In a time crunch now, I must read you message late tonight. Meanwhile, here is another important petition.
🚩Here is a petition. Whether or not the war is deemed legal or illegal, Common Cause has this petition. Please sign
🚩A PETITION AT COMMON CAUSE TO STOP THE ILLEGAL WAR
This petition at the Common Cause site is to ask Congress to stop the illegal war. There is a place to add a comment. Usually petitions carry more weight when they contain comments.
Judy...absolutely. Thank you for dropping this here...and thank you for staying on offense even in a time crunch!
You’re doing two smart things at once:
Not letting the news cycle hypnotize you into helplessness, and...routing energy into a legitimate pressure point (Congress)...where there’s at least a formal lever to pull.
You’re spot on about comments. A lot of people sign and move on. Taking 30 extra seconds to add a clear...specific comment is what turns “support” into something harder to ignore.
If it helps anyone reading, here are a few copy/paste comment options (pick one, tweak it, make it yours):
“I urge Congress to reassert its constitutional authority and stop unauthorized military escalation. Demand transparency, limits, and accountability immediately.”
“No blank check. Congress must debate and vote before further escalation. Protect Americans from reckless expansion and demand clear objectives and oversight.”
“Stop unauthorized war-making. Require a public rationale, clear legal authority, and a defined end state, then vote. Anything else is unacceptable.”
“Congress: reclaim Article I war powers now. De-escalate, require reporting, and block funding for unauthorized actions.”
“I’m asking my representatives to act: hold hearings, demand the legal basis, and stop escalation that puts U.S. lives at risk.”
Judy...I appreciate you. This is what it looks like to stay oriented and useful...when things get loud.
And...yes: I’ll likely be here when you circle back tonight.
Jack, thank you for sharing these valuable suggestions for possible inclusions of notes in petitions. Your help and encouragement mean so much. So do all of your explanations! I will review much of your message in tonight’s newsletter when I am more awake.
Geez, Jack! It’s a lot to absorb! So glad I have you to turn to, understanding and comprehension are comforting at this point. Everything is colliding at once, my health has taken a downturn with bloody urine in one of my nephrostomies. I guess I’m finding out just how much shit I can handle all at once! 💯🥰🙏🏻
Elizabeth, I’m really glad you said that...and...I’m honored you trust me with it.
Bloody urine in a nephrostomy is not small. Anyone would feel overwhelmed with that on top of everything else. Please...put YOURSELF first right now...get medical attention and lean on your care team.
The news and the chaos can wait.
You’re not alone in this community. I’ll keep doing the “make it make sense” part...so you can focus on getting through the next step.
Lastly, and most importantly...is there anything I can do for you?
Elizabeth as an RN I want you to take care of yourself. I know that everyone here with Jack feels the same way and that your health comes first. Hopefully it is not anything really serous and it will be a simple treatment for you.
Mary, here is another petition you might want to sign and share. Thank you!
Before he can slip this appointment past us amidst war distractions, and while there is still time, I am sharing this petition to prevent approval of D. T.’s unfit choice for Surgeon General, Casey Means.
🚩Here is a petition from Move On to stop Donald J. Trump’s choice of Casey Means from being approved as Surgeon General.
Before D. T. can slip this appointment past us amidst war distractions, and while there is still time, I am sharing this petition to prevent approval of D. T.’s unfit choice for Surgeon General, Casey Means.
🚩Here is a petition from Move On to stop Donald J. Trump’s choice of Casey Means from being approved as Surgeon General.
Seeing the absolute cluster f that the region is in now in terms of Americans stranded and our government doing bupkis to get them out...."there may be military flights...." says Rubio, or "maybe some commercial charters...." or even "routes these employees can take on land to get to cities in other countries...." After all the criticism about how the previous administration left Iraq, that there were no plans, etc. what's the reason plans to remove Americans were not in place BEFORE all this shit hit the preemptive strike fan? Anyone remember the Iran Hostage Crisis?
Probably no reason. Guessing they don't give shit. We have just killed 400 children, and Congress isn't giving signs they are going to STOP and RETURN the fleet/ planes/ personnel .
There are available jets for DEPORTING THOUSANDS, BUT NONE TO SAVE PEOPLE CAUGHT IN A WAR ZONE.
There was a very pleasant couple. I knew from a week long canoe trip in the 1970s. The husband’s work later took them to Iran. While they were there, as Americans, they had to be evacuated, and there was no time even to rescue their family’s cat and bring it home. At least the husband and wife did arrive home safely. I hope everybody else did too and did not have to leave anybody behind.
With people stranded and no way to come home in this uncalled for war, I am strongly reminded of the experience those good people had.
When I heard about the FBI counterintelligence firings my first question was “what’s behind these firings”? I believe it was intentional. The timing is suspicious & more than a coincidence in my opinion. Thank you for this information. Much appreciated.
Lori...yes...this is exactly the right first question to ask.
You’re not jumping to conclusions. You’re doing basic...cause-and-effect: what happened, in what order...and what was foreseeable.
When the timing is that tight...and the roles are that specific, “coincidence” starts feeling like a COMFORT word...people use when they don’t want to look at the implications.
I really appreciate you saying this: the value isn’t in any one headline...it’s in seeing the sequence...and what that sequence makes more LIKELY.
Thank you for reading, and for staying sharp. If you spot anything else in the coming days that looks like “preparation” rather than accident...drop it in the comments...this community is at its best when WE compare notes in real time.
Realized after your report, that Congress, being caught up in its drama, won't be warned. Congress is working on regular disfunctional way, which is the way some people want it.
Saw AWACS planes flying again (live near Seattle).
Someone is awake.
Thanks for your posts.💕
Fall into a day of shock
(400 children killed), but then return to your posts, and #HOLDFAST
Jack, Your analysis of whether or not Republican Senators and Representatives are more likely to defy Trump now vs earlier this year? Are they like frogs in a slowly heated pot, or can they still jump?
Bruce...yes...they can still jump. I like that you framed it that way.
The slow-boil dynamic is real. Most of them...have acclimated to silence...because earlier this year...defying him meant instant punishment; primaries, donor backlash, media attacks. The lesson was simple: KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN.
But...politicians don’t move from courage. They move from self-preservation...and that flips...when the risk equation changes.
*They’re more likely to break when:
*They have cover. One defector gets crushed. Five moving together is protection.
*The consequences turn local. Angry constituents, rattled donors...pissed off military families...business pressure...that hits differently than national noise.
*He looks like a liability. If he starts threatening THEIR seat...instead of protecting it... survival instincts kick in.
*There’s a permission structure. A procedural frame...oversight, funding limits, “we need answers”...gives them a DEFENSIBLE reason to act.
If it happens, it won’t look dramatic. It won’t be a moral speech. It’ll be PROCEDURAL resistance: hearings, delays...conditions on funding.
That’s how frogs jump in Washington. It's a reliable pattern...even in times of chaos.
The first crack won’t be loud. It’ll be COORDINATED.
At some point term limits must happen so those elected realize they are there to serve not be served, and that for only a limited time. It isn't a bloody career.
And always against those bills that would actually help those who vote for him, and against him for that matter. And then there is Foxx and Grassley. Lordy.
That moment the “oh… oh no” moment...is what happens when the pieces lock into place.
Not because it’s dramatic.
Not because it’s secret.
But...because the sequence suddenly makes sense.
Here’s the important part: that reaction isn’t panic. It’s ORIENTATION.
When something clicks...like that...it means your brain just moved from scattered inputs ...to structured understanding. That’s stabilizing...EVEN if the implications are uncomfortable.
Stay steady.
Clarity can feel like a jolt at first. But...once you see the pattern...you’re not guessing anymore; you’re watching with CONTEXT.
I went to the gym and had a heavy-duty workout, while I worked on reorienting my brain into this structured understanding that you mentioned. I also mentally attached two more puzzle pieces into this picture:
1. terrorist attack on our country, that we wouldn’t see coming because of what you just explained,...would give the pRes…
2. …the reason he wants, to declare a state of emergency… and stop the election.
Makes sense… terrible sense… but sense, never-the-less.
Yes, Mary E...without going too deep (I may go deeper...in an article in the near future), the highest odds...I believe...will be seen in financial friction...first.
1) Electronic banking/payments: quickest way to create fear + disruption.
2) Energy grid (regional): big psychological impact, cascading effects.
3) Ports/logistics: “quiet chaos” through delays and shortages.
4) Municipal systems: softer targets, high local pain.
5) Taiwan: more likely economic coercion than a single dramatic move.
They don’t have to DESTROY anything. Repeated DISRUPTION...that degrades trust...is more than enough.
Again, after deeper thought and focus on your question/s...it's possible my answer could change. But...for now...I'm fairly confident...that what I've answered with...is probably what I should have.
The two (of the 5) that I've examined most closely in the past are #1 and #2. You'll likely hear something more detailed from me...sometime in the future.
We've spent the last few years putting aside food, putting in a generator and making ready for disruptions as best we can. I can see now it wasn't an overreaction.
Jack, I’ve been here for a while and pattern Recognition has developed with me since I’ve been reading you. I seem to understand it more and more each day.
Pattern recognition isn’t something you’re handed. It’s something you build...and the fact that you can feel it sharpening...tells me you’re not just reading...you’re INTEGRATING.
That’s a different level.
At first it’s, “That’s interesting.”
Then it becomes, “Wait… I’ve seen this before.”
And eventually it’s, “I know what this likely leads to.”
That shift...changes how you move through the world. Unquestionably. You’re less reactive. Less whiplashed by headlines. More anchored in sequence and incentives.
And...here’s the part that excites me most: once your brain starts wiring itself this way...it doesn’t unwind. You start spotting timing. Beneficiaries. Pre-positioning. Narrative setup.
You can’t unsee it.
That’s you building cognitive muscle.
And, it's not an accident. There is a method to my "madness."
Thank you for saying this...it means a lot. I spontaneously had a big smile. It tells me you’re doing EXACTLY what this space is designed to help you do.
The chilling picture you just brought into sharp focus for me is that if this is intentional degradation...and you've convinced me...the play is to ALLOW retaliation. And that play would be in service of the emergency they want to declare to federalize the midterm elections and maintain Trump's rotting corpse in power.
Thanks for lining this up. As I'm looking at what's happening at other agencies, it fits the pattern. Back on 2/13, Treasury announced that they are terminating the Bargaining Unit Agreements at IRS and BFS (Bureau of Fiscal Service) based on a finding in the case of another union in a different case. The union covering both IRS and BFS is NTEU (National Treasury Employees Union), and their case remains active and without a decision in the DC Circuit. There is also an order preventing the agencies from invalidating the contracts, which the agencies have now gone against the court's order. This is important on a lot of levels. 1) What better way to make the entire Treasury a slush fund for funding all this craziness. 2) BFS handles the actual release of funds. The administration needs to be able to get funds quickly and buried from oversight. 3) The agencies still have tenured people who are experts and have institutional knowledge. Getting rid of the unions means "at-will" employment, which will result in changes to everything from evaluations to pay scales, telework to reasonable accommodations. And they'll expand the Trump loyalty tests to everyone in IRS/BFS.
Your Treasury/BFS point matters...a lot. Treasury is flow, BFS is disbursement.
If oversight is the obstacle...speeding and obscuring funding pathways becomes a MAJOR incentive. Layer in the institutional knowledge inside IRS/BFS...and “at-will” dynamics become a loyalty filter...FAST.
Keep tracking it...especially whether (1) personnel churn spikes, (2) transparency around funding gets thinner...and (3) legal constraints are treated as OPTIONAL.
This is trump and his ghouls on full display. Absolutely No Good can come of this war,as we are seeing all over the World 🌎. Impeach the Lot of them and replace this Regime with competent, Educated leaders. One can only hope at this point, Jack. Good article today, Thank you, and will reStack ASAP 💯👍
This is the messiest damn war I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Vietnam was awful, especially toward the end, but it wasn't the clusterfuck Trump's war is . . . on only day four. And much of it is PLANNED! It's one of those "good grief what next moments." That's my comment. For now. Thanks for posting this, Jack.
I've read the column twice now, and while I understand the how, the who and the when, I don't understand the why. If Dipshit Patel is aware of the crippling effect of firing those CI agents, and knew our attack and their counterattacks were coming, WHY in blazes would he hamstring our ability to analyze and respond to the coming threats? What is the endgame? Are they deliberately crippling our response to a potential threat in THIS country? Sleeper cells exist, presumably, and attacks here would inevitably be linked to our attack on Iran. What can the Felon-In-Chief et al possibly hope to get out of this crazed war?
Jack, everything you spelled out was like Lincoln Logs fitting snugly into place. Please continue to build our pattern recognition skills, and thank you.
Jack, it does make more sense than it did before… much more.
You’re not wrong… I feel certain of it. This is no coincidence or anything else. Thank you for the explanation. It’s not comforting but it is clarifying. I’ll be watching and listening.
In a time crunch now, I must read you message late tonight. Meanwhile, here is another important petition.
🚩Here is a petition. Whether or not the war is deemed legal or illegal, Common Cause has this petition. Please sign
🚩A PETITION AT COMMON CAUSE TO STOP THE ILLEGAL WAR
This petition at the Common Cause site is to ask Congress to stop the illegal war. There is a place to add a comment. Usually petitions carry more weight when they contain comments.
🚩https://act.commoncause.org/petitions/tell-congress-no-illegal-war-with-iran?
Judy...absolutely. Thank you for dropping this here...and thank you for staying on offense even in a time crunch!
You’re doing two smart things at once:
Not letting the news cycle hypnotize you into helplessness, and...routing energy into a legitimate pressure point (Congress)...where there’s at least a formal lever to pull.
You’re spot on about comments. A lot of people sign and move on. Taking 30 extra seconds to add a clear...specific comment is what turns “support” into something harder to ignore.
If it helps anyone reading, here are a few copy/paste comment options (pick one, tweak it, make it yours):
“I urge Congress to reassert its constitutional authority and stop unauthorized military escalation. Demand transparency, limits, and accountability immediately.”
“No blank check. Congress must debate and vote before further escalation. Protect Americans from reckless expansion and demand clear objectives and oversight.”
“Stop unauthorized war-making. Require a public rationale, clear legal authority, and a defined end state, then vote. Anything else is unacceptable.”
“Congress: reclaim Article I war powers now. De-escalate, require reporting, and block funding for unauthorized actions.”
“I’m asking my representatives to act: hold hearings, demand the legal basis, and stop escalation that puts U.S. lives at risk.”
Judy...I appreciate you. This is what it looks like to stay oriented and useful...when things get loud.
And...yes: I’ll likely be here when you circle back tonight.
-Jack
Jack, thank you for sharing these valuable suggestions for possible inclusions of notes in petitions. Your help and encouragement mean so much. So do all of your explanations! I will review much of your message in tonight’s newsletter when I am more awake.
Geez, Jack! It’s a lot to absorb! So glad I have you to turn to, understanding and comprehension are comforting at this point. Everything is colliding at once, my health has taken a downturn with bloody urine in one of my nephrostomies. I guess I’m finding out just how much shit I can handle all at once! 💯🥰🙏🏻
Elizabeth, I’m really glad you said that...and...I’m honored you trust me with it.
Bloody urine in a nephrostomy is not small. Anyone would feel overwhelmed with that on top of everything else. Please...put YOURSELF first right now...get medical attention and lean on your care team.
The news and the chaos can wait.
You’re not alone in this community. I’ll keep doing the “make it make sense” part...so you can focus on getting through the next step.
Lastly, and most importantly...is there anything I can do for you?
-Jack
More than you can imagine, but I am so sorry you are having an extra battle of your own. #HoldFast.
Elizabeth as an RN I want you to take care of yourself. I know that everyone here with Jack feels the same way and that your health comes first. Hopefully it is not anything really serous and it will be a simple treatment for you.
Thanks. Signed!
Mary, here is another petition you might want to sign and share. Thank you!
Before he can slip this appointment past us amidst war distractions, and while there is still time, I am sharing this petition to prevent approval of D. T.’s unfit choice for Surgeon General, Casey Means.
🚩Here is a petition from Move On to stop Donald J. Trump’s choice of Casey Means from being approved as Surgeon General.
🚩To know more about Casey Means, here is a site: https://people.com/casey-means-everything-to-know-11914045
🚩https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/trumpwellness-influencer-casey-means-is-not-fit-to-be-america-s-top-doctor?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=c29fe6be-b777-4ebd-aef9-4d9d8dc34766
Thanks for this,signed!
Mary, I am praying for you and hope you get the help you need pronto!
signed. thank you
Here is another important petition. Thank you!
Before D. T. can slip this appointment past us amidst war distractions, and while there is still time, I am sharing this petition to prevent approval of D. T.’s unfit choice for Surgeon General, Casey Means.
🚩Here is a petition from Move On to stop Donald J. Trump’s choice of Casey Means from being approved as Surgeon General.
🚩To know more about Casey Means, here is a site: https://people.com/casey-means-everything-to-know-11914045
🚩https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/trumpwellness-influencer-casey-means-is-not-fit-to-be-america-s-top-doctor?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=c29fe6be-b777-4ebd-aef9-4d9d8dc34766
You’re welcome, and thank you, NK!
Seeing the absolute cluster f that the region is in now in terms of Americans stranded and our government doing bupkis to get them out...."there may be military flights...." says Rubio, or "maybe some commercial charters...." or even "routes these employees can take on land to get to cities in other countries...." After all the criticism about how the previous administration left Iraq, that there were no plans, etc. what's the reason plans to remove Americans were not in place BEFORE all this shit hit the preemptive strike fan? Anyone remember the Iran Hostage Crisis?
Probably no reason. Guessing they don't give shit. We have just killed 400 children, and Congress isn't giving signs they are going to STOP and RETURN the fleet/ planes/ personnel .
There are available jets for DEPORTING THOUSANDS, BUT NONE TO SAVE PEOPLE CAUGHT IN A WAR ZONE.
😡😠😡😠😡😠😡😠
There was a very pleasant couple. I knew from a week long canoe trip in the 1970s. The husband’s work later took them to Iran. While they were there, as Americans, they had to be evacuated, and there was no time even to rescue their family’s cat and bring it home. At least the husband and wife did arrive home safely. I hope everybody else did too and did not have to leave anybody behind.
With people stranded and no way to come home in this uncalled for war, I am strongly reminded of the experience those good people had.
When I heard about the FBI counterintelligence firings my first question was “what’s behind these firings”? I believe it was intentional. The timing is suspicious & more than a coincidence in my opinion. Thank you for this information. Much appreciated.
Lori...yes...this is exactly the right first question to ask.
You’re not jumping to conclusions. You’re doing basic...cause-and-effect: what happened, in what order...and what was foreseeable.
When the timing is that tight...and the roles are that specific, “coincidence” starts feeling like a COMFORT word...people use when they don’t want to look at the implications.
I really appreciate you saying this: the value isn’t in any one headline...it’s in seeing the sequence...and what that sequence makes more LIKELY.
Thank you for reading, and for staying sharp. If you spot anything else in the coming days that looks like “preparation” rather than accident...drop it in the comments...this community is at its best when WE compare notes in real time.
-Jack
Realized after your report, that Congress, being caught up in its drama, won't be warned. Congress is working on regular disfunctional way, which is the way some people want it.
Saw AWACS planes flying again (live near Seattle).
Someone is awake.
Thanks for your posts.💕
Fall into a day of shock
(400 children killed), but then return to your posts, and #HOLDFAST
Out of sight out of mind.
Until somebody rolls up the carpet and burns the broom.
Jack, Your analysis of whether or not Republican Senators and Representatives are more likely to defy Trump now vs earlier this year? Are they like frogs in a slowly heated pot, or can they still jump?
Bruce...yes...they can still jump. I like that you framed it that way.
The slow-boil dynamic is real. Most of them...have acclimated to silence...because earlier this year...defying him meant instant punishment; primaries, donor backlash, media attacks. The lesson was simple: KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN.
But...politicians don’t move from courage. They move from self-preservation...and that flips...when the risk equation changes.
*They’re more likely to break when:
*They have cover. One defector gets crushed. Five moving together is protection.
*The consequences turn local. Angry constituents, rattled donors...pissed off military families...business pressure...that hits differently than national noise.
*He looks like a liability. If he starts threatening THEIR seat...instead of protecting it... survival instincts kick in.
*There’s a permission structure. A procedural frame...oversight, funding limits, “we need answers”...gives them a DEFENSIBLE reason to act.
If it happens, it won’t look dramatic. It won’t be a moral speech. It’ll be PROCEDURAL resistance: hearings, delays...conditions on funding.
That’s how frogs jump in Washington. It's a reliable pattern...even in times of chaos.
The first crack won’t be loud. It’ll be COORDINATED.
Thanks for being here, Bruce!
-Jack
At some point term limits must happen so those elected realize they are there to serve not be served, and that for only a limited time. It isn't a bloody career.
It's SO important for that to happen, Sue. So important.
-Jack
Example: Mitch McConnell.
30 years😡
He " goes away " and keeps his head down, but votes.
And always against those bills that would actually help those who vote for him, and against him for that matter. And then there is Foxx and Grassley. Lordy.
They are frogs in slowly heated pot. Dumb Fvcking lemmings.
Lol...Morgan...I sprayed a little Diet Coke from my lips when I read this haha. Perfect.
-Jack
I can’t remember who it was, maybe Nance who said “He didn’t just boil the frog, he threw it in the microwave.”
JFC Jack. There is so much noise with this administration and you just cut through all the Bullshit and now it makes sense.. we’re so fvcked
Thank you, Morgan...much appreciated. I agree: we’ve got a lot piled up...and we have to deal with it in a relentless...junkyard-dog way.
Nothing’s guaranteed, which is exactly why we move like it CAN be; we put in the work and don’t quit. That’s how we give ourselves the best odds.
-Jack
Ok.. I’m going home to Hawaii on Friday for a week to defrost. I’ll still be reading your posts and hopefully be able to respond.
Aloha my friend.🤙🏽
Very nice! Enjoy those toes in the sand...and your drink of choice in hand. :)
Aloha...
-Jack
Oh jeez, Jack!!
Yes! Exactly!!
This makes total sense…
… oh shit!!
Yeah...CJ...I know.
That moment the “oh… oh no” moment...is what happens when the pieces lock into place.
Not because it’s dramatic.
Not because it’s secret.
But...because the sequence suddenly makes sense.
Here’s the important part: that reaction isn’t panic. It’s ORIENTATION.
When something clicks...like that...it means your brain just moved from scattered inputs ...to structured understanding. That’s stabilizing...EVEN if the implications are uncomfortable.
Stay steady.
Clarity can feel like a jolt at first. But...once you see the pattern...you’re not guessing anymore; you’re watching with CONTEXT.
That’s a much stronger position to be in!
-Jack
I went to the gym and had a heavy-duty workout, while I worked on reorienting my brain into this structured understanding that you mentioned. I also mentally attached two more puzzle pieces into this picture:
1. terrorist attack on our country, that we wouldn’t see coming because of what you just explained,...would give the pRes…
2. …the reason he wants, to declare a state of emergency… and stop the election.
Makes sense… terrible sense… but sense, never-the-less.
Ahhhhhh, that makes sense now. I couldn't figure out what the endgame was, but that sounds plausible. Various nasty words! 🤬🤬🤬🤬
Any predictions on the next area (geographical, financial, infrastructure, other) that will be trashed by these spoilers
(Taiwan, electronic banking, grid, other)?
Yes, Mary E...without going too deep (I may go deeper...in an article in the near future), the highest odds...I believe...will be seen in financial friction...first.
1) Electronic banking/payments: quickest way to create fear + disruption.
2) Energy grid (regional): big psychological impact, cascading effects.
3) Ports/logistics: “quiet chaos” through delays and shortages.
4) Municipal systems: softer targets, high local pain.
5) Taiwan: more likely economic coercion than a single dramatic move.
They don’t have to DESTROY anything. Repeated DISRUPTION...that degrades trust...is more than enough.
Again, after deeper thought and focus on your question/s...it's possible my answer could change. But...for now...I'm fairly confident...that what I've answered with...is probably what I should have.
The two (of the 5) that I've examined most closely in the past are #1 and #2. You'll likely hear something more detailed from me...sometime in the future.
-Jack
We've spent the last few years putting aside food, putting in a generator and making ready for disruptions as best we can. I can see now it wasn't an overreaction.
Thank you, Jack. After posting my earlier reply, I also thought about post office (mail-ins).
Jack, I’ve been here for a while and pattern Recognition has developed with me since I’ve been reading you. I seem to understand it more and more each day.
Thanks so much
Ohhhhh...I LOVE hearing this, Jeff J!
Seriously...this is the whole point.
Pattern recognition isn’t something you’re handed. It’s something you build...and the fact that you can feel it sharpening...tells me you’re not just reading...you’re INTEGRATING.
That’s a different level.
At first it’s, “That’s interesting.”
Then it becomes, “Wait… I’ve seen this before.”
And eventually it’s, “I know what this likely leads to.”
That shift...changes how you move through the world. Unquestionably. You’re less reactive. Less whiplashed by headlines. More anchored in sequence and incentives.
And...here’s the part that excites me most: once your brain starts wiring itself this way...it doesn’t unwind. You start spotting timing. Beneficiaries. Pre-positioning. Narrative setup.
You can’t unsee it.
That’s you building cognitive muscle.
And, it's not an accident. There is a method to my "madness."
Thank you for saying this...it means a lot. I spontaneously had a big smile. It tells me you’re doing EXACTLY what this space is designed to help you do.
Keep going. It compounds. I assure you!
-Jack
The chilling picture you just brought into sharp focus for me is that if this is intentional degradation...and you've convinced me...the play is to ALLOW retaliation. And that play would be in service of the emergency they want to declare to federalize the midterm elections and maintain Trump's rotting corpse in power.
Thanks for lining this up. As I'm looking at what's happening at other agencies, it fits the pattern. Back on 2/13, Treasury announced that they are terminating the Bargaining Unit Agreements at IRS and BFS (Bureau of Fiscal Service) based on a finding in the case of another union in a different case. The union covering both IRS and BFS is NTEU (National Treasury Employees Union), and their case remains active and without a decision in the DC Circuit. There is also an order preventing the agencies from invalidating the contracts, which the agencies have now gone against the court's order. This is important on a lot of levels. 1) What better way to make the entire Treasury a slush fund for funding all this craziness. 2) BFS handles the actual release of funds. The administration needs to be able to get funds quickly and buried from oversight. 3) The agencies still have tenured people who are experts and have institutional knowledge. Getting rid of the unions means "at-will" employment, which will result in changes to everything from evaluations to pay scales, telework to reasonable accommodations. And they'll expand the Trump loyalty tests to everyone in IRS/BFS.
Chris...this is really sharp! You’re not reacting to one headline...you’re spotting the same structural move across agencies.
You also nailed it that this isn’t just “labor policy.”
Weakening bargaining protections...increases managerial discretion...which increases compliance pressure, which REDUCES internal resistance. That’s basic institutional physics.
Your Treasury/BFS point matters...a lot. Treasury is flow, BFS is disbursement.
If oversight is the obstacle...speeding and obscuring funding pathways becomes a MAJOR incentive. Layer in the institutional knowledge inside IRS/BFS...and “at-will” dynamics become a loyalty filter...FAST.
Keep tracking it...especially whether (1) personnel churn spikes, (2) transparency around funding gets thinner...and (3) legal constraints are treated as OPTIONAL.
That’s where the pattern becomes unmistakable.
Insightful take, Chris.
-Jack
The thanks belongs to you, Jack. Your guidance on framing and how to look at the issues is golden. I'm so appreciative of the work you do. #HOLDFAST
This is trump and his ghouls on full display. Absolutely No Good can come of this war,as we are seeing all over the World 🌎. Impeach the Lot of them and replace this Regime with competent, Educated leaders. One can only hope at this point, Jack. Good article today, Thank you, and will reStack ASAP 💯👍
If that happens, be ready for them to stage another insurrection. Organized this time, perhaps.
Intentional incompetence by the all parties involved under the orders of an even more incompetent president.
Jack, the only remaining explanation for Patel's actions is intentional! The word that comes to mind is ... it's so awful I cannot write it. Can you?
This is the messiest damn war I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Vietnam was awful, especially toward the end, but it wasn't the clusterfuck Trump's war is . . . on only day four. And much of it is PLANNED! It's one of those "good grief what next moments." That's my comment. For now. Thanks for posting this, Jack.
I've read the column twice now, and while I understand the how, the who and the when, I don't understand the why. If Dipshit Patel is aware of the crippling effect of firing those CI agents, and knew our attack and their counterattacks were coming, WHY in blazes would he hamstring our ability to analyze and respond to the coming threats? What is the endgame? Are they deliberately crippling our response to a potential threat in THIS country? Sleeper cells exist, presumably, and attacks here would inevitably be linked to our attack on Iran. What can the Felon-In-Chief et al possibly hope to get out of this crazed war?
Jack, everything you spelled out was like Lincoln Logs fitting snugly into place. Please continue to build our pattern recognition skills, and thank you.
Jack, it does make more sense than it did before… much more.
You’re not wrong… I feel certain of it. This is no coincidence or anything else. Thank you for the explanation. It’s not comforting but it is clarifying. I’ll be watching and listening.
I appreciate your thoughtful analysis.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
PS. Do you see Trump’s hand in this or does Patel have his own reasons for doing this because it’s basically sabotage IMHO.