{"id":160991,"date":"2026-03-13T16:19:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=160991"},"modified":"2026-03-13T16:19:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:19:50","slug":"brother-can-you-spare-the-dime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/13\/brother-can-you-spare-the-dime.html","title":{"rendered":"Brother, Can You Spare the Dime?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Trump Regime continues to show its violent barbarism, in big ways and small.<\/p>\n

A big way would be whipping up from practically nothing the need and action of going to war with Iran right now<\/em>.\u00a0 Insert the caveats about the Iranian theocracy as you like, but the multitude of rationales, excuses, justifications, and reasons given by the Trumpists, none of which seem to have stuck, betray the moral and geopolitical bankruptcy that now runs the United States.<\/p>\n

It’s the small ways, though, that will probably last the longest.<\/p>\n

In “honor” of the Sesquicentennial of the Declaration of Independence (and, Lord, how it galls me to see that man<\/em> lording over such a celebration), Trump’s <\/a>US Mint has redesigned the dime<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
Dime<\/div>
Learn more about the dime, America\u2019s ten-cent circulating coin. The Roosevelt design was first issued in 1946 and is being replaced for one year only in 2026 by the Emerging Liberty Dime.<\/div>
www.usmint.gov\/learn\/coins-and-medals\/circulating-coins\/dime<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Gone for the 250th is the Roosevelt Dime<\/a>, with its obverse image of FDR. Never mind the whole “March of Dimes” \/ Polio connection (the Regime is too busy bringing polio back<\/em> to the US). Never, even, mind that Franklin Roosevelt is anathema to the GOP and, particularly, Trump.\u00a0 I have every expectation that, post-250, we will not see FDR’s face on the coin again, and I fully expect that level of pettiness.<\/p>\n

But at least FDR’s being replaced with a figure of Liberty (complete with smacks-of-revolutionary liberty cap<\/a>!). Ironic, but acceptable.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sesquicentennial Dime (obverse)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

(They might have used the image from the Statue of Liberty, but welcoming furriners to the US isn’t goodthink these days.)<\/p>\n

No, more important is the change on the\u00a0reverse.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The reverse of the Roosevelt dime is the torch of liberty, which would seem appropriate (better than the reverse of the previous Mercury dime, which had the fasces<\/a>,<\/i>, which was a bit problematic after WW2). The torch was bracketed by an oak tree branch (showing strength and indepened) and an olive tree branch (symbolizing peace).<\/p>\n

Not any more. We get an American Bald Eagle.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
1983 quarter, reverse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Okay, you might say, we have the eagle on other coins. The classic quarter has on its reverse the seal of the US, showing an eagle.\u00a0 No problem.\u00a0 The eagle is sitting there holding a bundle of arrows — but upon some lovely olive branches.\u00a0 We’re ready to fight<\/em>, it says, but we love peace<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not any more, apparently.<\/p>\n

I mean, Trump and Hegseth have both been rabid enthusiasts for war — not for any particular ideological reason, or geopolitical strategy, mind you. Indeed, Trump repeatedly played the Populist Isolationist card during his campaign (and has since half-conquered Venezuela, repeatedly attacked Iran, and threatened to attack pretty much anyone else who looks at him cross-wise).<\/p>\n

No, they like war because it makes them look Macho. Powerful. Strong<\/em>.\u00a0 It garners for them (they think) respect<\/em> (though they’re willing to accept fear<\/em> as a proxy). I mean, get the talking about wielding the power of the US military, the do everything but jump up and down and go\u00a0pew-pew-pew\u00a0<\/em>with finger guns.<\/p>\n

They don’t particularly like the political consequences of war. They care everything about looking\u00a0strong.<\/em><\/p>\n

So, of course, now we have this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sesquicentennial Dime (reverse)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“What’s missing from this picture?”<\/p>\n

Well, the olive branch, obviously.\u00a0 \u00a0That thar eagle ain’t got no time for\u00a0peace-making<\/em>, pardner.\u00a0 He’s got a clawful of arrows (and another clawful of talons) and he’s not afraid to use them.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a>
<\/div><\/div>
The U.S. Mint dropped the olive branch from the dime. What does that mean for the country? | Fortune<\/div>
The eagle turned to the olive branch to show the nation's preference for peace over war.<\/div>
fortune.com\/2026\/03\/12\/us-mint-drops-olive-branch-dime-peace-war\/<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Symbols mean things.\u00a0 Dropping the olive branches from the dime is a specific message being sent by the President and his people.\u00a0 Peace is for wussies. <\/em><\/p>\n

The Mint says this is a redesign just for this year.<\/p>\n

What do you want to bet the next “message” sent is even worse?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So much for the idea of extending an olive branch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,349,1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-160991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homeland-security","category-military","category-trump"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":137603,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2019\/01\/07\/trump-bumps-up-pr-campaign-for-his-great-beautiful-wall.html","url_meta":{"origin":160991,"position":0},"title":"Trump bumps up PR campaign for his Great, Beautiful Wall","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 7-Jan-19 1:23pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I can't imagine anything new (let alone worth listening to) the Tweeter-in-Chief could possibly have to say on prime time TV about the Trump Shutdown, his demands for his Beautiful Wall, or the \"humanitarian crisis\" along the border which his policies have already exacerbated.All this and a publicity trip to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10569,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2006\/12\/21\/dont_be_that_guy.html","url_meta":{"origin":160991,"position":1},"title":"“Don’t Be That Guy”","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 21-Dec-06 9:08am","format":false,"excerpt":"You will get there sooner or later. 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