The provocation is bigger than drugs.

This administration has “ a thing” about oil. I think it can be linked to Space X, but, it isn’t really clear. This administration has coveted Canada, Greenland, and now Venezuela. They all have oil. 

China is conducting offshore oil drilling for Venezuela. (Click here)

So, if Hegseth is declaring war on Venezuela he may be underestimating the opposition. Those big jets sitting on Venezuela’s tarmac can be serviced by China as well as Russia. I am impressed by Maduro’s calm confrontation of Hegseth’s ambitions. That cool demeanor can be linked to a rather unpleasant reality if Hegseth takes his war on drugs too far.

Where is the proof?

This type of work is usually and professionally conducted by the USA Coast Guard once the foreign ship has entered USA sovereign waters. Hegseth has this taking place in international waters. 

The NORMAL method of any taking of drug trafficking EVIDENCE is to display it to the public. I am not aware that has happened yet because the evidence hasn’t reached USA shores.

I hate to think Maduro might be correct in that Hegseth is more a provocateur than Secretary of Defense, but if this administration is declaring war, they need to make their case. 

This could be similar to Reagan’s Grenada. 

(Click here)

It is his right not to cooperate.

The prosecutor needs to make his case. 

(Click here)

 

No one subverts the USA Constitution.

If the Supreme Court has no backbone to honor the Constitution over their own politics, there may be no respect due them. 

(Click here)

The ego driven statements about judicial power ends when the Supreme Court doesn’t bother to explain their own movements away from long established precedent. 

I can’t count the number of times this court has abandoned stare decisis.

Racketeering’s permission

That permission reverberates through all of governance, especially if those in power look the other way. This is an example. Who in their right mind would sign onto a health care policy that can pull the rug out from under the subscriber? 

That is pretty damn ruthless no matter how one sees it. It is from a monthly statement of a Medicare Advantage policy. Yeah, RFK. 

Oh, you say they won’t do it? They already have in playing musical tiers ENFORCED by those in DC.

Ask yourself what your Congressman is doing to end exploitation of the consumer?

Myopic

The Breitbarts of the world, including Bannon and Musk, only see the world through the lens of greed. So, if immigrants are forced out of the USA there will be more for the greedy. If the USA middle class can be eliminated and the people have to forage for food they will die or survive, but, won’t require public services like education. Who cares if a woman dies in childbirth, it is one less loser to sap the ruthless dry? 

I sincerely believe the sea change of the people placing greed before humanity confounded other leaders, especially autocrats. Autocrats are sort of like Wall Street, “certainty” is security. What if this new wave of greed politics was actually a long term plan to defeat autocrats and rob them of their power? What if it is? What does a self-respecting autocrat do?

See, Bannon has turned democracy on its head and allowed the dark side of human nature to overrule the benevolence of the USA. It is why it lends itself so well to racketeering. Bannon created the permission to destroy benevolence while turning greed into a virtue. He only got so far with it in the USA and then moved on Europe to hack away at its ideas of peace and well being. All was possible through the instrument of elections and propaganda. 

The only reason to even discuss this is to realize how a country estranged from its governance can confuse the international venue and escalating tensions full of hatred. Putin probably believes there is so much more to comprehend about the political sea change in the right wing party of the Free World that it is necessary to maintain a formidable facade to maintain some semblance of Russian superiority. Basically, why not destroy what is not understood? Communists see any other resolve as a weakness.

I doubt if those confused by the Anti-American dogma of right wing politics actually care to understand it and seek peace. They rather arm to destroy it. At least the destruction will make sense to them.

One man’s bruised ego endangers the world.

How did the worst leadership known to man ever find this much power?

Will the brinkmanship ever end in peace? 

At what point do communists ever decide their game of control is impossible to achieve? When they have destroyed the planet they live on? Does admiration of peace and prosperity matter anymore? Putin’s ideology ends in disaster. The alternatives are so much better. Communists are crazy bastards. 

I think this mess actually started with Steve Bannon and Breitbart and the pursuit of billions at any cost. They really did turn the corner on decency. Ethics was discarded when it got in the way of greed. When the West’s civility was being defeated by the ruthless capitalists, Russia experienced fear and turned it into opportunity with efforts like the NRA. I really think when nothing made sense to Putin anymore, the communist party became a security blanket. 

This is not good news.

When a dangerous agenda is backed by citizens it means this is part of their politics. Israeli leaders are welcome to conduct their politics as they will, but, enacting it in dangerous methods is a different story.

1948 was the year when the world believed Israel needed a homeland. It was shortly after WW II ended. It has been a struggle for Israel to be accepted, but, except for extremist government like Iran, Israel won recognition and in that acceptance.

Hamas is not WWII. It is a terrorist organization that uses democracy as a bludgeon. Unfortunately, the attacks upon defenseless Israelis on October 7th has unleashed the worst side of Israel’s fears.

The Arab nations have a rough row to hoe as individuals can carry out their personal jihad against nearly anyone with the permission of an Imam or Cleric. In that is a tightrope Arab leaders walk to support all their citizens without a violent element into their cultures. 

That reality for Arab and Muslim nations is not a minor issue. The leadership must strike a conciliatory tone with their people to be

sure no one believes their lives and love of god will end. 

In some ways the Quran is different from other Abrahamic religions (click here). The Quran, it is my understanding, is more or less a survival guide with Allah’s blessing. The time in Earth history when Mohammad walked among the people required survival tactics, such as, “I have come to be your guest.” Those nuances must be respected. No different than the strong symbols of faith important to the Jewish faith.

Yes, this is lecture. 

Today, Egypt is revitalizing an old paradigm whereby Muslim nations were resolved to protect each other.  That paradigm is happening for only one reason and that was Israeli aggression of a NEUTRAL Arab nation.

Qatar is seeking peace on behalf of the Palestinians. In that reality is the understanding a team of representatives of the terrorist group Hamas would be safe in a neutral country to attempt to move that process forward. Israel was following its promise to the citizens of Israel, but, a surprise attack on a neutral nation is not part of the regional stability. 

With Egypt taking a far different posture it appears Israel may have lost decades worth of diplomacy. Israel is losing more than it is gaining by these aggressions that have gone on for an extended period of time. 

Now is not the time for political hubris, but, instead solemn redress of October 7th and the best way forward with regional stability and removal of terrorist groups in any authority they currently hold. They are NOT the true face of Allah and it is time all Muslims set aside an ancient ritual of violence.

There must be peace in the Middle East without acts of genocide masked as a necessity for survival. 

(Click here)

Russian incrementalism

Putin’s vocabulary does not include the word peace. NATO is a relentless target. The Alaskan borders are always challenged. I am certain Canada has its problems with Russia. Canada’s exposure exceeds most other countries. 

NATO has to maintain its strength. Russia is an expensive and never ending threat. As long as Putin and his communists are chasing their ideology it will never change.

Putin looks for cracks in the mantle to exploit and calls it a victory. The threat is real. It isn’t practice. Those jets are loaded for bear. If they get through they will use their weapons.

(Click here)

Trump is asking for $56 million additional.

The “America First” program should cover that requirement. Is the Executive Branch receiving increased threats? That should be a clue that Trump’s message is getting through and not in a good way. 

(Click here)

(Click here)

NATO

President Trump wants to discuss sanctions due to Russia’s aggression toward Poland. I hope common ground can be found as an alternative to continued tensions. 

More retribution politics

It is quite surprising to hear a widow move beyond the expectations of justice to attempt to intimidate and scare the public. I am very surprised. Those are not words to heal a nation. 

Oh, well. 

It’s MAGA. 

More of the same that cost her spouse his life. If we are to understand the assassin, according to his family, he was moved because of the hate speech within the politics. These folks have no intention to bring the country together. Hate. It feeds their power. 

While Trump was assaulting universities from the Oval Office, Kirk planned his assault on university culture (click here). It is a very valid point of view as MAGA continues to assault America.

(Click here)

Memphis

I hope I am getting this right. I should recheck stats, but, Memphis has a crime rate of nearly double that if the rest of the country. The president is deploying the National Guard to reduce the crime rate. There are many reasons why that will work, but, off the cuff Memphis probably has a higher tourist rate because of the Elvis culture. If I can simply focus on the relationship between tourism and crime. It is my best guess, and police chiefs can probably validate this if research was conducted, but there is a direct ratio between crime and levels of tourism. It is tourism as defined by governance purpose as in DC or cultural purpose as in Memphis. But, the president has hit on something, albeit by accident, that the country can support an effort to stem crime while cities are experiencing higher levels of tourism that their normal population does not require. 

I don’t have time right now to drive into this as I have promised volunteer time on this Saturday. But, anyone who wants to run statistics on this may come up with a really important phenomenon which can be addressed through legislature and funding. I think before spending money the research needs to be in place to address the efficiency that spending and not simply tossed into a general fund of police work.

Have a better day.

Later.

A great moment for the 911 commemoration.

There is much more to peace than the actual treaty. Actions speak louder than words in many ways, like children moving back to their homes and family. 

I am impressed with the Senators coming forward to begin viewing Russia and Belarus as terrorist states. This type of measure must be a reassuring position to NATO. 

By the way, after sending drones into Poland, Russia remains unapologetic (click here). Russia is currently demanding Poland open borders with Belarus while conducting war games on the Polish border. 

This bill could not come at a better time. 

(Click here)

President Xi should not want a martyr.

Hong Kong has experienced changes in government. Is President Xi actually going to state one man, Jimmy Lai, can change all that? Granted Mr. Lai has controlled great wealth during his life, but, was he able to stop Beijing’s  will? Seeking to charge crimes to a man who has benefitted the people of Hong Kong seems a strangely bad idea by men that fear him. Really, President Xi? 

The change in government has been a challenge to many people in Hong Kong, but, addressing that resistance to change in this way will galvanize people in opposing camps of ideology. Why do that? Such divisions only result in conflict. If Mr. Lai leaves the hearing a free man after recognizing for “time served” in the past four years; it will help dissolve any division than preserve it and inspire more. 

I think President Xi can be instrumental in uniting the people of Hong Kong in peace and prosperity, the question is, will he? 

Hegseth is out of line.

Dismissed members of the military have recourse. This is looking like regime change. No member of the USA military can be discriminated according to their personal belief system.

No member of the military was involved. Hegseth is a former TV personality and pays too much attention to social media. What’s his name? Oh, yeah, Kirk was not in the military. 

Hegseth and Trump consider Kirk an exemplary person, well, so are valuable and well trained military personnel. There is no room for a Secretary of Defense to play politics with the readiness of our military. This is about morale as well.

Kirk was a civilian that sparked confrontation and debate every place he went. He was in danger and never modified his message or demeanor. That is not anyone’s fault. There is absolutely no reason for Hegseth to create problems that don’t otherwise exist. Hegseth’s loyalty to political dogma on social media is way out of line with personal time spent by soldiers.

There are large numbers of White Nationalist websites that recruit young boys into their ranks that subsequently cause violence and faux allegiance. Kirk was a White Nationalist. He is the LAST person to honor for his beliefs. He was an extremist. 

REMEMBER CHARLOTTESVILLE (click here)

Hegseth needs to get his head straight and figure out the best way forward in leading a diverse military. Hegseth needs to distance himself from faux allegiance and stop clicking  his heels to Trump. 

Honestly. Who do these people think they are. Not one military personnel was at all involved with this violence and he has no right to victimize them over his personal political views.

This is outrageous.

(Click here)

Before there is an unarmed flotilla to Gaza…

… world leaders should be given a chance to make their solemn concern for Gaza’s Palestinians known.

Israel has sacrificed soldiers lives and the country’s treasure into the war against Hamas. It won’t easily be dissuaded. 

A recent report about a falling Palestinian birth rate has changed the reality for Israel to some extent. It is a profound finding. The international community of activists need to give leaders some space on this.

I am concerned the flotilla (click here) due to arrive at Gaza will not be welcome. At this point Israel is still prioritizing war over peace. Other pressures may bring about a change in the way Israel is approaching the war’s final outcome. 

Israel needs to be careful, the humanitarian flotilla is unarmed. Perhaps transferring humanitarian aid to Israeli boats may be a way for the aid to be distributed. I will be pleasantly surprised if the flotilla is allowed to

the shores of Gaza. 

(Click here)

Is everyone a suspected gang member?

This isn’t the only problem with the aggression of this administration. Hegseth attacked a boat turning around and returning to Venezuela, and why? Because it was suspected of being full of gang members. 

I hate to alert Americans to a new reality, but, these are the activities, in the case of the boat, of the USA military. Those actions illustrate the priorities of the USA. This is not good. It looks as though American priorities do not respect other countries and their people.

At the point where the boat was returning to Venezuela it is then that sovereign authority that has to deal with the drug cartel. The military did good in obstructing the forward movement of the boat. It matters. But, to move beyond that are violations of international law and a valid reason for actions by Venezuela against the USA. Venezuela won’t accept apologizes. 

(Click here)

DOGE is illegally withholding payments.

DOGE has access to the payment system for the federal government. Regardless of what the courts are ordering DOGE interferes with payments.

So, if the income tax refund isn’t forthcoming, it may be DOGE has different plans for your money. 

If the monies aren’t forthcoming to the proper  appropriations, WHERE IS IT GOING? 

(Click here)

Short timeline from exposure to death

This is a detailed reporting from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The finest pediatricians in the world belong to this organization and rely on the information and research recorded here.

There was a the time in this country when children were considered unimportant and allowed to do manual labor no different than an adult. My maternal grandfather was one of those children. He was born of two immigrants that came to the United States from Galway in Ireland. They were in profound poverty and immigrated to a country longing for a greater population. That country was the United States of America.

My maternal grandfather’s parents died of the avian flu in the early 1900s. My grandfather was 17 years old and the oldest of the children when they died. My grandparents died within 48 hours of each other. My grandfather had already been working in the mines. The Pennsylvania anthracite coal mines allowed child to work along side their father. He wasn’t a water boy or some supportive individual to the men working there. He was a coal minor with a pickax.

With the death of his parents his siblings fell to him for a life. The next child in the family was a girl by the name of Mary. She was 16 years old when her parents died. It would be my grandfather, John and Mary that would raise the rest of the family. 

That scenario today is completely unthinkable. Children are valued for their joy and potential into the future. They are part of the psychological understanding of parents in that they are projected into the future through the very life that they’ve given their children. In that understanding is the desire of most American parents to have childhood be beautiful, fulfilling, and innocent.

In 2019 a coronavirus, a sibling of the old coronavirus, came to the world and caused death. It would be early 2020 when the virus settled in the United States of America. There were no vaccines. The only hope was the experimental vaccine created by Moderna in a contract to the USA military. It would be at least six months before the vaccines would be ready in any substantial amount to give to the public and protect peoples lives, including the lives of children. During that first six months, there were horrendous numbers of deaths in this country. The accounting at the American Academy of pediatrics takes a look at ages, the immune system systems of these children and the way the virus invaded their little bodies.

In the year 2020 the current president was the president then. The bogus information and the propaganda that followed the invasion of this virus was heinous and people died. Young people died for absolutely no reason at all, except that they believed the man in the White House that the virus was a lie. Those deaths were real and they happen under his watch.

Now the Trump administration comes forward to say that the vaccine has killed children from the previous pandemic. According to what the Trump administration is saying today, there is like 25 children or something of that nature that was killed by the vaccine. Well back when there wasn’t a vaccine 183 children died. Both Moderna and Pfizer were very careful about introducing the vaccine to younger people. It was very successful when available. That success speaks to the perfection that their research scientists sought developing the vaccine for adults as well as younger people.

The Trump administration has come to power by harnessing a segment of the USA population that is motivated by opposing the establishment. In that, Trump wants to hold onto those folks as an electorate for himself and for his senators and his house members. So his administration chases the myths and seeks to propagandize them and make them as real as possible. That is the clown act we are stuck with in the White House.

Donald Trump is the tabloid president. I do not trust him. He is a lousy ally to everybody that we cared about both in Europe and Asia. The United States has been hurt by this president. I imagine in time we will recover, but not while he’s in the White House. The politics of this administration has a goal, and it isn’t just to appeal to the majority of voters in hopes of a nation the world can admire. The politics of this administration is very estranging to humanity, allies, the scientific community, and longevity. 

The report about vaccines having adverse effects on children is basically to instill fear of the establishment and promote the minority sense of what is important. What is important is that children are born and raised in a healthy and happy home environment. They need to attend school and prepare for the future. Every family should have a pediatrician that they trust to help them navigate parenthood. I have raised my children and they are healthy and they do well so I can’t witness to what transpires between a pediatrician and a parent anymore. I cannot imagine any pediatrician willing to harm a child and will no doubt offer vaccines to protect the health and well-being of that child. 

For all the good that science and research does to improve the human condition, and provide greater longevity there is going to be a percentage that will not achieve that goal no matter how well directed. Human beings have genetics and in those genetics is determined how we react to food, water, and medicine. No physician, surgeon, or pediatrician is going to pretend to know 100% of the time how things are going to work out. They have a pretty good idea. But there will always be a small percentage of people who will fall out of the normal reaction to anything they recommend.

We are now looking at 4% of the USA population having an adverse effect on the majority of the people of this country. 4%. So while the message of being aware that vaccines may not always work 100% of the time the way they are designed to work; that message is very wrong if it is also accompanied by the idea that this applies to the majority of the people of this country. 

I want to apologize to my fellow Americans for the really lousy situation we have in this country right now. But, come on guys you voted for the louse. The best I can say right now is be careful and listen to the people who you see about your health to rely on for excellent information. Take really good care of your kids and make sure that they have every chance to be happy, healthy, well educated, and live a nice long life. They are your legacy. Make it count.

(Click here)