Alex Welch
@awelch744.bsky.social
Beagle owner, Double Wahoo (MA, Ph.D), LOTR fan, teacher of politics for a living, lover of summer and swimming.
"Light endures and is mightier than strength. For in its presence, all darkness must flee."- Celebrimbor
"Light endures and is mightier than strength. For in its presence, all darkness must flee."- Celebrimbor
Pinned
Reposted by Alex Welch
In case you’re wondering why Pete Hegseth is freaking out about a congressional video reminding the military not to participate in illegal orders:
To put a finer point on this whole thing: "Two people with direct knowledge of the operation" — presumably uniformed military leaders — are accusing the U.S. Secretary of Defense of personally ordering specific war crimes. That's a historic accusation.
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
November 29, 2025 at 12:14 AM
In case you’re wondering why Pete Hegseth is freaking out about a congressional video reminding the military not to participate in illegal orders:
Reposted by Alex Welch
This would be a clear war crime even against combatants in a declared war. Even at the platoon level, something even Hegseth could understand.
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:28 PM
This would be a clear war crime even against combatants in a declared war. Even at the platoon level, something even Hegseth could understand.
The football gods are not looking kindly upon me this week.
For the love of God, UVA, beat Tech tomorrow...
For the love of God, UVA, beat Tech tomorrow...
November 28, 2025 at 11:26 PM
The football gods are not looking kindly upon me this week.
For the love of God, UVA, beat Tech tomorrow...
For the love of God, UVA, beat Tech tomorrow...
Reposted by Alex Welch
The president and the speaker are scrambling to promote a candidate in a gerrymandered Tennessee district Trump won by 22 points last year.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
Trump and Mike Johnson plan to hold a Monday evening tele-rally to boost Matt Van Epps in the #TN07 special election. www.axios.com/2025/11/28/t...
November 28, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The president and the speaker are scrambling to promote a candidate in a gerrymandered Tennessee district Trump won by 22 points last year.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
That’s the smell of panic in the air.
Every time Marco Rubio opens his mouth or Tweets something, I feel more and more ashamed of supporting and believing in him in 2016.
November 28, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Every time Marco Rubio opens his mouth or Tweets something, I feel more and more ashamed of supporting and believing in him in 2016.
Reposted by Alex Welch
He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, and will now be pardoned by Donald Trump.
Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking.
Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking.
November 28, 2025 at 10:13 PM
He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, and will now be pardoned by Donald Trump.
Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking.
Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, we are deporting numerous innocent people and gunning down people on boats for supposedly trafficking drugs.
Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted by a jury of conspiring to traffic 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.
November 28, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Meanwhile, we are deporting numerous innocent people and gunning down people on boats for supposedly trafficking drugs.
Amazing what happens when you throw it more than 2 yards.
November 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Amazing what happens when you throw it more than 2 yards.
Reposted by Alex Welch
this is just gutter racism
Stephen Miller is now arguing that assimilation is fundamentally impossible and that certain cultures are not compatible with Western civilization
November 28, 2025 at 12:59 PM
this is just gutter racism
Whatever they are paying Vic Fangio, double it. He is single-handedly saving this season for the Eagles.
November 28, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Whatever they are paying Vic Fangio, double it. He is single-handedly saving this season for the Eagles.
Reposted by Alex Welch
Btw, where's Tank Bigsby? Rare player this season who has given the Eagles' offense a spark?
November 28, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Btw, where's Tank Bigsby? Rare player this season who has given the Eagles' offense a spark?
Reposted by Alex Welch
Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, says he’ll vote No on redistricting following Trump’s “retarded” slur at Gov. Walz.
November 28, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, says he’ll vote No on redistricting following Trump’s “retarded” slur at Gov. Walz.
I wonder how much video games have shaped Hegseth's understanding of military policies.
Ordering no quarter, as Hegseth effectively did, isn't a newfangled modern war crime. It was understood as a crime as far back as the Revolutionary War. Washington threatened to do reprisals over it. The bad guy in 'The Patriot' is (very loosely) based off a British officer who was notorious for it.
November 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
I wonder how much video games have shaped Hegseth's understanding of military policies.
This is really feeling like the 2023 Eagles all over again... except that our defense, at least, is solid.
The offense is a Ferrari the keeps blowing gaskets, and no one knows why.
The offense is a Ferrari the keeps blowing gaskets, and no one knows why.
November 28, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is really feeling like the 2023 Eagles all over again... except that our defense, at least, is solid.
The offense is a Ferrari the keeps blowing gaskets, and no one knows why.
The offense is a Ferrari the keeps blowing gaskets, and no one knows why.
It is amazing that the Eagles are only down by one score. My eyes are practically bleeding watching this.
November 28, 2025 at 9:24 PM
It is amazing that the Eagles are only down by one score. My eyes are practically bleeding watching this.
Reposted by Alex Welch
You never hear about the pilgrims anymore, T. It's because they sailed with Columbus.
November 26, 2025 at 10:16 PM
You never hear about the pilgrims anymore, T. It's because they sailed with Columbus.
Reposted by Alex Welch
Dear Democratic lawmakers, this is your "I am Spartacus" moment.
MS NOW confirms: The FBI is working with Capitol Police to schedule interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to refuse to comply with illegal orders.
November 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Dear Democratic lawmakers, this is your "I am Spartacus" moment.
When this evil regime falls, ICE must be held accountable.
November 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
When this evil regime falls, ICE must be held accountable.
I wonder who historians will recognize as the worst Cabinet Secretary in history: Hegseth or RFK Jr? Dark horses: Pam Bondi and Linda McMahon.
November 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
I wonder who historians will recognize as the worst Cabinet Secretary in history: Hegseth or RFK Jr? Dark horses: Pam Bondi and Linda McMahon.
Jesus Christ... at least Dick Cheney pretended that Iraq wasn't about oil.
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Jesus Christ... at least Dick Cheney pretended that Iraq wasn't about oil.
Reposted by Alex Welch
There simply is no comparison.
Teapot Dome-like scandals get buried by Trump calling for the execution of political opponents. Any Republican official who is found guilty of corruption is instantly pardoned.
And the "Trump Library" is a slush fund for open acts of bribery, esp by foreign actors.
Teapot Dome-like scandals get buried by Trump calling for the execution of political opponents. Any Republican official who is found guilty of corruption is instantly pardoned.
And the "Trump Library" is a slush fund for open acts of bribery, esp by foreign actors.
Does the BBC think it's improper for a speaker to state their opinion that Donald Trump is the most openly corrupt president in American history?
Because I think almost all historians would readily agree that Donald Trump is the most openly corrupt president in American history.
Because I think almost all historians would readily agree that Donald Trump is the most openly corrupt president in American history.
BBC censors a lecture removing author’s remarks on Trump that refer to him a the most openly corrupt American president.
November 25, 2025 at 2:24 PM
There simply is no comparison.
Teapot Dome-like scandals get buried by Trump calling for the execution of political opponents. Any Republican official who is found guilty of corruption is instantly pardoned.
And the "Trump Library" is a slush fund for open acts of bribery, esp by foreign actors.
Teapot Dome-like scandals get buried by Trump calling for the execution of political opponents. Any Republican official who is found guilty of corruption is instantly pardoned.
And the "Trump Library" is a slush fund for open acts of bribery, esp by foreign actors.
Turns out it wasn't a fluke...
Nov 25th 1976 - Apollo Creed defended his title against Rocky Balboa for the second time to prove that Rocky going the distance the first time was a fluke.
📽️📅 Rocky II (1979)
📽️📅 Rocky II (1979)
November 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Turns out it wasn't a fluke...
Every major presidential scandal in American history would be, at most, a secondary story in an average day of Trump's second term.
Any other POTUS would rightly be impeached/convicted/removed w/in a day if they put a foreign Air Force base in Idaho in exchange for a personal Air Force One.
Any other POTUS would rightly be impeached/convicted/removed w/in a day if they put a foreign Air Force base in Idaho in exchange for a personal Air Force One.
Seriously, what other president is even remotely in his league?
There was corruption in the Grant and Harding administrations, but the presidents were largely uninvolved. Nixon committed crimes in secret but didn't really line his own pockets.
Trump is like a Thomas Nast cartoon come to life.
There was corruption in the Grant and Harding administrations, but the presidents were largely uninvolved. Nixon committed crimes in secret but didn't really line his own pockets.
Trump is like a Thomas Nast cartoon come to life.
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Every major presidential scandal in American history would be, at most, a secondary story in an average day of Trump's second term.
Any other POTUS would rightly be impeached/convicted/removed w/in a day if they put a foreign Air Force base in Idaho in exchange for a personal Air Force One.
Any other POTUS would rightly be impeached/convicted/removed w/in a day if they put a foreign Air Force base in Idaho in exchange for a personal Air Force One.