- Several Democrats advise the military that they don’t have to follow illegal orders; Trump orders their trials for sedition, punishable by death;
- More about Trump and Piggy;
- And more about Trump and the Crown Prince;
- Items about the CDC reinstating an implication between vaccines and autism, despite RFK Jr.’s promise not to; weakening the Endangered Species Act; how the Coast Guard will no longer consider swastikas and nooses as hate symbols; and a MAGA rant blaming illegals for every imagined problem.
- And an elegant bit of Zbigniew Preisner.
Yesterday it was Trump calling a female journalist “piggy.” Today it’s Trump calling for the execution of Democratic politicians who would follow the law.
Politico, 20 Nov 2025: Trump calls for Democratic lawmakers to face trial for ‘seditious behavior’, subtitled: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” he wrote on Truth Social. (via JMG)
President Donald Trump on Thursday called for six Democratic lawmakers to face arrest and trial after they made a video encouraging U.S. service members and members of the intelligence community to refrain from following orders if they broke the law.
Remember the Nuremberg trials? “I was following orders” is not a defense; you’re still guilty of whatever crimes you were ordered to do.
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More about “Piggy”.
The Atlantic, Sophie Gilbert, 20 Nov 2025: President Piggy, subtitled “This is what consequence-free misogyny looks like.”
The roughly six months that have made up November this year have—it’s fair to say—not been a high point for women, journalism, women in journalism, women with jobs, or anyone following the news.
A quick recap: On Friday, Donald Trump said to a reporter on Air Force One, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” when she tried to complete the most basic requirement of her job by asking a question. Earlier this week, when a reporter at the White House asked Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, about the determination by U.S. intelligence that he was complicit in the killing of a Washington Post journalist—a finding that bin Salman has denied—Trump viciously scolded her for her “horrible, insubordinate” question. …
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And let’s not forget this, from *three* days ago!
NY Times, Editorial Board, 19 Nov 2025: No, Mr. President, We Cannot ‘Leave It at That’
The realities of geopolitics have long required the United States to ally itself with foreign leaders who commit terrible deeds. Defeating foreign threats often requires the help of countries that fall far short of being liberal democracies that respect human rights. Saudi Arabia is a classic example of such a country today. It both has a disturbing human rights record and is a legitimately valuable American partner in countering Iran’s aggressions and building a more stable Middle East.
But working with imperfect partners does not mean that the United States should cover up and lie about their misdeeds, as President Trump did when receiving Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, in the Oval Office on Tuesday. It was a fawning, cringe-worthy performance that belied America’s more powerful status. It was absolution rather than realpolitik.
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Briefly noted.
- Washington Post, 20 Nov 2025: CDC in turmoil after agency backpedals on rejecting vaccines-autism link, subtitled “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), who voted to confirm Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he pledged not to remove language stating vaccines do not cause autism from the CDC website, condemned the change.”
- And The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last, 20 Nov 2025: What If the Most Dangerous Man in the Administration Isn’t Donald Trump?, subtitled “The U.S. government is now pushing misinformation.”
- And Scientific American, 20 Nov 2025: CDC Vaccine Website Promotes Antiscience Claims of Autism Ties, subtitled “The CDC this week quietly changed its official language to suggest vaccines may cause autism, a claim that scientists say has no basis in evidence”
- — — Why are they obsessed with this? We understand they don’t do evidence; they do gut instincts. And, my take, this is all about purity and fear of contamination.
- NY Times, 19 Nov 2025: Trump Moves to Weaken the Endangered Species Act, subtitled “Four proposed rules could make it easier to drill for oil or harvest timber in areas where endangered species live.” (via JMG) — — Tearing down what others have built. Conservatives aren’t actually for conservation.
- Washington Post, 20 Nov 2025: U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols, subtitled “The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items ‘potentially divisive.'” (via JMG) — — How else to understand this than as another example of creeping white supremacy? (Divisive between who? Racists and non-racists? As if racists need to be pandered to by the US government?)
- JMG, 20 Nov 2025: MAGA Host: All Of Your Problems Are Due To ‘Illegals'” — — The Benny Show. Nonsense. Bullocks. Scapegoating the ‘other’.
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What I’m listening to as I compile this post (on the Preisner’s Music album). I haven’t seen the movie; ignore the clip. Just listen to the music. Very elegant, even moving.
