The Trump Administration: The Clusterfuck Continues

The BBQ Pit
5622

You’ll make chatGPT a’spode in logic like Captain Kirk outwitting the computers. As long as my compy doesn’t explode I’ll try and do more of heggy’s dilemma:

we also need new names for some military bases. Here they are and explain yourself: Harvey Milk, Fort Knox, Fort Robert E Lee, Naval Base Nimitz and Naval Base Yamamoto
ChatGPT said:

Here’s a breakdown of those military base names, with recommendations and reasoning for renaming each—either because they are inappropriate, outdated, offensive, or purely hypothetical:
:military_helmet: 1. Fort Harvey Milk

Status: Hypothetical – does not currently exist.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Why Rename:

Harvey Milk was a civil rights icon, but he was not a military strategist or combat leader. While he served honorably in the Navy, naming a major military base after someone best known for activism rather than battlefield command is unconventional and might be seen as politically charged.
:white_check_mark: Suggested Rename:

Fort Valor – Honors courage across all backgrounds without aligning with one political or activist movement.
:coin: 2. Fort Knox (Kentucky)

Status: Real and historically significant – houses the U.S. Bullion Depository and previously an Army training center.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Why Not Rename (but here’s a reason someone might argue for it):

Fort Knox is not offensive by any mainstream standard. It’s named after Henry Knox, George Washington’s artillery chief and the first U.S. Secretary of War. Some critics might argue his involvement in early American expansionism and Native American displacement is problematic—but these arguments are niche and not widely accepted.
:stop_sign: Verdict: Keep the name.

If renaming was absolutely necessary:
Fort Liberty Reserve – a neutral name reflecting financial and defensive strength.
:crossed_swords: 3. Fort Robert E. Lee

Status: Was formerly the name of real installations (e.g., Fort Lee, Virginia); many have since been renamed due to 2020–2023 military rebranding efforts.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Why Rename:

Robert E. Lee led the Confederate Army against the United States during the Civil War.
He fought to preserve a system that included slavery.
Naming a U.S. military base after someone who committed treason against the Union is widely regarded as inappropriate.

:white_check_mark: Suggested Rename:

Fort Ulysses – Honors Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who defeated Lee, and later became a U.S. President and civil rights supporter.
:anchor: 4. Naval Base Nimitz

Status: Hypothetical as a base name (though USS Nimitz is a real aircraft carrier).

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Why Keep the Name (or only revise for clarity):

Chester W. Nimitz was a U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral in WWII and one of the most successful naval commanders in U.S. history.

He commanded Pacific Fleet operations and played a decisive role in the defeat of Japan.

:stop_sign: Verdict: Keep the name.

If you wanted a more symbolic name:
Naval Command Pacific – functional and modern, but less historic.
:japan: 5. Naval Base Yamamoto

Status: Entirely fictional and inappropriate.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Why Rename:

Isoroku Yamamoto was the Japanese admiral who planned and executed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
He was a skilled strategist but an enemy combatant responsible for thousands of American deaths.
Naming a U.S. base after him would be akin to naming one after Rommel, or even Ho Chi Minh—militarily respected perhaps, but from the wrong side.

:white_check_mark: Suggested Rename:

Naval Base Pearl Resolve – A symbolic reversal, commemorating American resilience after the Pearl Harbor attack.

I think I approve of Nimitz - again a sort of test plant. I love the reasoning about Yamamoto. No idea about Knox and I thought every attempt to change “Lee” was blocked.

Bolding mine on treason
I don’t know if Ho Chi Minh was any more than an elected politician. If we’re like Klingons, Rommel and Yamamoto were brilliant tacticians.

5623

Naw. Sounds more like a defunct Ottawa CFL football team, or the current Saskatchewan CFL football team.

5624

It’s also a brand of condom, noted for it’s “studded” texture. :stuck_out_tongue:

5625

We’re in the Pit? Good.

Fuck this AI generated bullshit. Write your own fucking post or fuck off.

5626

Fair enough. Next time I’ll skip trying to rename Harvey Milk’s, Ginsbergs and Marshall’s.

i.e. they should not at all be renamed. I probably didn’t have any problem with the Lee’s.

If Hegseth doesn’t like the names, he can form a committee to come up with new names. Any idea what kind of tech they’ll utiilize?

ETA: Does the USA not have a better and more fitting President for the $20 bill than fucking Andrew Jackson? Event Saint Ronnie - as you’d agree - would be better.

5627

USNS = United States Naval Ship, owned by the navy but not commissioned, and not carrying weapons. They carry things like supplies around and the hospital ships are also USNS.

5628

Yep. I already know what USS and USNS stand for. I’m just saying I don’t know what significance it is that these vessels, which are not commissioned vessels, instead of commissioned ships, are the ones that got named after these important historical figures.

5629
5630

Y’know, somebody might consider renaming the Fort Knox in Kentucky just because there was already a Fort Knox in Maine, named after the same guy.

Not that I’m suggesting we do this – I like the name, and it doesn’t bother me that we’ve got two Fort Knoxes named after the same guy. But it’s a plausible excuse.

I’ve visited the one in Maine – it’s very neat, and they never had to use it.

5631

I agree, if perhaps not so strenuously, when I see that something is AI generated I simply skip the post.

5632

Same; I have zero interest in “what ChatGPT said” on any subject.

5633

I like your attitude. Keep it up!

5634

Agreed. I’m sure it’s a fun toy to play with but unless the thread is about ChatGPT or other AI, it usually adds nothing to the conversation.

5635

Well, okay I suppose I could have looked up what was controversial about eight (so far) people that changing names of any extant ships were at the top of Hegseth’s list of shit to do. It’s also my understanding that most of the AI stuff online is just another tool like google.

I don’t know if Hegseth has been asked to explain any of these changes, even if he is asked or otherwise inclined to do so. I could have reversed my query and asked “what ships are considered to be named after controversial people?” and again, I do not believe Hegseth has proposed the new names yet he has access to Musk’s latest AI engines. I suppose he could just find a list of “most popular Republicans” and go from there.

Originally, when I heard of any ship called “Harvey Milk” I thought it unwise to name it so during this administration. I didn’t know there already was one. I also didn’t know of any “sea shanties” about the bad luck involved in changing ship names without due ceremony, which unless the sailors take upon themselves, will not be government funded (other than the paint remover and new paint).

I think it borders on criminal to rename ships named after Justices, and as far as currency I definitely recall Harriet Tubman was slated to replace either Abe on the $5 or the much beloved Jackson on the $20 yet I believe Felon 45 squashed that notion.

All that said, AI-wise, I was in some cases impressed by the proposed “neutral” names for some of them, especially that it offered them for naval bases that do not exist like Yamamoto.

I guess the writers of the Simpson’s were wrong when they’re flown out of Australia on a helicopter in a scene clearly based on the last people out on Vietnam, if a laundry ship would never carry the USS prefix. And so far as I know, Carter’s VP has not had any ship named for him and it most certainly would be up for a name change, like the USN Wallace after that great governor (please don’t tell me there already is one).

No Sir, the nearest vessel is the USS Walter Mondale it’s a laundry ship, they’ll take you the rest of the way

5636

I’m pretty sure “laundry ship” was a joke.

5637

And a pretty good one (even though he was alive till 2021 and this would have been an episode in 1993 or so).

The writers of The Simpsons have said they lean a bit Republican, though I suppose that was inspired either by Nixon or Saint Ronnie, to whom most of them would remember as the governor of California. There’s another episode where they take Dana Carvey-esque pot shots at GHW Bush yet I’ve not seen the show in years and don’t know what they’ve done with W or if Lisa has now gone full MAGA.

I do remember when a statue of Jimmy Carter is unveiled and many in the town freak out, one calling him “History’s Greatest Monster” which sure was lots of hyperbole and at least 20 years before all his humanitarian contributions were known.

ETA: I do recall an episode (I think it was in an episode) where Bart hears the actual recording of the time GHW says something like, “American Families should be more like the Walton’s and less like the Simpsons” and Bart says (again something like) “Well just like the Walton’s we’re living through the depression.”

5638

The entire class of these ships (replenishment oilers, essentially refueling/resupply ships) are the John Lewis-class; the class is named for the late civil rights activist and U.S. congressman. All of the ships in the class are named after other prominent civil rights leaders and activists, including Milk (who was, in fact, a U.S. Navy officer, serving in the Korean War).

If your question is, “why did they name non-combat ships, instead of combat ships, after these people?,” I might guess that combat ships tend to be named after military leaders, presidents, battles, cities, and states.

5639

I reckon “classes” of ships take on the name of the first one made? I know there is a USN John Lewis. That would be the perfect one to change to “USN George Wallace” and I’m sure nobody would mind. Great-minded governor plus the Navy gets a new class name and a new ship name.

ETA: /s

5640

That is my understanding, though I would not be surprised if there are exceptions.

You really need a sarcasm note there.

5641

Consider for a moment the Trump-worshippers. Might it not be better to leave presidents off the money? We have all sorts of symbols: esgles, lady liberty, flags, iconic buildings, guns…. I just can’t help but think that the tendency to hero-worship presidents is a tiny but contributing factor to the current mess. (Not serious about the “guns” suggestion, of course).