History Distorted                                   #328

By Hank Silverberg

Many of us have been focusing these last few weeks on government layoffs, the battle over funding in the Congress, tariffs against our allies and foes alike, or the faux peace negotiations on the war in Ukraine. 

But we may have missed something even more sinister than what is out in the open. 

The Trump administration, taking a page right out of a totalitarian handbook, has slowly been distorting or rewriting American history. 

Last week the Pentagon started removing any picture or plaque in the building or at military bases around the world that recognized women or minorities for their past service and achievements. It was so bad that someone took down the picture of the "Enola Gay," the B-29 which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. The removal seemed to be triggered by nothing other than the word "gay" in the airplane's name. The plane was named after the pilot's mother. 

(Arlington Nat Cemetery, Courtesy, U.S. Army) 

At the same time, less than a mile away over at Arlington National Cemetery, the website was purged of any reference to prominent Black, Hispanic or female service members as well as such topics as the Civil War. 

The link on the cemetery website used to direct visitors to the final resting place of notable  Americans of color or women. 

Taken down were notations about the following people:

General Colin L. Powell, the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a prominent general in the Gulf War and a Vietnam veteran. 

Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice. 

Major General Marcelite Jordon Harris, the first African American woman to become a brigadier general. 

Lt. Kara Spears Hultgreen, the Navy's first female carrier-based fighter pilot. 

Major Marie Therese Rossi, the first American woman to fly helicopters in combat during Operation Desert Storm. 

Also removed-- all reference to the Tuskeegee Airmen, the all Black World War Two fighter squadron, which racked up one of the most  outstanding combat records of the war.   

And purged was any reference to the Buffalo Soldiers, a Black Cavalry regiment that patrolled the west in the 19th century and stormed up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt sand his Rough Riders during the Spanish American War.

The Trump administration says all these moves are to rid our government of DEI policies.

That is total nonsense.   

 One must wonder how long before this trend seeps down to local governments and school districts in the Deep South reinstate the Jim Crow-era history curriculum on the Myth of the Lost Cause which barely mentioned slavery as a major issue of the Civil War.   

https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/History-of-Arlington-National-Cemetery

Other News You May Have Missed!

Poll Gives Trump Bad Grades  

A new survey out by the highly reputable Quinnipiac Poll  shows President Trump's approval rating has dropped to 42%-- a low number for a president in office just eight weeks.  

His disapproval rate has climbed to 53%. Though he remains immensely popular with Republicans, his approval rate among the GOP has dropped nine points, to 89%. 

Much of the overall drop in popularity is among the swing group, Independents, where his disapproval rating has climbed up 36 points, to 58%. 

                   

On the issues:   

*Trade with China-46% approve 

*Immigration issues-- just 46% approve. 

*53% disapprove on how Trump is handling foreign policy

*48% disapprove on how he is handling the military

*54% disapprove on how he is handling the economy  

*55% disapprove on how he is handling the war in Ukraine 

*Only  37% approve of how he is handling the conflict between Israel and Hamas

And on the Trade War, 37% like what he is doing with Mexico, and only 36% like what he is doing with Canada. 

And here is another tell-tale sign that Mr. Trump's popularity may be slowly fading: 

60% of those polled disapprove of the way Elon Musk and DOGE are handling federal workers. 

Congress doesn't do too well either, according to the poll.   

66% believe the Democrats have put party over country, and 64% believe the Republicans have done the same thing. 

The overall approval ratings for Trump are about the same as they were for Biden in February of his first year (2021) while we were in the midst of the world-wide pandemic.  

https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3921

Voice of America-- Fatal Wound?

You may have never heard a Voice of America newscast. For more than eight decades they have been bringing un-censored, objective news to worldwide audiences, in many cases, to places where there is no press at all or no independent press. 

The Trump administration has now attacked that too with an Executive Order that cut the heart out of the agency by suspending more than 1,300 employees. He also cancelled contracts with the independent news services, Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, that worked with VOA. It has raised alarm once again about the administration's efforts to control the media. The National Press Club issued a statement on Friday expressing concern.  

"If an entire newsroom can be sidelined overnight, what does that say about the state of press freedom? This move not only puts VOA's credibility at risk but also undermines America's long-standing commitment to a free and independent press." 

The mission of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA's parent agency, which was also gutted is "to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. 

What is wrong with that?

It's clear this purge of VOA was not just part of the administration's overall effort to trim down government employees, but instead it was a clear attempt to suppress VOA's mission to provide objective journalism. It is an effort to control all information coming from the United States.  

At the same time, Trump resumed his attacks on CNN and MSNBC, which have done a good job pointing out his lies. Trump claims such reporting is "illegal" Reporting the truth--illegal? Can you believe that?

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-statement-on-mass-suspensions-at-voice-of-america-302402447.html

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-agencies-2025-03-15/

Dumbest Quote of The Week!

This week's dumbest quote comes from White House Press Secretary,  Karoline Leavitt.

The Associated Press reporter asked her about the tax hikes Trump is proposing in the form of tariffs and why he is prioritizing that over the tax cuts he had promised.  Leavitt responded:

"Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries and a tax cut for the American people."

When the reporter then correctly pointed out that such tariffs lead to price increases for imported items and the increases are then absorbed by American consumers, Leavitt then said:

"Revenues will stay here, wages will go up and our country will be wealthy again."

That, of course, makes no sense. 

You will hear American's screaming soon about the price increases on everything from maple syrup to automobiles. 

(You suggestions and comments  are welcome)

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