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Rusty's avatar

I admit that I have not read all of your articles so you may have backed up your claims previously. I also do not have time to sift through the other AP articles you refer readers to. I would appreciate if you could site specifics from those articles in the future. I know that when I was in school doing my thesis IO would be penalized for not citing specific information and saying to verify is by reading these articles. The following statements you made seem to be unsupported and biased (maybe not in your circles but in mine).

Russian support for Donald Trump.

I am a true believer in the tenets of our nation and its values. The Trump folks have neither.

Mike Flynn who had the military/ operational control of the assault on our Capital, led the planning, tactics etc.

Flynn also leads an extremist, Christian Nationalism movement that is very similar to the theocracy in Iran (this is crap...Flynn does not rule our nation nor will he ever).

January 6th was just one of the most significant threats stemming from the Trump, far right and Russian collaboration.

…during my youth in the 60s, thru the early 70s, where it was the US left’s extremism, that was the threat to government and its function. (no specifics about the left)

Trump and his cult, control the GOP (calling Trump supporters a cult, does not meet the definition of a cult). This makes the party itself, a threat to the nation, until or if, principled conservatives regain control. (based on your statement here, Tuesday November 8th will be a long night for you and as I read what you are saying, potentially trigger a civil-war)

Stone is infamous and is an admitted, “dirty trickster” with morality on the scale of an ameba. (Stone is pretty slimy) Flynn is a holy warrior operating a movement not unlike ISIS or AQ. (Although you cite an article about Flynn, this article seems to be very biased on its own)

Finally, Russia played an extraordinary role in Trump winning the 2016 election. Despite the massive efforts by right-wing media to discredit this as a “hoax,” they have failed. Their efforts are well-documented in intelligence, research and professional writings, including the five volume report done by the SSCI, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. (How about sharing the excerpts from this report that you think are relevant)

In the Newt Gingrich era, the right engaged in scorched earth politics, heralding an era where it was nearly impossible to cross party lines. (This statement seems very biased and sould be backed up with several examples of how NG’s era was considered scorched earth)

What I am most proud of are those on both sides who have scrupulously adhered to real American values and protected our 2020 election. (Real American Values?)

It’s long overdue that US political parties come under intense public scrutiny. I would even go so far as to say that, any politician who does not support absolute transparency in campaign finance, is failing America’s true values. When money, like all of the other pillars of power are achieved by high political office, only the most insincere and corrupt will run for office. (Agree but this is just opinion) That is not what James Madison, the author of our Constitution envisioned. Many of our founders had their faults, especially by modern standards. What they did not lack was wisdom and the fire within to build something far better for humanity. I am fed up with those who are sworn to uphold those values, using our government as a piggy bank and embracing any set of values, no matter how extreme to maintain power.(Agree but this is just opinion)

Donald Trump and his minions are still that threat. (OPINION) That is irrefutable. (OPINION NOT FACT)

The question is, who among us will demand integrity in November’s election, rather than loyalty to party, over country? (We will find out Tuesday and I don’t think you will be pleased with the results, but the people will speak and Democracy will prevail).

The best way to erode the influence of extremism is for the majority of our citizens to demonstrate at the polls that it’s not acceptable. We also must support accountability for those who attacked and still threaten our republic. We have an extraordinary set of national values bequeathed to us by our founders. (Extraordinary set of national values???) Who will join me in protecting those values in the most American way possible? At the polls. (I will vote)

As a final note and as that this topic is a severe threat (In whose eyes), I would be grateful for any sharing you feel comfortable with. The quickest way to dampen extremism is to remove leadership from office (I’m pretty sure you will see lots of leadership be removed from office). This allows time to rebuild… the American way.

Finally, I do not mean to pick at your articles but it does not seem that you are being fair or objective in your blog. It mostly seems to be an attack on Trump “deplorables” and calling them names. To 35% of Americans that is probably very offensive and won’t influence anyone but make them dig their heels in. You attack FOX News but say nothing about the main-stream media’s bias against all conservatives and double standards in what they choose to report. Unfortunately for our country, the current Democrat leadership’s inept handling of multiple situations including; the COVID Pandemic, the border, lack of support for the police that has led to increased crime, the Afghanistan withdrawal, the inflation crisis, the re-dependency on imported oil, not acknowledging parent’s rights and forcing CRT on children, the attacking of southern heritage, attacking Christian’s and their values, etc. It also seems that the Dem’s have made their own bed by moving so far to the left, in impeaching Trump twice and discounting Hunter Biden’s laptop and the Big Guy’s involvement, the sham of a Jan. 6th Committee.

Finally, I am not a Trump minion. I have never liked Trump and have always though he was a narcissist, and do not agree with his rhetoric but agree with many of his policies. I hope he doesn’t run and the conservatives will find someone else to unite behind.

I submit this response being as respectful as possible. I can’t see things through your eyes, nor you mine. I just want you to know that there are a lot of people that your blog would offend and label it left wing extremism. No matter what may be said I do read some of your posts and respect your opinions and appreciate your facts.

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Paul Cobaugh's avatar

Rusty,

Thank you for your long, thoughtful and respectful response. That by itself, is representative of the American values that I work hard to protect. Democracy is based on the right to disagree, so long as it stays between the lines. Those lines are literally, our constitution and law derived from it. Our current political landscape is far more than political and this is the sole reason I speak out publicly. Family tradition doesn’t support political speech outside of family or close friends.

I’ll get my normal disclaimer out of the way first. I have no “political dog in the fight.” I despise all big money political parties of which there is no mention in our constitution. I think about them precisely as our only true, independent president did, as a severe, possibly lethal threat to our republic.

"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

President George Washington

FAREWELL ADDRESS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1796

I only discuss the most significant of national security threats in this Substack platform called TAT. This is why I am calling out today’s GOP. I don’t make this claim lightly nor do I make it without fully credible research as my supporting evidence. The behavior of today’s GOP is and has been in the trump era, extremist. Both extremism and CT/ counterterrorism and adversarial influence are my core, national security expertise among others. When I make such a difficult and personally unpopular assessments, I do it from a professional, expert perspective. I always include facts and links to credible sources that are available to all, without need of a clearance to view them. Over the years since Army retirement in 2015, I have written extensively on extremism, national security challenges/ along with recommendations and assessments of those threats.

Cont'd in next comment

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Paul Cobaugh's avatar

Final comment

There are a couple of your points that my embedded links don’t cover so I will include them below.

• First, Newt Gingrich: Yes, he initiated the scorched earth political dynamics of how we operate today: Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party | Department of History (princeton.edu)

I never intend to alienate any group of readers. Unfortunately, it is a built-in hazard of truth telling. I don’t care folks’ beliefs as long as they are grounded in truth.

As far as the citation for Flynn’s “holy war,” it’s the least bias analysis you will find. It comes from a joint investigation between the AP and Frontline. It isn’t even the worst of Mike Flynn’s activities. He was in fact the operational commander of Jan 6th. You will find this in any credible reporting. For the record, I tell people who have little time, if it’s not as represented by Reuters and the AP, it’s very likely biased. They both have the highest credibility.

Also, for the record, Mike Flynn was the J2, senior intelligence officer in the command I spent most of my career with at USSOCOM, the United States, Special Operations Command. He did some excellent work there but lost his way badly. Yes, I know a great deal about him before and after his ethical demise.

Your statement that includes: “COVID Pandemic, the border, lack of support for the police that has led to increased crime, the Afghanistan withdrawal, the inflation crisis, the re-dependency on imported oil, not acknowledging parent’s rights and forcing CRT” are mostly in error and could use a great deal of reading from far better sources. As an example, CRT is a flat-out lie. CRT is taught at some law schools as one of several analytic methodologies. It’s not a K-12 curriculum item. Surely, there may be an occasional and isolated occurrence somewhere in our huge nation but those pushing CRT as a threat are lying to everyone. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? (edweek.org)

Our domestic gas prices are not politically induced. This is literally, profiteering by big oil and Wall Street. To make matters worse, prices are dependent on production. US big oil is subservient to OPEC+ which includes Russia. Cutting production limits by OPEC means prices go up. This is why the current administration is calling US oil on the carpet. It’s they that are causing, supporting and enabling price-gouging. Also for the record, there are 5,800 unused oil leases on federal land while big oil whines about bad policy. Facts are stubborn things.

“Not acknowledging parent’s rights” is of particular annoyance to me. I come from and still have countless teachers in my family, including my wife who retired last year but still subs, my daughter, her spouse and another daughter in law. This doesn’t even include at least two dozen close cousins and my dad who passed over a decade ago. Nothing about the parental rights nonsense is true. It’s hard enough to get parents to take an active role in their kids’ education but now that there is a political motive, most only show up to rant and rave about their political extremism. Bands of radical extremists have roved Texas school board meetings about lies like CRT, gender issues, teaching that slavery existed (Texas wanted to officially call slavery something like, “involuntary relocation.”. I really lost my patience when an administrator/ assistant principal in one of the wealthiest Dallas districts demanded her teachers teach, “both sides” about the Holocaust.

This is already too long but I wanted to try and give this response, the time it deserves. Again Rusty, I am grateful for the respectful challenge. It’s a demonstration of what we as a nation should be doing but are too terrified to engage in. I stand by my original conclusions simply because they can be supported by facts, from credible sources. The idea is to air our differing perspectives. That’s what I believe in. It’s the American way.

I’d be grateful if you could at least scan some of the 35 embedded links to understand the quality of the sources I use. If nothing else, on the subjects that trigger your thoughts most. We cannot protect this nation unless we hash out the truth and truth-based solutions. If politicians won’t do it, I feel like I can take on part of this mission.

Thanks again and best to you and your entire family.

Paul

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Paul Cobaugh's avatar

cont'd from above

I am sorry that you didn’t have a chance to read or at least scan, the 35 embedded links in the article you responded to. They would have taken care of most of your questions. I may have miscounted by one or two but my head this morning is still full of Nyquil and Theraflu.

Writing a daily article doesn’t afford me the time to write out and cite as if in an academic forum. For this reason, I use embedded links to credible sources that I use on a daily basis, within my profession. I don’t ask for anyone to, “take my word” without support. There’s a saying called, “inform to influence” within my profession. This is mostly what I am doing with TAT. I try and write to:

1. Inform readers with a fully contextual report, on a topic of significant threat to our nation and sometimes our allies.

2. I attempt to “influence them to see the whole picture and as with as little pre-existing bias as possible.

3. This is roughly the same way that the intelligence community works and they were in support of my operations on perpetual basis.

What agitates most folks about truth-tellers, is that the truth (my definition is: all known facts, presented in context and from an objective perspective) almost always will step on people’s toes. A good example of this is, that half of our school friends on FB, “unfriended me” because I rarely but accurately told the truth about some ridiculous conspiracy theory, throughout the Trump era. I didn’t argue or advocate for the opposition. I had simply told the truth, based on first-hand and professional knowledge.

The most American thing a person can do is tell the truth and argue respectfully for their perspective. American democracy fails when folks refuse to hear the truth. I’ve written a couple of articles for Homeland Security Magazine where I am contributing author, regarding how to find truth in media. I will include those links below.

• Everyone Must Be a Modern-Day Minuteman to Protect Our Election (hstoday.us)

• PERSPECTIVE: Fact-Checking Separates the Patriots from the Partisans - HS Today

Finally Rusty, I hope that you’ll understand that I’m not writing for a dissertation here and have faithfully included the support for my professional opinions. I cannot undue the psychological conditioning folks go through when they take on political beliefs in our hyperpartisan nation. Your challenges to my declarations/ statements and assessments, are also unsupported.. I’m not writing to convince you or anyone else of anything. I’m simply giving people professional assessments based on the most credible/ multiple sources. There is no point in me offering as you suggested, “excerpts” from reporting and intelligence documents. When I do this for people, they simply accuse me of “cherry-picking” my selected texts. Cherry picking is a tactic of unethical influencers. I’m trying to influence by informing people with all known, actual facts, presented in objective context.

My friends and family span the political spectrum. I do my best to listen respectfully. I just can’t abide by what is demonstrably false by people who refuse to acknowledge truth, nor have sought to find it outside their own echo chambers. Such echo chambers are a death knell for democracy. Just ask the former Soviet Union, Nazi Germany etc.

Putting food on the plate and raising solid American citizens requires truth. Conspiracy theories won’t put dollars in your checkbook or pay for school. No one I know goes to their local butcher to find out how to treat cancer. If I want a great steak or knowledge about meat, the butcher is the first place I go. This is why we have professionals in all areas. I’ve had the great fortune to have worked among some of the very best in the field of national security. I had great parents, family and friends that inspired me to be scrupulous regarding integrity. Of course, like all mortals, there have been missteps but nothing a true apology and atonement wouldn’t work for. I still adhere to this standard. I don’t need to be right. I’m looking for the full truth that will allow me to take well-informed actions, to support our nation’s security.

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