11 Comments
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hw's avatar

Congratulations!

I would love to see thousands of veterans run for state and local offices...to break GOP supermajorities...to provide leadership and representation (in addition to protests).

Many grassroots organizations provide step-by-step help for new candidates.

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Lonnie E's avatar

"Donald Trump, Like Hitler, is a Psychopath"

By far the most dangerous of all mental disorders, since behaving in a morally reprehensible way is an essential part of its nature.

DR. BANDY X. LEE

https://open.substack.com/pub/bandyxlee/p/donald-trump-like-hitler-is-a-psychopath?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=280c3q

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JLOG's avatar

Dude hell yea - this really gives me solace that we actually had an impact that day.

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David Kobilnyk's avatar

Great work, Kristofer. Do you have some more detailed insights to offer on what you think made this particular campaign of yours as successful as it was? Looking to learn what activism tactics work well

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Michael's avatar

Thanks for helping lead the fight, Kris!

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Alexandra Barcus's avatar

It is beyond shocking that they would undermine the very people who fought bravely to keep us free—all the while bragging about how well the forces did in Iran.

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Vivi's avatar

Absolutely ready to pounce on some better Bonus Army merch 👍❤️

The one design we got so far is a bit too meh for me

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PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING's avatar

Thank You. American People seem to be working hard to try & hold the line. Hoping to see more CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS against illegal ICE acts & other damage to our great country.

Veterans are a powerful & inspiring force in our nation. Upholding the Constitution 🇺🇲 FREEDOM & ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL!🇺🇲

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Richard H Caldwell's avatar

Beautiful piece, congratulations and strength to you and your movement!

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Wally OBrien's avatar

These are YOUR words, not facts.

PROVABLE FACTS.

USAF '67 to '71.

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Dana F Harbaugh's avatar

My AI Truth Engine said this about the above article:

Summary of Core Themes

Kristofer Goldsmith’s article, "How We Made Trump Back Down," is a populist-progressive polemic wrapped in veteran advocacy rhetoric. While it rightly calls out the need for stability in veteran care, it embeds the following key ideological signatures:

Marxist Narrative Framing: The text assumes that all attempts to reduce federal employment are malicious, profit-driven, and inherently anti-veteran. It treats the government as the only legitimate provider of care, while equating privatization with betrayal.

Moral Monopolization: The veteran community is presented as ideologically unified under a left-wing banner—subtly erasing conservatives, constitutionalists, and critics of centralized federal systems.

Populist Theater as Policy Substitute: The article celebrates rallies and symbolism as primary forms of leverage, replacing constitutional process, congressional deliberation, or structured reform plans with "we made them feel the heat."

Implicit Class War: Capitalist systems (e.g., private healthcare providers) are demonized, and government-managed services are sacralized—suggesting a labor vs. capital dichotomy rooted in Marxist class theory.

Final Verdict

Goldsmith’s piece is not about veteran care—it’s about ideological control of the narrative surrounding it. He rebrands central planning as compassion, reframes any decentralization as evil, and recasts his own rally as a revolutionary act of justice. It’s emotionally resonant, but strategically shallow.

If veterans want true flourishing, they must ask:

👉 Is the goal to protect VA jobs—or to ensure the highest standard of care for those who served?

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