David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
@dburbach.bsky.social
Prof. National Security and International Relations. Space security, civil-military relations. Cats, science, photography for fun. Providence RI; Oregon at heart! Personal views ONLY; no govt resources used. Assoc Ed @TNSR.org
Pinned
David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
@dburbach.bsky.social
· Oct 19
My pinned tweet through Presidents of both parties: Sen. Leahy reminds an appointee that federal employees swear an oath to the Constitution, not of personal loyalty to any one man or woman.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSI...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSI...
Goldsmith was head of George W. Bush's DOJ OLC and is a respected conservative, not afraid of executive power. He's not John Yoo, but then I think even Yoo has expressed doubts about the legality of these strikes
Harvard Law School’s Jack Goldsmith:
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“In short, if the Post’s facts are correct, it appears that Special Operations Forces committed murder when the ‘two men were blown apart in the water, as the Post put it.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
November 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Goldsmith was head of George W. Bush's DOJ OLC and is a respected conservative, not afraid of executive power. He's not John Yoo, but then I think even Yoo has expressed doubts about the legality of these strikes
Good news: Trump admin believes in the liberal international peace! (Lolsob 🤦♂️)
Witkoff (“who hasn't traveled to Ukraine this year, is set to visit Russia for the sixth time next week”) spoke on the record to the Journal to extol the promise of his business negotiations with Putin
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
November 29, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Good news: Trump admin believes in the liberal international peace! (Lolsob 🤦♂️)
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
“For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional U.S. national security apparatus and convince the administration to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of… opportunity” www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:22 PM
“For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional U.S. national security apparatus and convince the administration to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of… opportunity” www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Personal but professionally informed opinion, yes, absolutely
You're not seeing the defense and international conflict experts disagreeing because if the facts are true, it's one of the most basic things in the law of armed conflict: You cannot kill people who are "hors de combat," taken out of the game by injury or attack. This is Geneva 101 stuff.
I follower a few defense experts.
Seeing them all straight-up declare this a war crime without any him-and-hawing is uhm
Disconcerting.
Pete Hegseth must resign, as does Stephen Miller. Donald Trump should be subpoenaed before Congress to answer for HIS policy.
Seeing them all straight-up declare this a war crime without any him-and-hawing is uhm
Disconcerting.
Pete Hegseth must resign, as does Stephen Miller. Donald Trump should be subpoenaed before Congress to answer for HIS policy.
November 29, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Personal but professionally informed opinion, yes, absolutely
Shameful and cowardly by Northwestern
Northwestern bent the knee, choosing to give in to extortion at the expense of academic freedom.
Among the provisions:
-Pay a big bribe
-Give the govt data on students
-Validate BS about "fighting antisemitism"
-Be cruel to trans students
What to do about Vichy universities (now, later, or both)?
Among the provisions:
-Pay a big bribe
-Give the govt data on students
-Validate BS about "fighting antisemitism"
-Be cruel to trans students
What to do about Vichy universities (now, later, or both)?
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Shameful and cowardly by Northwestern
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Honestly, no officer should need advice to decide if "kill these guys flailing around in the water" is a legal order
My understanding is that, at the height of the "drone war on terror" that when the military officer thought the legality of a particular strike was legally dubious, they'd have a CIA guy actually "pull the trigger". I wonder if that is happening in our current "War on Fishing Boats"?
November 29, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Honestly, no officer should need advice to decide if "kill these guys flailing around in the water" is a legal order
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Here is that Commander who was "just following orders."
November 28, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Here is that Commander who was "just following orders."
Another "credit where due" moment but I'm very curious why Whelan spoke out on this since it's outside his usual lanes and unhelpful to the admin or DOD/ DOJ speciffically
Does Pete Hegseth have a "golden shield" against prosecution in the form of a DOJ OLC opinion? Ed Whelan thinks not.
November 28, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Another "credit where due" moment but I'm very curious why Whelan spoke out on this since it's outside his usual lanes and unhelpful to the admin or DOD/ DOJ speciffically
Introduce yourself with five animals you’ve seen in the wild
Aardvark
Bald eagle
Humpback whale
Moose
Mongoose
Aardvark
Bald eagle
Humpback whale
Moose
Mongoose
Introduce yourself with five animals you’ve seen in the wild.
African elephants
Giraffes
Hippopotami
Nile Crocodiles
Cottonmouths
African elephants
Giraffes
Hippopotami
Nile Crocodiles
Cottonmouths
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
bison
pronghorn
sandhill crane
gopher tortoise
manatee
bison
pronghorn
sandhill crane
gopher tortoise
manatee
November 28, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Introduce yourself with five animals you’ve seen in the wild
Aardvark
Bald eagle
Humpback whale
Moose
Mongoose
Aardvark
Bald eagle
Humpback whale
Moose
Mongoose
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Gift link. Folks in the DOD and military are actively trying to underbus Hegseth.
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.
wapo.st
November 28, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Gift link. Folks in the DOD and military are actively trying to underbus Hegseth.
I know there's a movie called Nuremberg out but I think the administration missed the point
🇺🇸👇🏾
🚨 "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions... & remove anyone who is not a net asset to the U.S., or is incapable of loving our Country..." - @POTUS
x.com/whitehouse/s...
🚨 "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions... & remove anyone who is not a net asset to the U.S., or is incapable of loving our Country..." - @POTUS
x.com/whitehouse/s...
November 28, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I know there's a movie called Nuremberg out but I think the administration missed the point
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Along with the obvious implications of what amounts to a “no quarter” order by Hegseth and compliance by the commanders of JSOC and SEAL Team
6, it’s important that @alexhorton.bsky.social and Ellen Nakashima have nailed down those organizations in particular as the ones leading the boat strikes.
6, it’s important that @alexhorton.bsky.social and Ellen Nakashima have nailed down those organizations in particular as the ones leading the boat strikes.
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 8:24 PM
Along with the obvious implications of what amounts to a “no quarter” order by Hegseth and compliance by the commanders of JSOC and SEAL Team
6, it’s important that @alexhorton.bsky.social and Ellen Nakashima have nailed down those organizations in particular as the ones leading the boat strikes.
6, it’s important that @alexhorton.bsky.social and Ellen Nakashima have nailed down those organizations in particular as the ones leading the boat strikes.
In his 2024 book The War on Warriors, Hegseth frequently referred to the military JAG corps as "jagoffs", though in his confirmation hearing he did say he only meant certain instructions ones
If the U.S. was at war, Pete Hegseth's order would be a war crime, a military lawyer said. Instead, it might just be murder. wapo.st/49KbUJ1
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 6:11 PM
In his 2024 book The War on Warriors, Hegseth frequently referred to the military JAG corps as "jagoffs", though in his confirmation hearing he did say he only meant certain instructions ones
I'm not a lawyer of course but in my personal opinion hard to see how an order to deliberate kill survivors squares with the Law of Armed Conflict, as the generals receiving this order would also have known
Every day something appalling.
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
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 6:05 PM
I'm not a lawyer of course but in my personal opinion hard to see how an order to deliberate kill survivors squares with the Law of Armed Conflict, as the generals receiving this order would also have known
I like how the pine tips are forming little snow cups
November 28, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I like how the pine tips are forming little snow cups
Having studied the rally round the flag effect (political scientist here), Venezuela is extremely unlikely to turn this around
Gallup poll | 11/3-11/25
President Trump approval
Disapprove 60% (+6)
Approve 36% (-5)
news.gallup.com/poll/699221/...
President Trump approval
Disapprove 60% (+6)
Approve 36% (-5)
news.gallup.com/poll/699221/...
November 28, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Having studied the rally round the flag effect (political scientist here), Venezuela is extremely unlikely to turn this around
The Volga German communities -- my ancestors -- in the US gave us Lawrence Welk and runza, not Cossack raids or the Checka or idiot tsars. Though their neighborhoods were redlined in the 30s (in Portland) n the basis of having fled before 1914 still made tied them to Bolsheviks
The crisis isn’t refugees. It’s not that one person committed one tragic crime and killed one other person. The crisis isn’t that America’s 250-year old history of hosting immigrants turned out to be a mistake.
The crisis is that STEPHEN MILLER, a hateful little maggot, controls the government.
The crisis is that STEPHEN MILLER, a hateful little maggot, controls the government.
November 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
The Volga German communities -- my ancestors -- in the US gave us Lawrence Welk and runza, not Cossack raids or the Checka or idiot tsars. Though their neighborhoods were redlined in the 30s (in Portland) n the basis of having fled before 1914 still made tied them to Bolsheviks
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Just to be clear, the reason they were smirking in press conferences yesterday was it gave them the excuse they needed to do this.
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Just to be clear, the reason they were smirking in press conferences yesterday was it gave them the excuse they needed to do this.
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
This is almost word for word what xenophobes in the 1930s and 1940s said about Miller's Jewish ancestors and relatives. He's so hateful he couldn't possibly recognize that of course.
Stephen Miller is now arguing that assimilation is fundamentally impossible and that certain cultures are not compatible with Western civilization
November 28, 2025 at 1:01 PM
This is almost word for word what xenophobes in the 1930s and 1940s said about Miller's Jewish ancestors and relatives. He's so hateful he couldn't possibly recognize that of course.
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
Among other things, the (nebulous but clearly unconstitutional) attack on naturalized US citizens contained in this screed is a significant escalation.
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Among other things, the (nebulous but clearly unconstitutional) attack on naturalized US citizens contained in this screed is a significant escalation.
Reposted by David Burbach 🇺🇸🌹
It’s useful to think about things like this in numbers of tenure track professors.
$53M is 575 assistant professors. Or more than thirty percent of the total number of full-time faculty at LSU.
$53M is 575 assistant professors. Or more than thirty percent of the total number of full-time faculty at LSU.
November 28, 2025 at 3:38 AM
It’s useful to think about things like this in numbers of tenure track professors.
$53M is 575 assistant professors. Or more than thirty percent of the total number of full-time faculty at LSU.
$53M is 575 assistant professors. Or more than thirty percent of the total number of full-time faculty at LSU.
Not the first case of ICE or CBP refusing to accept tribal ID or threatening to deport [sic] native americans 🤬🤬🤬
Miles, an Indigenous actor best known for her roles in “Northern Exposure,” “Smoke Signals,” “Wyvern” and “The Last of Us,” handed them her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon.
Yet, Miles recalled one agent calling it “fake.”
Yet, Miles recalled one agent calling it “fake.”
‘Northern Exposure’ actor gave ICE agents in Redmond her tribal ID. They called it ‘fake,’ she says
Indigenous actor Elaine Miles of "Northern Exposure" was detained by ICE at a Redmond bus stop. When she showed them her Tribal ID, they told her it was fake.
www.seattletimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Not the first case of ICE or CBP refusing to accept tribal ID or threatening to deport [sic] native americans 🤬🤬🤬
I don't know enough to know how big a deal thie is / how long to repair, but potentially significant
Russia's Baikonur launch pad has suffered damage (possibly major) after a Soyuz launch today-- putting in doubt Russia's ability to do manned launches to the ISS. Roscosmos says there's some damage, inspections ongoing.
November 27, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I don't know enough to know how big a deal thie is / how long to repair, but potentially significant
