
@bluefish: Meanwhile the republicans in congress are working hard for their wealthy friends.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: It’s more of an open question, the Watergate Special Prosecutor didn’t think he could(opting instead for Unindicted Co-Conspirator), but there’s not anything in the Constitution itself that prohibits it.
TS
MJ might have turned into the anti trump – but he still calls trump a democrat – while calling him out as a 100% racist.
I’m believing trump mentioned Sen Warren to stop folks talking about the tax bill & Roy Moore – seems to be working.
Matt
@Zinsky: They’re more likely to lean back and bask in the REAGANESQUE experience.
northierthanthou
Wondered if MacDonald was still in charge of the association. It’s a shame to see them associated with the likes of Trump and/or the Washington football team.
Trump’s commentary here was just as pathetic as he could possibly get.
SFAW
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch might disagree.
Unrelated — well, semi-related — with Fat Nino still dead, who does Clarence Thomas sockpuppet for these days?
ETA: I seem to recall someone here telling me/us that Thomas’s writings are actually well-thought-out, etc., etc. Whatever you want to believe, I guess.
SFAW
@northierthanthou:
No one ever went broke overestimating (or is it underestimating, given the direction?) how low Lying Littledick can sink.
Gerald Parks
white supremacist ideology is the foundation, source and fuel of American racism!
AND Dufuss … errraah … Dotard 45 has been making a point of leading the parade since the 1970’s!
Housing discrimination -TWICE!
Death Penalty for innocent Black CHILDREN
Birther in Chief
Mexicans
Gold Star family
Mexican-American Judge
African-Americans
African-American widow
Puerto Rico
NFL players
Parent of African-American college student in China
Native Americans
Notice that I need NOT to elaborate on the story of any of the above …BECAUSE …you already know the general outline if not the details.
NOW …think about this …what other American politician or public figure in say the last 20 years …THAT you KNOW that much about their negitive interactions with non-white Americans! (Not to mention Mexicans and Muslims around the world)
raven
Well, the last day of the best 10 days of weather and worst 10 days of fish catchin I’ve had down here. I’m going to try the bay this morning, there is a really nice fishing pier they made from and old bridge so I’ll try that.
Geoduck
@TS: No. There is no strategy here. There is no plan. Trump just spews the first thing that comes into the evil fuming void that passes for his mind. It may work as a distraction, but it’s not the same thing.
Dingo
I was on the Lincoln when we came in from the Gulf after a ten month cruise. The president flew onboard and we were all excited. The Public Affairs Officer exuberantly printed out a big banner stating that the ship had accomplished her mission and was returning home at last. The president gave a speech in front of that big banner and had his picture taken. Bush’s enemies still love that photo, seeing it as an example of his hubris. I hear that the PAO was fired.
The facts don’t matter, enemies will use every avenue to belittle and marginalise someone.
opiejeanne
@TS: Who ia MJ?
NorthLeft12
I think Oliver Willis is completely on target with his tweet. Deadbeat Donald’s brain was probably on this track even before the meeting started. As soon as he knew the meeting was with Native Americans he immediately thought of one of his “go to” comments. Senator Warren being in the news again just made this outburst even more predictable. He probably thought, “Hey, I always get a good laugh and applause with that Pocahontas line. Yeah, this will be great. What a perfect setup!”
FlipYrWhig
@NorthLeft12: From what I saw of the event, he was also desperately bored and fidgety, like a child in church. Except for one moment when he actually smiled at something he heard — which is VERY rare.
I also think he’ll take any excuse to throw away the written speech and just start winging it, because even as vain as he is, he knows his strong suit ain’t readin’ words.
NorthLeft12
I read through Mr. MacDonald’s speech too. There was one specific comment at the end of the speech that I have been hearing often, and not only in the US.
There seems to be a fixation on being strong/showing strength in relation to many issues these days around the world. This fits in with one of Deadbeat Donald’s and the Repubs main themes regarding strength and the weakness of their opponents.
Maybe I am being picky or sensitive, but these kind of comments really turn me off. I’d like to know what others think.
Ohio Mom
@Viva BrisVegas: No, Trump does not have any form of autism.
Just stop it! Autism is not an insult you get to hurl around.
ETA: just read further down the thread. Truly appreciate everyone who corrected BrisVegas. Sign me, Autism mom.
SFAW
@opiejeanne:
In the real world, Michael Jordan.
Here, it’s probably “Morning Jo(k)e.”
r€nato
@Dingo: Liar.
That stupid fucking stunt with the Military-Deserter-in-Chief flying a jet onto the aircraft carrier was part of America’s long slide into banana republic status.
Amir Khalid
@r€nato:
A minor correction: President W didn’t fly any jet or land one on an aircraft carrier. The Secret Service doesn’t let POTUS drive a car, let alone pilot a military aircraft. The aircraft W qualified to fly wasn’t a US Navy plane, and wasn’t in service any more. All W did that day was dress up like a pilot.
Skepticat
I just emailed Corporal MacDonald with thanks for an inspiring speech and a request for more information on a national code talkers museum. I’ve always been intrigued and impressed by the code talkers, and it might be interesting to support and encourage a project such as this.
laura
@Amir Khalid:
All W did that day was dress up like a pilot……and give Tweety the uh-oh feeling in the no-no spot. Cod piece!
WaterGirl
Okay, that made me cry. For how great Barack Obama is, and was, and for how far we’ve fallen.
Mike in DC
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
You can indict, but you probably can’t bring a sitting president to trial*. So the only value of an indictment is to try to force the hand of Congress.
*having a hard time believing the courts would delay bringing a potus to trial over murder or a similar capital crime, though.
WaterGirl
This from @raven: “Well, the last day of the best 10 days of weather and worst 10 days of fish catchin I’ve had down here. I’m going to try the bay this morning, there is a really nice fishing pier they made from and old bridge so I’ll try that.
Followed by this comment from @Geoduck: No. There is no strategy here. There is no plan. Trump just spews the first thing that comes into the evil fuming void that passes for his mind.”
Led to the thought that raven has more strategy for catching fish on vacation that Trump does as president of the United States of Dumb Fuckistan.
NorthLeft12
@NorthLeft12: I just wanted to clarify that Mr. MacDonald’s speech specifically mentions the power of diversity and working together as a group for common goals. Maybe I did not read enough into his speech to appreciate that perhaps he was actually standing up for principles that Deadbeat Donald is actively working against.
WaterGirl
@NorthLeft12: If it makes you feel any better, I think the use of strong in that context is people trying to reassure us that we can weather the storm that is Donald Trump and the attempt to destroy our country from the inside.
edit: I wrote this comment before reading your additional comment at #62.
Beverly J Stringer
@NotMax: Medication that is prescribed for him in PROPECIA, which is for hair loss. However, the hair loss drug is associated with MENTAL CONFUSION and IMPOTENCE. I can overlook the last, as he is an ass either way, but the Mental Confusion stands out to be quite obvious.
Barbara
@frosty: Other Native American languages such as Apache had been used cryptologically in World War I, which was of course shorter. The Japanese government actually sent students to the U.S. between the end of WWI and through the 30s specifically to learn indigenous languages in case they ever went to war, but they never tried to learn Navajo, probably because it is so difficult and also because it was used in remote communities. The most poignant aspect of the Code Talkers story is that many of these young men had been sent to English only schools, which had the express mission of stamping out native languages. And yet, it was that native language that advanced U.S. interests in the Pacific theater. Think today of how Arizona tries to limit students and teachers from speaking any other language than English. The racial and cultural exclusion that they now try to enforce against Spanish speakers was born out of their hatred and disdain for Native American culture.
MCA1
@Geoduck: Absolutely correct. He says what feels good to him in the moment. That is literally all he is capable of. There is no filter other than seeking to brag, or to bully, piss off or demean others, in either case making him come off as stronger or more powerful. The pattern of things that come out of his mouth is (a) blabbing exposition with tons of filler words and repeated adjectives for emphasis because his vocabulary is smaller than my 10-year-old son’s, leading to either (b) insulting, berating, demeaning or dismissing someone or something, or (c) puffing himself up. As a raging narcissist, speaking is just another form of one-on-one competitive social interaction that he MUST win, to soothe himself.
He is an unrepentant, degenerate asshole, at all times, in all forums, always and forever. The end.
The Lodger
@Amir Khalid: At best, Bush may have had the stick for a minute or two in mid flight when he couldn’t do any damage. But there’s no way he could have made a first-time landing on an aircraft carrier. Even when he was flying fighters he never had to catch a tail hook or land on a flight deck. So no rookie pilot lands ing when the Commander in Chief is on the plane.
KS in MA
@Barbara: And … There were code talkers from many other tribes in WWII. For instance: http://www.army.mil/americanindians/code_talkers.html
Sergio Lopez-Luna
He’s playing to his base (and that of the Republican party) who are just loving this. “Look he called that Harvard Professor Pocahontas! He tells it like it is! MAGA!”
West of the Cascades
Dances With Putin