I was, as is my usual morning “checkup,” browsing Yahoo!finance this morning – just as had curiously been happening since the STUPID invasion of Iran – the Stock Market seems to be ignoring the impending CRASH that many are predicting with the most CORRUPT administration in America’s history. This webpage (Yahoo!finance) would leave you lacking if you were attempting to find the effect of the most recent STUPID American (illegal) war in the Middle East. As the “beat rolls on” Wall Street continues to represent the good fortunes of a sliver of America’s population – a few hundred BILLIONAIRES along with a growing number of “OLIGARCHS” – with a so-called president (and his family) attempting to grab as much of the “pie” as they can before their “good fortune” runs into reality.

One of the first things I noticed today, for example, was the report that a month or two back Trump (surprise, surprise) purchased stock in SpaceX – which is just one more example of Trump having a financial interest in a company his administration is directly involved with regarding regulations (or removal of regulations) and MASSIVE government contracts. In the previous 10 years it’s been reported SpaceX has received government contracts totalling in EXCESS of $17 BILLION. Apparently MAGAts don’t see the conflict of interest here. Keeping in mind, during the first year of Trump 2.0 Trump executed over 22,000 stock trades compared to Biden (and his family) making 13 trades during his four years in office. My guess is Trump would accuse Biden of “corruption” while suggesting his TWENTY TWO THOUSAND trades involved no conflict of interest. (After all, he says he doesn’t take a salary to be our so-called president)

Everyone paying attention knows Trump has been extorting kickbacks out of several major American Corporations/law firms/universities in return for the “support” of our government. In place of grants originally part of the Chips and Science Act Trump is pushing extortion “the likes of we’ve never seen before.” For example, one of Joe Biden’s signature pieces of BIPARTISAN legislation was the plan for corporate investment in America bringing the manufacturing of “chips” back on American soil. And, many corporations were involved in this at the outset of Trump 2.0. However, with the change of administrations Trump originally ordered Mike Johnson to “ge rid of the act.” Instead they introduced aditional tax credits for advanced semiconductor manufacturing which led to the U.S., via Trump, for example, taking a 9.9% stake in Intel paid for with grants from the Act. Let that sink in. These “grants” were, of course, originally intended to help Intel produce “chips” in America and be able to compete with the market. The other example of Trump’s extortion I can remember was gaining something like 15% of the “pie” created by Nvidia selling their “AI chips” to China. Trump and his sycophants are supposed to be the “free market” standard-bearers!

And, these (and other tech stocks) continue to surge in an upward capacity – seemingly day in and day out. No matter the price of petroleum based products, no matter the availabiility of things like fertilizer, liquid pretroleum gasses such as propane or butane, liquid natural gas, petrochemicl “feedstocks” used in plastics, paints, and resins, helium used in medical imaging and semiconductor manufacturing, industrial minerals and construction materials. Additionally, agricultural IMPORTS such as wheat, corn, barley and soybeans, as well as sugar are constrained by the closing of the straight threatening food security in the Middle East and markets for our farmers. The HEADLINES focus on the impact on the oil market, but the impact of Trump’s war of choice goes well beyond oil. And, Trump seems oblivious to all of this as he’s doing what I watched American presidents do since the days of Viet Nam – find a way to “save face” while ending the conflict. Oh yes, and playing lots of golf!

You know what? The way I see this the Iranians are more cognizant of all these issues than Trump and they’re not going to allow him to save face. As I’ve written previously they will demand their “pound of flesh” in any agreement they make with the U.S. I also believe if there’s to be an agreement ending this (foolish American) conflict the negotiators will NOT be Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. These are the two guys out front in the “negotiations” taking place prior to the American and Israeli bombs falling on Iran who appear to have set up the Iranian leaders – likely getting them to gather together in order to examine negotiations described as “so close” by one of the mediators (while holding his thumb and index finger close to each other) one day before the Ayatollah, most of his family, something like 40 Iranian leaders, and about 175 elementary school girls were murdered as the bombing commenced. Now, Trump is over the proverbial “barrel.” Our nincompoop in chief will continue to do everything except admit he’s a LOSER!

So today, Scott Bessent, America’s bumbling Treasury Secretary announced “Operation Economic Outcast” — a series of expanded sanctions aimed at squeezing Iran. Yep, that will likely end the war – you bet! Iran has been under American sactions of decades. My guess is this announcement will simply further what has been accomplished to this point in the war. More leaders around the world will continue rolling their eyes at the STUPIDITY of America’s administration AND China ultimately will be the beneficiary. Here’s the deal – from my perspective. Russia will continue to partner with Iran. China will continue to partner with Iran. And, North Korea will continue to partner with Iran. In fact, North Korea has been doing so for many decades. Here’s some of what has transpired between the two countries over the past many years: Both countries have collaborated on military technology and arms development, they both share goals regarding nuclear capabilities, the U.S. is considered a common enemy (despite Trump’s “love letters”), and both have faced international sanctions causing a sense of solidarity. Do you really believe that will end?

Here’s another question going through my mind tonight – and, as an American, it’s both alarming and embarrassing. Who are the American “allies” who will wage into this new “war” strategy? Will it be our number one traditional ally Canada? Well, on top of “Operation Economic Outcast” Trump today announced an economic “war” against Canada. For – OK, I’m not sure for what? Does Trump really believe Canada is screwing over “we the people?” Or, is this because the Canadians are the ones telling Trump to “pound sand.” Here’s what I believe Trump is accomplishing. Turning our top trading partner toward an enhanced relationship with, you guessed it, China. Are you tired of all the winning yet?

And, when it comes to Trump’s “lover” in North Korea, it appears Kim is simply one more international leader who has discovered the way to set up Trump – is with flattery. That’s all it takes! Flattery is the kryptonite to narcissists. Trump is digging himself a hole he is finding it difficult to get out of. In fact, true to his M.O. that he NEVER admits he’s made a mistake (in this case a MONUMENTAL one) he is likely to just keep digging. And, in the international world he doesn’t have our right wing SCOTUS to bail him out. I say that, because they (the Supreme Court) keep trying to do so domestically.

The court hasn’t been shy in making it clear over the past two or three years that they are all in on Trump. That is the six right wing hacks that are willing to contort themselves in disgusting ways to give Trump what he wants. Just this past week, John Roberts essentially gave Trump the “green light” to continue the construction of the “ballroom” – despite the fact it’s clearly illegal – so that he’ll get to the point where even if/when the court blocks the construction it will be so far along that, well, they’ll find a way to suggest he’s not simply a tenant of the “White House” but the new “owner.” I mean, how else could they approve this? My hope is that any democrat elected in 2028 orders it to be torn down and the East Wing rebuilt.

Of course, as I’ve stated here many times since “day one” of Trump 2.0 this would depend on whether or not we have “free and fair” elections in 2028. For that matter, we still have to worry about the 2026 election because of this court. Trump’s executive order restricting the use of mail in ballots in the upcoming mid-term election has, at least temporarily, received an unsigned “boost” from the SCOTUS’s “shadow docket” where they can support Trump without putting their names on the decision. Fortunately, there are lawyers dedicated to actually supporting our constitution (states are in charge of their own elections – subject to the constitution) so the Court will get another chance to get it “right.” Does anyone else out there feel this “house of cards” is going to CRASH in the near future? Stay tuned…..

Final Thought: I know someone who I once had an extended “dialogue” regarding his support of Trump and my opposition. When his responses became out and out racist I said, “That’s enough.” He claimed he isn’t a racist because he’s known lots of Black people. I’m not kidding – and, he’s a former dentist in the Navy (years ago) who retired from a private practice over a decade ago. (He’s even older than me) So now, speaking of the Navy, we have one more example of Trump’s OVERT racism.

The Navy hero is Doris “Dorie” Miller who was honored for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy is considering renaming the aircraft carrier which has been planned to be named the USS Doris Miller to instead honor President Donald Trump. Can you guess who is behind this change? OK, you might say Pete Hegseth and that wouldn’t surprise me – but, can you imagine Trump overruling him? I mean it’s hard to argue that either Hegseth or Trump are not racists.

During the attack in question Miller, a Black American Seaman serving as a “mess attendant,” who served during WW II, helped carry wounded sailors to safety and assisted his mortally wounded captain from the ship. Additionally, during the attack he manned an anti-aircraft gun despite having no formal training, firing at Japanese planes and contributing to the defense of his ship the USS West Virginia. Miller was the first Black sailor to receive the Navy Cross – keeping in mind Trump was a draft dodger. In January 2020, the U.S. Navy announced that a new aircraft carrier would be named the USS Doris Miller, making it the first aircraft carrier named after a Black American and an enlisted sailor. That was during Trump 1.0. Embarrassingly, we’re now in Trump 2.0 thanks to America’s voters and Blacks are being purged from the military – apparently, including sailors from over 80 years ago. Yikes!!

If you’ve read this far, I’m just a retired 6th grade teacher – NOT a professional writer. There’s an old saying “opinions are like assholes. Everyone’s got one.” This is where I express mine!

I don’t have much time tonight so I hope I can keep the thoughts running through my head simple – i.e. succinct. It has become clear Trump’s war in Iran is headed toward being just one more “endless war” in the Middle East. This war is, in a very short time comparatively, as devastating to America’s standing in the world as any of the wars I can remember in my lifetime – beginning with Viet Nam. America has depleted her stockpile of bombs on the Iranian people to the point of creating more vulnerability to traditional “enemies” like China (Taiwan) and Russia (Ukraine). Trump has DAMAGED America’s tradtional relationships with her key allies (NATO, South Korea, etc.) DAMAGE which is potentially spreading into other countries in the Middle East.

Americans are suffering through higher prices at the “pump” along with virtually every other aspect of their lives ranging from food at grocery stores to the source of most of that food – America’s farmers. I once made an attempt to operate a farm (it lasted 8 years) and I know first hand the DAMAGE caused by fertilizer being pushed up to almost double what it cost before the war. Many farmers will LOSE money either due to the cost of the fertilizer to produce their crop OR not being able to produce it at all. The cost of MOVING goods is going way up. Petroleum is critical to more than our cars and trucks.

My point here is that Trump could care less about the effects of his WAR on “we the people” – he’s also said, in essence, quit complaining about the high gas prices – it’s the cost he’s “blessing” Americans with to make sure Iran “never has a nuclear weapon.” (Reminder, Trump is the one who axed the JPCOA of the Obama administration – where Iran promised to “never have a nuclear weapon.” All with inspectors. A treaty that was working!

So, here’s what’s going through my head tonight as I’m thinking, to Trump, this war is a HUGE success. I’m convinced he believes he can manipulate markets indefinitely so that the stock market isn’t affected by his war. To most of the rest of us, the war sucks and we don’t have stocks in the first place. We’re focused on paying the rent, buying food, and hoping no one in our family gets sick. Here’s why the Iran war is such a success in Trump’s mind: HARDLY ANYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE EPSTEIN FILES anymore! Full Stop! (Trump’s perfect Endless war!)

Recently I was reading an article in “Raw Story” an independent jornalism source for various articles from different sources. This article was referring to the DAMAGE RFK Jr. was doing to vaccination schedules and “rules” regarding American children. For example, breaking up the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots for children at three different times. Ostensibly, the article was aimed at Abdul El-Sayed who recently won the Michigan primary in the “race” for Michigan’s Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of democrat Gary Peters. In the course of the article, the author (John Casey) mentioned Senator Bill Cassidy who, like El-Sayed is a medical doctor, and blaming Cassidy with the reality RFK Jr. is our Secretary of HHS – it was his vote the deciding one making it possible for Kennedy’s confirmation.

Well, in the course of lamenting the DAMAGE being caused by Kennedy’s “anti-vax” positions – including his (debunked) claims vaccines cause autism – Mr. Casey said of Trump: he’s “is an accomplice in killing children — that’s a cold, hard analysis that, in my (Casey’s) estimation, will come to fruition in the years ahead. Well, it’s real that the U.S. has a serious MEASLES outbreak spreading across the nation as I’m writing this – it was reported the other day the small county in Washington State where I live now has 18 cases of measles – virtually ALL in unvaccinated individuals – mostly children. In 2024 there were only THREE cases in the entire state by the middle of the year. RFK Jr. (and, by extension Trump) are having a direct effect on the health of America’s children. So far, this year as of August 2026, there have been OVER 2,500 cases (reported) nationally. This for a disease which had been, for all intents and purposes, eliminated before Trump 2.0 and RFK Jr. took office. SHAMEFUL!

All of that is alarming and accurate – to a degree. However, to put Trump’s actions as an accomplice to killing children from RFK Jr.’s anti-vax stance and his going along with only it begs to differ with a reality Trump will have to live with which is exponentially more devastating. Remember, it was Trump who sicced (f)Elon Musk on “we the people” with his “DOGE bros” and one of their FIRST disastrous actions was “killing” USAID – America’s “soft” foreign aid program that was directly saving the lives of, over the next few years, MILLIONS of the poorest people in the world – most of which are/were children. It’s been estimated that since that aid was stopped there have ALREADY been OVER 750,000 unnecessary deaths of which over 500,000 have been children and by 2030 it will be well into the MILLIONS. Bill Gates called this travesty “the richest man in the world KILLING the poorest children.” There is no way to “slice this” without pointing out Trump is an accomplice in this action as well as the anti-vax movement pushed by Kennedy. Yes, SHAMEFUL!

Trump is leading an administration that counts shamelessness as routine for any day ending in Y. The examples are endless. Today, for example, in reference to the sailors in crisis on the Air Craft Carrier the U.S. Abraham Linclon – who’ve been at sea for a record amount of time (over 8 months) – are experiencing food shortages, lack of water, plugged toilets, no way to shower, and, in some instances are attempting suicide by jumping overboard (one sailor actually succeeded in going overboard – although he was rescued) – again, the ship has been at sea for longer than ANY before them – and Trump’s response to a question from a pool reporter on what he thought about the length of time these sailors had been at sea was to say “they haven’t been there long enough.” (or words to that effect) You guessed it, SHAMEFUL!

That would be comparable to Trump, earlier this year, saying “I love inflation” or “I don’t think about people’s financial situations” or “paying a dollar more for a gallon of gas is a small sacrifice for Americans to make to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.” Let me stop there and elaborate on that last bafoonish comment by our nincompoop in chief – sorry, but no other way to describe him when referring to his lack of ability to feel SHAME or empathy for the people he’s SUPPOSED to serve.

First off, Trump has NO IDEA what the effect of paying one dollar per gallon for EVERY gallon of gas someone purchases – especially over a six month (and likely longer) period of time – and, it could get much higher as the standoff at the Straight of Hormuz drags on. (I doubt if Trump has every purchased a gallon of gas) I happen to drive an electric car, but I know people who are paying over $50 per month more than they were prior to Trump’s ILLEGAL invasion of Iran on February 28 of this year. It’s not just gas, either – I’m noticing EVERYTHING is going up in price to the point where I don’t trust the inflation reports – because the things I buy are increasing by more than 3 or 4 percent when they go up. I bought a tarp today that was at least 20% higher than it was four months ago – manufactured overseas and subject to Trump’s tariff TAX.

Secondly, Trump OBVIOUSLY has no idea how to extricate “we the people” from this ill advised military adventure likely the result of his fealty to Bibi Netanyahu – and, now, Netanyahu is refusing to go along with Iranian demands regarding their attacks in GAZA and Lebanon. Just as Trump is, by threatening War Crimes, actually committing them – Netanyahu is in the same category as Vladimir Putin – warrants for their arrests by the International Criminal Court – apparently, “we the people” are right there with those two thugs in refusing to abide by international standards when it comes to war – the U.S. committed WAR CRIMES in the Carribbean by blowing up what amounted to “ski boats” and claiming they were “narco terrorists.” They even, in one instance, “double tapped” one boat by “finishing the job” when it appeared two men survived the original blast. SHAMEFUL! One of the only countries Netanyahu and Putin can safely visit is the U.S. (Well, also North Korea and China)

Everyone in the world – most importantly the Chinese and Russians – knows the U.S. has depleted it’s stockpile of long range missiles and “interceptors” to the point where Trump has stopped his embarrassing threats to “obliterate” Iran (or “send them back to the stone age”) where he did his full on “TACO” maneuver each time, once or twice a week, finding a more ridiculous way of “chickening out” each time. While I was always happy he (and expected him to) “chicken(ed) out” – the reality, at this point, is that the U.S. wasted a lot of bombs as they were killing Iranian school girls and thousands of the Iranian civilians Trump originally encouraged to take over their government while accomplishing virtually NOTHING militarily. What “we the people” are facing now is a president who just isn’t able to admit defeat so this “drama” at the Straight could continue indefinitely. It’s been reported the Iranians are prepared to take this to the end of Trump 2.0. And, like with his disgusting comment about the USS Abraham Lincoln’s 260 days at sea Trump will continue to demonstrate, every day, his SHAMELESSNESS along with his incompetence! (And, of course, that of Pete Hegseth)

Trump believes the U.S. has a “great economy” because him and his BILLIONAIRE buddies (benefactors) are “cutting off a fat hog” at the Stock Market. Well, on further examination, that stock market is making about 100 OLIGARCHS obscenely RICH – while the 60% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck are one lost job or medical emergency from joining the ranks of the homeless. Many economic experts are referring to America’s economy as “K shaped” (Wall Street “rising” while Main Street is “falling”) with the top earners being the gamblers on Wall Street with the rest of us fighting over the “scraps.” Trump is good at dividing Americans against each other and he does that by convincing those in his cult not to believe their “lying eyes.” Many of Trump’s policies are making life more difficult for the bulk of his sycophants – he’s just good at convincing them to vote against their own self interest. (With the help of Fox “news” and other right wing propaganda platforms)

For me, this all is almost unbelieveable – although I know what’s happening because I pay attention (plus I read much of Project 2025) – it could be depressing. But, the good news, to me, is people like Abdul El-Sayed winning the Senate democratic primary in Michigan. After listening to him speak I realized if I was in Michigan I would eagerly vote for him – I really hope he prevails in November. I listened to another democrat who won a primary election, this time in Minnesota – her name is Peggy Flanagan and she is the democratic nominee for Minnestota’s Senate seat. I really hope both of these people win – with enough progressives like them I could actually be drawn toward the democratic party. (Remember, I vote AGAINST republicans as an “independent”) The republican racists have already overtly shown how they fear people like El-Sayed and Flanagan by throwing around racist insults. (SHAMEFUL) El-Sayed is a Muslim and Flanagan is a Native American. The racist attacks coming from republicans is why I ALWAYS vote against them. Stay tuned!!!

Final Thought: I’ve written several times about (f)Elon Musk throwing the Sieg Hiels at Trump’s inauguration and decided I’d supply a little evidence. This is a photo of ONE of the three he threw while participating in the celebration of Trump’s victory. Along with reading Project 2025 nothing has surprised me about Trump 2.0! This photo of Musk pretty much says it all. More and more people are beginning to “get” what the ultimate objective of Trump, his project 2025 puppet masters, and the OLIGARCHS like Musk who’ve decided “democracy” is, well, for the birds. Remember, the 750,000 people DEAD because of Trump and Musk shuttering USAID are from what Trump called “shithole countries.” Trump, Musk, and the others in their orbit are all about the MONEY! Example: Musk’s net worth has more than TRIPLED since he invested almost $300 MILLION to get Trump elected. Trump’s net worth has doubled! You can see from the photo Musk’s motivation! Trump’s supporters cheered! Yikes!!!

For some reason there’s a debate going on whether or not (f)Elon Musk is a racist. This after, while addressing Trump’s inauguration celebration, he chose to throw THREE Sieg Hiel’s with barely a whimper coming from our “mainstream media.” (MSM) I’ve brought this up numerous times but very few actual people read my “diary in cyberspace” and I haven’t heard anyone else mentioning this – and, the conclusion you could draw from it. Additionally, Musk recently responded “true” to a post on his VILE Social Media platform suggesting Hitler was a “left winger” and suggesting those of us on the “left” resemble the “deplorable” German fuhrer (who people pledged their support via their “Sieg Hiel’s”) and his “woke” politics. Right wing PROJECTION at its finest.

Musk was raised in South Africa in the apartheid days and seems unbothered by some of the real life results of his own actions – not the least being that Trump is president largely due to Musk’s money and platform spewing misinformation. When Musk is confronted with the REAL consequences of HIS undermining USAID during the first stages of the “DOGE” assault on our government – that, by most accounts, upwards of 750,000 people are DEAD, largely in African nations Trump referred to as “shithole countries” – Musk rages and threatens lawsuits. I saw parts of an interview recently where Musk claimed “ZERO” deaths resulted from destroying USAID.

To me, that is as absurd as suggesting Musk’s companies (Tesla and SpaceX) would be successful without the massive government contracts thrown their way over the previous many years. It’s been reported that over the previous 10 years Musk’s companies have received in excess of $18 BILLION in federal contracts. Since 2015 SpaceX has been reported to have received over $17 BILLION in government contracts alone. Many see the conflicts of Musk and “DOGE” cutting government up against the reality of what DAMAGE they caused. I’ve been lamenting the DAMAGE Trump has been inflicting on “we the people” for about 10 years now. And, of course, it’s getting worse.

Trump and his sons are busy scooping up as much MONEY as they possibly can while his reign on our constitution lasts. (Of course, what the Trump’s are gaining PALES in the face of Musk’s net worth jettisoned by Trump 2.0) The Trump family are desperate to find ways to CHEAT in the upcoming Mid-term elections because if things don’t go their way the incredible GRIFT could be in danger. Of course, with Musk once again throwing (by all acounts) at least $100 MILLION in a desperate attempt to fool voters into voting against their own best interests OR keeping them from voting, Trump is planning to find creative ways to block the predicted “blue tsunami” from becoming official.

In the days looming around the time I’m putting these words on “paper” it appears Senate republicans are soon to cave in the confirmation hearings regarding Todd Blanche. Blanche will be the FIRST AG who is facing the possibility of discipline from the BAR regarding (just) one of the fraudulent legal cases he’s signed off to where judges of all different stripes have thrown them out of court – on several occasions pointing out the lack of INTEGRITY as the basis of the DOJ’s argument. In the DOJ’s attempt to force states to give Trump et al their “voter rolls” Blanche is, as of this writing, ZERO for TWENTY. Yet they forge ahead. I’ve said this before: Trump is like the cornered RAT and he’s going to do whatever it takes, the constitution be damned, to block the democratic “blue wave” from happening. (Oh yes, another reminder: Blanche failed 34 times in Trump’s FELONY convictions in Manhattan)

This is what you get when voters vote in an organized criminal to the “White House.” For years now, I’ve pointed out the foundation of a FASCIST takeover of a “democracy” (democratic republic in the case of the U.S.) is the partnership of government and corporate interests. Like in many other parts of Trump’s (and Project 2025’s) scheme is forming these partnerships in the view of the public – as if that suggests it must be OK. This is where people like Musk (and Zuckerberg, Bezos, Ellison, Thiel, Page, Cook, and the long list of BILLIONAIRES) come into play. These BILLIONAIRES funnel PILES of money to Trump and the administration returns the favor by repealing regulations which make it easier for these people to make even MORE money – keeping in mind they were ALREADY billionaires before Trump 2.0 went past “go.” It seems obvious there’s NEVER enough for these “deplorable” Americans.

Not only is Trump acting like a person in desperation mode, but these “titans” of industry appear to be right there with Trump and his Project 2025 puppet masters. This BILLIONAIRE class has been busy pilfering (by some accounts) over 45 TRILLION from America’s taxpayers since the day Ronald Reagan took the oath of office on January 20th, 1981. Here’s the thing they’re most worried about. The hand that “giveth” could be the hand that “taketh away.” “We the people” could just as easily increase taxes on America’s wealthy as they’ve been receiving tax cuts since the days of Reagan. This is why many of them (BILLIONAIRES) have been creating “hideaways” overseas (for lack of a better word) where they can relocate once the s*#t hits the fan – that is Americans deciding they’ve had enough of funneling their taxpayer dollars to the “top 1%.” Musk, for example, is reported to be worth a $TRILLION. Yet, he doesn’t want to be paying his “fair share.” In fact, I believe he doesn’t want to pay anything.

When you look at Trump as the example of the ONE person in America who SHOULD be encouraging all Americans to be paying their “fair share” of taxes – after all he’s the president – you would get disappointed. Just today as the confirmation of Blanche nears its conclusion it seems as if Blanche’s scam to allow Trump, his family, and his organization to be immune from any investigations into their taxes for prior OR future years is a new LOW for Senate republicans. Likely one of the reasons so many BILLIONAIRES have come along side the least popular president (except maybe Nixon) in my lifetime – and why they (the BILLIONAIRES) are willing to open their checkbooks for Trump. Apparently, it’s cheaper for them than actually paying their taxes.

Back to Musk. One of the most egregious parts of all this, for me, is the White supremacy/nationalism at the root of Trump 2.0 and Project 2025. (Once again, prior to the 2024 election, my take on Project 2025 was calling it a “roadmap to fascism” – by now there should be no doubt.) Musk has, on numerous occasions, made racist – or reposted racist – posts on his social media platform now called “X” – previously “Twitter.” Now, full disclosure, I don’t do (what I call) Xwitter (or most other social media platforms – I do watch [mostly] music videos on YouTube – but the reporting of Musk’s actions on his platform leave nothing for the imagination when it comes to public evidence of his beliefs on race – I mean, after all, he’s a strong supporter of these republicans. Musk’s early days were in Apartheid South Africa and he’s managed to convince Trump to allow immigration to White South “Afrikaners.” Stay tuned….

Final Thought: Trump openly claims the one person he doesn’t want to be remembered as is “Herbert Hoover” – the “father” of the Great Depression. Not being an economist, I’ve got this feeling in my “gut” that Trump’s “great” economy is teetering on a major CRASH. Everyday I check the Stock Market and it’s going up as if everything is great. However, life on “mainstreet” is another matter entirely. At the same time, Trump is entrenched in a war of his own making in Iran (OK, he can thank Bibi Netanyahu) that he has no idea how to get out. Iran has discovered they can hold Trump hostage to their control of the Straight of Hormuz. Despite all Trump’s threats to “obliterate” Iran (or other words to that effect) he’s doing none of it – because the REALITY is, I believe, the U.S. HAS actually turned their stockpile of weapons down to dangerous levels – regarding potential for conflicts with Russia and China. Trump is turning America into a laughing stock around the world, and he’s demostrating how much of an imbecile he is when people quit paying attention to his bullying bluster.

Aside from the disaster in Iran “we the people” (with Trump at the helm) are, among other things, STEALING the oil of the Venezuelans – we don’t even know where the BILLIONS of dollars have gone. “We” are threatening Cuba, he’s threatening Greenland, and he’s, on several occasions, claimed Canada should be the U.S.’s “51st state.” Trump has nearly destroyed America’s relation with NATO countries and has abandoned Ukraine in their battle to fight off Russia’s illegal invasion. (Naturally, with “our” own illegal invasion of Iran – with most of “our” weapons stockpile – how can we critricize Russia?) Trump has gone through SIX bankruptcies – will “our” nation be his SEVENTH? (For any “MAGAts” out there, Trump has overseen more DEBT than any other president in our nation’s history – there’s lots of ways to rationalize this reality – BUT “it is what it is.”) Yikes!!!

I’m not attempting to suggest I’m some kind of “prophet,” but I do have to say that I (along with many others – I presume) was pointing out shortly after Trump LIED about the oath of office (refusing to put his hand on the Bible for some unknown reason) he would attempt to either prevent the 2026 election or he would be finding ways to “rig” things via the use of troops, a declaration of some kind of emergency, or some other way to ensure he would NOT be held to account by “we the people.” Since those early days the predictions have only become more and more serious. (and relevent) TONIGHT he spewed a plethora of LIES and debunked conspiracy theories to demonstrate his state of desperation as he’s looking square in the face of a HUGE “blue wave” come next November.

No, he’s not going to relent on his policy of tariffs which have been destroying farmers and small business owners for the past couple of years – issues that have only gotten worse as he’s got himself into a “war of choice” with Iran that he has no idea how to get out. The Iranians know exactly where his weakness lies and they’ve been suffering with an economy under sanctions for YEARS – so, in my mind, there is no question they’ll be able to outlast TACO Trump. Of course, the invasion of Iran is going to be much more difficult for Trump to reverse (TACO) himself on, because he doesn’t want to be the most recent American president to LOSE a war in the Middle East. (In addition, he seems to have no control over Bibi Netanyahu who doesn’t want the U.S. to withdraw from Iran – and he’s keeping up the attacks in Lebanon in order to undermine any peace talks which might occur)

Here’s what I took from FORCING myself to listen to Trump tonight. He’s got a plan on how to stop the counting of ballots while the 2026 election is underway. He actually made a pathetic push for the so-called “Save America Act” – (a voter suppression act in “sheep’s clothing”) I listened to several members of Congress who are all expecting Trump is going to attempt to interfere (by Rigging) in the 2026 election. They just didn’t have any concrete suggestions as to how this would happen. So, let me make a suggestion: I think Trump will declare a national emergency and send Homeland Security agents (like ICE) into various places to confiscate votes prior to the MAIL-IN votes being counted. As is obvious if you’ve been watching previous elections – date of election votes are counted first and THEN the mail-in ballots – with ballots postmarked by election day and received five or six days after election day being counted. Thereby cutting off MILLIONS of votes MOSTLY cast by people supporting democrats. (We’ve all seen the “red mirage” in previous elections)

So, Trump was at his – I want to be like Hitler, Putin, Kim, fill in the blank – best tonight as he was LYING his way through a speech really designed for two purposes. One to lay a pretext for his acts of desperation come election day if he doesn’t get what was in “door number two,” his VOTER SUPPRESSION act. He ended the speech with a desperate plea for republicans to pass this favorite voter suppression bill. In the process he took his adoption of Hitler’s “Big Lie Theory” to another level. Of course, he continued with the LIE that the 2020 election was “rigged.” However, he included one LIE after another that was designed to convince his gullible followers that he was – FINALLY – presenting “evidence.” Of course, virtually ALL his “evidence” was debunked in real time. His point though, in the truest adoption of Hitler’s famous propaganda scheme, was to tell LIES that were so outrageous that his minions would assume they MUST be true. I mean, why would anyone stand before the country and spew absurd untruths? (He does it because, it works)

And, of course, mixed in with his avalanche of LIES, were a bunch of baseless accusations toward democrats, election workers, and “progressives.” (When actually, many of those who pushed back on his absurd accusations in 2020 were honorable republicans) Trump is a classic user of PROJECTION another of the propaganda tactics of Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. Projection is when you accuse your enemy of the exact improper/illegal thing you are up to or about to do. As many say “an accusation is a confession.” For example when he refers to the “Biden Crime family.” (They don’t hold a grain of salt to Trump’s family) Or, “Sleepy Joe Biden” as Trump sleeps through one cabinet meeting after another, or at a Knicks Basketball game, or when he’s overseas embarrassing himself among our European “allies.”

Here’s how Trump began his speech: He started off by referring to people “pouring in from all over the world, including CRIMINALS of many types: 11,888 murderers many who have killed more than one person.” (What he didn’t say was that number spans 40 years) He then changed to “We had transgender for everybody” (whatever that was supposed to mean – patently absurd, but made me a bit uneasy with my own situation) Men in women’s sports, crime ravaging our cities, (actually, I know crime was at a 20 – or more – year low when he retook office) and the whole world was laughing at us as a nation.” (That’s actually a great example of projection) “Two years ago our country was DEAD, but not now – we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.” (Well, from a climate crisis point of view, he may be correct – but, in his context, apparently he hasn’t read about all the world leaders LAUGHING at him behind his back) He went on, “America’s respected like we’ve never been respected before.” Again, he’s probably right, but not in the context he meant. Europe and Canada are aligning with China and I got the impression when Trump was in China that Xi Jinping’s smug smirks while Trump was adulating over him led to a lot of laughs once Trump headed home – with NOTHING!)

Trump brought up all the money being invested in America – which is true – but, it’s because of an “AI” race from the OLIGARCH class which appears, to me, to be headed for a big fall. And, of course, Trump is cashing in with THOUSANDS of trades on Wall Street for businesses he’s promoted. (But, what do I know? regarding the “big fall”) He said, “more Americans are working than ever before – which, technically is true, but a quick “Google” search shows you the “population/employment” ratio is about 5% below the previous high. Remember, Trump has run MILLIONS of immigrant workers out of the country – of which the consequences of that stupidity will show up in the next year or two – if not with food prices this coming year. Trump stated inflation made its largest one month drop in 6 years – but, what he didn’t say was that was almost exclusively due to lower energy prices which have now began to shoot back up. (Iran) It was still at 3.5%.

Enough of all that. What then transpired was a boring listing of allegations about Chinese election interference in the 2020 election – which, by all accounts, didn’t amount to more than China obtaining election information on Americans that was widely available online to anyone who knows how to use a computer. Apparently, in some instances, you would have to purchase the information. Makes you wonder about why Trump’s administration is seeking voter data from specific locations and having so many problems (like where there’s lots of Black voters – ahem!) (Consider all the Black people either purged from Trump’s administration or their attempts to do so – many in key parts of our military that is now floundering in Iran as EVIDENCE our nation is in the throes of overt racists – one of the pillars of fascism) What Trump DIDN’T mention was, as in the 2016 election, the Russians were attempting to influence voters in his favor during 2020 – while, apparently, there’s also evidence the Iranians were spreading misinformation against Trump. (I believe he did mention that) But, NOT ONE vote was changed by any of all this!

It all came to a crescendo when Trump made his pitch for the so-called “Save America Act.” When he describes that legislation he can’t help himself but to add that with its passage republicans wouldn’t lose another election in the next 100 years. The plan is to SUPPRESS the vote in places where democrats tend to vote in large numbers and, of course, it’s aimed directly at women who might have a different legal name right now than the one showing on their birth certificate. And, for that matter, there’s MILLIONS of people who don’t possess a birth certificate (My Mom sent me mine right before she died) and, well, that would mean they couldn’t register to vote. It would preempt state voter registration processes and require voter ID when showing up to vote. It would BAN “mail in voting” except in special circumstances. It would take the process out of the control of states and put it with the federal government – likely significantly decreasing voter turnout not to mention likely being unconstitutional. Then, keep in mind the latest Heritage Foundation gamut, “Saving America by Saving the Family” where they want to push women “back into the kitchen” (and bedroom, for that matter, to make more children) and, presumably, remove women as voters. (I didn’t read the entire “manifesto” but a reliable source made that claim – this is the follow up to Project 2025)

Trump is floundering in the polls. He’s floundering in his war of choice in Iran. He’s floundering in his relationship with Netanyahu. With the exception of Wall Street (propped up by the OLIGARCHS and “AI”) his economy is floundering. I personally don’t buy gas (except for my rototiller) because I drive an EV but I do a lot of the shopping for my family. I go to the stores with the lowest prices and I’m watching one item after another rising each month by a few cents – EVEN at Costco – which amounts to a significant percentage after a few months. The other day, I heard Trump bragging about causing Walmart to lower prices. I’ve recently made online purchases from Walmart so I get more information from them via email than I used to. So, in response to Trump’s claim I believe it was the CFO of Walmart who came out and said the reason they had lowered some prices is because they got refunds on some of the tariffs they had paid. Nothing to do with Trump! Go figure. Made me a bit less of a Walmart snob!

Final Thought: Trump wants to be the Vladimir Putin of America and he’s bound and determined to get there. The more it looks like he’s in big trouble he resorts to his organized crime MO and doubles down on the headwinds he’s facing. And, just as Putin has the Russian OLIGARCHS propping him up (for the past 20 years) Trump is counting on people like (f)Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Larry Ellison, Rupert Mudoch, and on and on – to fund, somehow, a way to block the “blue wave” so he doesn’t have to risk it all with a phony national election emergency in November. And, it looks kind of bad for Trump in the races for both chambers of Congress at this point.

For example, I was watching the Senatorial campaign of Graham Platner, where republicans were pulling out all the stops to smear Platner just as the “official” campaing was getting under way. Well, Platner was presented with one too many potential scandals and was forced to drop out. Just like democrats forced Biden out in 2024 (an unwise decision from my perspective) they did the same with Platner. In this instance, however, Maine democrats have the opportunity to choose a replacement – presumably with someone close to Platner politically – to take on Susan Collins. It will be interesting to see how Mainers pull together by election time – they have until July 27th to choose a candidate – there really isn’t much time. However, I heard a bit about Collins and all the money she’s raised and I thought that SHOULD be able to be used against her. For example, I heard a report this morning while driving around in my car that Collins had the support of over 100 BILLIONAIRES! Now there’s a positive in a state where people are REALLY upset about income inequality. The cost of groceries, the cost of housing, the cost of energy, the availability of affordable education, public education, and on and on. Should be interesting to see if MAINERS are all in on Collins and her OLIGARCHS!? Stay tuned…..

I just finished reading an article about the philanthropic giving of MacKensie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) and Elon Musk saying; “Sadly it makes the world a worst place.” Ms. Scott has given away approximately $26 BILLION since her divorce from Bezos (and still has a net worth of approximately $40 BILLION because of the increase in Amazon’s share price which is the source of most of her wealth) and I had to wonder why Musk would suggest her giving in such a negative light. I had some suspiscions but I had to read the article to get a better idea – and, the article made no reference to Musk. The person in the article that supported Ms. Scott was Melinda French Gates who is also an active philanthropist. They both have signed the “giving pledge” to give the majority of their wealth away in the course of their lives or in their wills.

If you know about Musk (he of the Sieg Heil’s at the Trump 2.0 inauguration) you might have an idea of where he’s coming from. Ms. Scott has given well OVER a BILLION dollars to historically BLACK universities – gifts with “no strings attached” that the universities can use in the manner that they choose. Her trusting their judgement to put the money where it creates the best outcome. I suppose you can guess why that makes Musk think these gifts “make the world a worst place.” She also gives gifts away to support DEI in various entities along with gifts in other areas where communities are struggling due to recent government actions. (My characterization)

I just finished reading an article about the philanthropic giving of MacKensie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) and Elon Musk saying; “Sadly it makes the world a worst place.” Ms. Scott has given away approximately $26 BILLION since her divorce from Bezos (and still has a net worth of approximately $40 BILLION because of the increase in Amazon’s share price which is the source of most of her wealth) and I had to wonder why Musk would suggest her giving in such a negative light. I had some suspiscions but I had to read the article to get a better idea – and, the article made no reference to Musk. The person in the article that supported Ms. Scott was Melinda French Gates who is also an active philanthropist. They both have signed the “giving pledge” to give the majority of their wealth away in the course of their lives or in their wills.

If you know about Musk (he of the Sieg Heil’s at the Trump 2.0 inauguration) you might have an idea of where he’s coming from. Ms. Scott has given well OVER a BILLION dollars to historically BLACK universities – gifts with “no strings attached” that the universities can use in the manner that they choose. Her trusting their judgement to put the money where it creates the best outcome. I suppose you can guess why that makes Musk think these gifts “make the world a worst place.” She also gives gifts away to support DEI in various entities along with gifts in other areas where communities are struggling due to recent government actions. (My characterization)

Musk is reportedly now worth a TRILLION dollars – reminder he was worth around $250 BILLION when he shoveled about $300 MILLION into Trump’s campaign to help him get elected – a four fold increase in less than two years – and he says giving money away is “hard.” I mean, how hard could it be? If he gave, say a similar amount to Ms. Scott – a reported $26 BILLION as of June of 2026 – it would amount to “chump change” on his net worth. You have to wonder why he thinks it’s so hard? Remember, Musk entered the U.S. from Canada (originally from South Africa) on a student visa – but, he never actually went to college (he was supposed to go to Stanford) – meaning he very possibly fudged the truth when he became a U.S. citizen. I’ll let you figure out what his Sieg Hiel’s mean in regard to his personal beliefs – and why he would consider such giving to America’s HBCU’s (traditionally Black Universities) to make the world a “worst place.”

For a little context let’s take a look at what Musk did when he was attempting to cut a TRILLION or two from America’s budget as the head of “DOGE” at the beginning of Trump 2.0. The one cut that has stood out to me from day one was his obliteration of USAID – the United States Agency for International Development. This was America’s use of “soft power” over the course of nearly six decades. One of the key parts of this program was titled PEPFAR – a program pushed by Anthony Fauci and made a reality by George W Bush in around 2003. PEPFAR stands for “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief”

PEPFAR supports HIV prevention, testing and antiretroviral treatment, as well as prevention of mother-to-child transmission, care for orphans and vulnerable children, tuberculosis services for people with HIV and broader health-system strengthening. The program initially focused on emergency treatment and prevention, later shifting toward partnership frameworks with recipient governments, epidemic control targets and long-term sustainability. By September 2025, PEPFAR was credited with saving more than 26 million lives and preventing 7.8 million infants from acquiring HIV at birth. Led by Musk, this program was halted for 90 days and later only about 1/2 of PEPFAR programs were restarted. (By about one year in on Trump 2.0) It is estimated that roughly 600 THOUSAND people have died in the world’s poorest nations due to Musk’s (and Trump’s) actions thus far. But as always with republicans there’s more.

In general roughly 17% of USAID’s programs were rolled into the U.S. Department of State, rendering the agency largely unoperational, but it has not been officially dissolved. USAID’s major functions included administering humanitarian aid, supporting economic growth, promoting global health, and advancing U.S. foreign policy goals through partnerships and development programsfor all intents and purposes are non-existent. When operational It played a critical role in responding to international crises and fostering sustainable development in various countries. Here is an overview of USAID’s functions:

Humanitarian Aid

• Administered emergency relief during crises, including natural disasters and conflicts.
• Provided food assistance and healthcare to vulnerable populations.
• Supported programs aimed at eradicating diseases and improving health outcomes.

Economic Growth

• Promoted sustainable economic development in developing countries.
• Assisted in creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship.
• Supported infrastructure projects to enhance trade and investment opportunities.

Global Health

• Implemented health programs to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
• Provided vaccinations and maternal health services.
• Developed initiatives to improve nutrition and food security.

Foreign Policy Advancement

• Aligned development programs with U.S. foreign policy goals.
• Fostered partnerships with other countries, NGOs, and international organizations.
• Promoted democratic governance and human rights through various initiatives.

Education and Capacity Building

• Supported educational programs to improve literacy and vocational training.
• Strengthened local institutions to enhance governance and public service delivery.
• Provided technical assistance and training to build local capacities.

Environmental Protection

• Engaged in projects aimed at environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
• Supported conservation efforts and the sustainable use of natural resources.

These functions collectively aimed to improve living conditions, promote stability, and foster goodwill towards the United States globally. Musk shuttered USAID because he said it was full of “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Bill Gates accused Musk of “the world’s riches man killing the world’s poorest children” by shutting down USAID, saying the cuts would abandon food and medicines and threaten resurgences of diseases like HIV and polio.

The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has led to significant loss of life globally.

Estimated Deaths

• Total Deaths: Over 600,000 people
• Children: Approximately two-thirds of the total deaths, which translates to around 400,000 children

Context of the Impact

The cancellation of USAID programs has severely affected health and humanitarian aid, particularly in regions reliant on U.S. support for combating diseases and providing essential services. The consequences of these funding cuts are expected to continue growing, as many deaths result from delayed effects of inadequate healthcare and nutrition. According to a study by UCLA’s School of Public Health they predict more than 14 MILLION preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues, including over 4 MILLION children under 5. Of course, MOST of these deaths will occur in countries Trump has referred to as “Shit hole” countries. Musk denies closing USAID has led to ANY deaths. What’s the old saying, who are you going to believe, Musk “or your own eyes?” If you’ve read this far I ask you why would (f)Elon Musk consider Mackensie Scott’s giving to be “making the world a worst place?” Yikes!!!

Final Thought: On the 250th Anniversary of America’s founding Trump spent 90 minutes on a secret phone call with, you guessed it, Vladimir Putin. (As reported by the Kremlin – not Trump’s administration) As I’m writing this Trump is on his way to a NATO summit with much speculation that he’s going to blow up the organization which was created post WW II. I’m going to make this simple: If Trump blows up NATO he should be IMPEACHED and CONVICTED by the House and the Senate. I’ve pointed out how I don’t believe “we the people” can withstand the DAMAGE he’s causing to this nation – but, if he blows up NATO that should be stepping over a red line – even for republicans in Congress.

There are rumors coming from European Intelligence agencies that Russia is planning to make an “incursion” into one of the Baltic countries or Poland – what’s important is it will be part of the NATO alliance with Putin attempting to find out if NATO will respond in a way consistent with their Article 5 agreement where an attack on one member is an attack on all. If this happens and we fail to make an appropriate response – like a similar attack into Russia – Trump will soon be responsible for the potential of WW III. Stay tuned…..

I’m simply writing down some extraneous thoughts I’m having as it’s really hard to keep up with the corruption and long term DAMAGE to America by Trump 2.0. I’m 78 (soon to be 79) and one thing I’m sure of is I won’t live long enough for “we the people” to reverse the DAMAGE Trump is doing to our fundamental values and our History as the longest lasting example of a nation governed by its own people via “free and fair” elections and a commitment to its foundint docurments and the “rule of law.” We now have a SCOTUS that is putting new meaning from “legislating from the bench.” If we still have “free and fair” elections this November (of 2026) it is imperative “we the people” vote in record numbers to regect Trump and the republican party that produced his two administrations. One thing Trump has proved is you can be a FELON (34 times over in his case) and still run for and hold office in America. Here are a few thoughts which motivated me to write tonight.

Trump claims (with a straight face) he’s the only president to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. As usual with Trump this is a bold faced lie. Iran agreed under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons. This commitment was part of a broader deal reached in July 2015 with several world powers, including the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, and the European Union. While Iran agreed to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons as part of the JCPOA, the deal has faced challenges, particularly after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, which led to Iran exceeding some of the agreed limits on its nuclear activities. Of course, that is Thanks to Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement in 2018. Now Trump is scrambling to recreate the JCPOA – but he’ll put his name on any agreement. HERE’S the 14 point plan the U.S. agreed to with Iran. It appears Iran came out of this war “smelling like a rose.” (And, they can thank Bibi Netanyahu for that)

Trump fails to point out the cost of the war in Iran was HUGE. A recent study by Moody’s claimed the cost was $132 BILLION. Linda Bilmes: A war budgeting expert, has indicated that the costs could be significantly higher, potentially reaching $1 trillion overall. Bilmes’ analysis highlights the potential for escalating costs associated with the war, emphasizing the need for a realistic assessment of military expenditures and their long-term impact on the U.S. economy. Bilmes is a public policy expert at Harvard University. She argues that the Pentagon’s figures may underestimate actual costs. For example, the reported costs do not account for the current market value of military assets, which can be significantly higher than historical values. (She estimates the war was costing $2 BILLION per day from February 28th until June 16th) In her valuations she considers Veterans’ Care: Costs associated with disability benefits for deployed troops. Infrastructure Rebuilding: Financial requirements for restoring damaged facilities and military assets. Bilmes’ analysis highlights the potential for escalating costs associated with the war, emphasizing the need for a realistic assessment of military expenditures and their long-term impact on the U.S. economy. The impact of higher gas prices and other costs born by American consumers is part of her evaluations of the broader financial toll of the war on the U.S. economy.

The Trump administration is trying to hide the reality that a HUGE portion of Americans’ military weaponry has been depleted. Additionally, they don’t want to talk about how rebuilding these “weapons of war” will require large amounts of “rare earths” coming from China. China is “eating America’s lunch” under Trump. HERE is information regarding the depletion of American weapons in just the first 16 days of the war. American weapons used in the Iran war that require rare earth elements, which are essential for various military technologies, including precision-guided munitions and radar systems make the U.S. heavily reliant on these materials, particularly from China, for its military capabilities. HERE’S another article pointing out the seriousness (and stupidity) of this problem. (And, as pointed out above, Iran is going to come out of this better than when the “war” started)

Regarding Trump’s “anti weaponisation fund” – that includes a provision forTrump, his family, and his businesses where they can NEVER be investigated for tax issues EVER again. Think back to Trump’s FRAUD trial in New York where he was found to have committed serial FRAUD over a period of many years. It has been estimated this provision will save Trump something like $100 MILLION from a tax issue originating with a Trump building in Chicago years ago. But, as I understand it, it also eliminates Trump paying taxes into the future as well. (Nice work if you can get it)

Regarding Trump/Blanche attempting to give MILLIONS to the INSURRECTIONISTS I can virtually PROMISE you they will find a way around the blocking of their “slush fund” by the courts and likely would have been blocked by Congress if Blanche had not claimed it was “dead.” The fact Blanche REFUSES to sign a document “under penalty of perjury” should tell you everything. They are going to encourage the “Proud Boys” and other violent members of the INSURRECTION to file lawsuits against the government and they will “settle” with them “out of court.” Count on it! I can already see the headline: Man who beat cops on January 6th, 2021 is now a MILLIONAIRE thanks to American taxpayers. There’s potential for this happening OVER 1600 times. (Think of your tax dollars going to the pillow guy, Mike Lindell – or to Rudy Giuliani or the others who planned the INSURRECTION)

Trump’s attempts to control the use of “mail in ballots” would be OUTRAGEOUS at any other time in our history. The FACT it’s obviously UNCONSTITUTIONAL is no impediment to Trump. He’ll keep pushing. He knows what’s coming in November. But….A federal judge has blocked key parts of Trump’s executive order that aimed to limit mail-in voting, ruling that the president lacks the authority to control election procedures, which are reserved for Congress and state legislatures. This decision applies to the upcoming midterm elections and is part of ongoing legal challenges against the order. This includes implementing mail-in voting restrictions AND prevents the USPS from controlling mail-in ballots by limiting whose ballots they will deliver. As I said, though, he’ll keep trying – but chances are mail-in voting is safe for this upcoming election. (If we still have it)

It’s been obvious to me (and MANY others) for over a year that Trump will do whatever he can to either block the November election or “RIG” it in a way that guarantees republicans can block the coming “blue wave.” As we get closer to November his actions will increase. He’s now saying he won’t sign another bill until the so-called SAVE act is passed by the Senate – he wants them to blow up the filibuster – believing this “SAVE act” will prevent MILLIONS of democratic voters from being able to vote. For all intents and purposes, though, there doesn’t appear to be the votes in the Senate. They would have to repeal the filibuster which would make things interesting if democrats took back the Senate this fall.

The people who wrote Project 2025 have now put out another “plan” – this one “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 years.” You can access it HERE. Project 2025 is, in my opinion, a “road to fascism” (and, we’re definitely on that “road”) and this “Saving America” plan requires the “road” to be achieved in order, in the minds of the authors, to get more young people to choose marriage and having children (like around four they seem to believe is ideal) and a bunch of stuff that “blew” my mind – check it out if you’re interested (Few people I know chose to read Project 2025 so they don’t really understand the actual “goals” of the puppet masters behind Trump 2.0 and they probably won’t read this.)

I’ve only scanned through the document so I can only repeat what I’ve read elsewhere. Apparently this “Saving America by Saving the Family” includes provisions where the right to vote for women would be repealed. They want women in the kitchen and the home raising children – absolutely no abortions (apparently even to save the life of the mother) and no birth control. I can attest to early in my life during the first pregnancy I was involved in my wife had a misscarriage and when I took her to the Hospital they, in essence, gave her an abortion – otherwise her life would have been in danger. I often wonder, these days, how I would respond if I lived in Texas and this same thing happened. The people who would put her life in jeopardy are the same people behind this latest right wing “plan.”

Along with Trump 2.0 those at the Heritage Foundation who are behind Project 2025 and “Saving America by Saving the Family” believe that “Climate Change” is a hoax. They apparently don’t believe in Science. For example: The last 11 years have included the 11 warmest years observed since 1850. Also, The rate of warming has accelerated significantly, with the last few years showing a notable increase in global temperatures. This increase in temperature is primarily attributed to human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases. Earth’s temperature increase is causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, and severe storms, due to changes in humidity and shifting weather patterns. This warming affects the water cycle and disrupts the usual balance of nature, leading to significant risks for ecosystems and human life. The evidence is right in front of our faces, but these “conservatives” just refuse to accept the scientific evidence. I’m personally bracing for this year’s Hurricane season, wildfire season, and other trajic events likely to happen. There’s already massive flooding in the South – and the season’s just getting started.

When it comes to the Climate crisis China is “eating America’s lunch” – with the Chinese producing the MOST and BEST electric cars and leading in the area of solar energy. Additionally, China has the largest installed capacity of wind power in the world, significantly contributing to its renewable energy output. China’s commitment to expanding its solar capacity is reflected in its ambitious goals. The country aims to continue increasing its solar and wind generation capabilities, contributing to its status as a renewable energy superpower. Under Trump 2.0 the United States is going in the opposite (and WRONG) direction! Our domestic auto makers are shunning electric cars (EV’s) while domestic production of solar panels is not on the forefront and wind energy is totally affected in a negative way because of Trump’s stupidity. Chinese EV’s are the best cars in the world and they are not allowed to sell them in the United States. Just like years ago when our auto makers “couldn’t compete” with Japan’s fuel efficient cars now our “leaders” don’t believe GM and Ford can compete with cars made in China. They not only restrict them with tarrifs, but, basically, just won’t allow them to be sold in America. (Full disclosure: I”ve been driving an EV for over 10 years.) Trump and his puppet masters won’t be happy until they’ve taken us BACK in time to the 1950’s – or so it seems! Yikes!!!

Final Thought: Then there’s the stock market. I’m no expert on the stock market although I follow it regularly – and, it feels to me as if the bottom is about to fall out of it. For one example, there’s been a lot of talk about how (f)Elon Musk has become (at least temporarily) a “TRILLIONAIRE.” (Yep, that’s a thousand BILLIONS or a MILLION millions) So I checked out the two companies which form the bulk of his wealth. First, of course, is Tesla. Tesla’s “earnings per share” (EPS) is $1.10. Their “price to earnings ratio” is 345.19. Next is Space X. Space X’s earnings per share (PE) is MINUS $.68. That is they LOSE 68 cents for every share and, of course, they rely on government contracts for most of their income. They don’t have a price to earnings ratio because they don’t have earnings. Let’s do a bit of comparison.

Microsoft has earnings per share of $16.78 and a price to earnings ratio of 22.78. If they had the same PE as Tesla their stock would sell for something like 6 THOUSAND dollars per share (instead of $400 or so). Then there’s General Motors, a Tesla competitor, whose EPS is $2.74 and their PE ratio is 28.50. GM’s stock price is around $78 – 1/5th of Tesla’s while their earnings are double. It goes on: Amazon EPS $7.35 PER 31.66. Nvidia EPS $6.53 PER 29.48. This tells me Musk’s companies are grossly overvalued. As are, I presume, some of the “AI” companies coming online that presumably are LOSING large amounts of money. In my mind the “dam” is about to “break.” And, the Iran fiasco that includes Trump’s constant manipulating of Wall Street has a shelf life as well, to me, concerning the markets. This is why Zoram Mamdani (and the candidates he supported in the New York primary election) have gained such traction with voters. Remember 60% of Americans are working paycheck to paycheck. I can’t remember a time when the difference between Wall Street and Main Street was so great.

From my purview Trump and the BILLIONAIRES he’s connected to are beginning to run scared. Trump is referring to New York’s “Social Democrats” as “Communists” with the associated “Communist scare” tactics from the days when “we the people” were LIED into the Viet Nam War. There’s a move afoot for politicians who will work from the bottom up and for a Congress that will reverse the nearly 50 years of “tax cuts for the rich” dating from Reagan up until today. (And, of course, ALL of those tax cuts came during the years when republicans controlled the “White House.”) I’ve said for years the foundation of a fascist country is a government/corporate partnership and we’re seeing direct evidence right now in the United States. This is why it is so CRITICAL for everyone in America who wants to save this republic to VOTE in November and VOTE AGAINST republicans! Stay tuned….

I’ve been writing about the DAMAGE Trump is doing to our nation for close to 10 years now and waiting for republicans in Congress to pull a “Nixon” and inform him his time is up and he’s going to be impeached and convicted based on ALL of his “High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Well, I have to admit, I HAVEN’T been “holding my breath.” But, to me, the evidence of how PETTY Trump is – through and through – comes with his claims to be 6’3” after every physical. Apparently, he’s got doctors willing to go along with the most PETTY of LIES.

Recently, Trump claimed Xi was 6’2” (“very tall”) probably because when he stands next to Xi they appear to be about the same height. I’ve written about this before, but it galls me our “mainstream media” (MSM) seems to just “go along to get along.” In my mind, LYING about how tall you are is somewhat similar to LYING (and cheating) at golf. Trump appears to be the master at both. When I “Google” Xi’s height, the answer comes back at 5’10” or 5’11” depending on the source. Obviously, the only person suggesting he’s 6’2” is Trump – because when they stand side by side they are about the same height.

Now, I’m a year behind Trump in age and I’m now 5’11” when I was, just a few years ago, 6’2 1/2″ and I find it awkward to be looking up at my oldest daughter – but, that doesnt’ change how tall I am. I’ve written before that Trump is noticeably SHORTER than (f)Elon Musk and Musk actually is 6’2” in height. When Trump stands next to his daughter in law, Laura, who is 5’11” tall they appear to be about the same height. Yes, I’ve pontificated on this before, but it really irks me the MSM keeps looking the other way from such a ridiculous LIE. But, of course, as I’ve also said before, “When Trump’s lips are moving he’s LYING.”

As a former teacher I ran into students who were pathological LIARS and they were the most difficult for me to deal with. What I observed over the years was, even at 12 years old, if someone with a propensity to LIE about the most basic “stuff” are not confronted with their LIES they soon actually believe the LIES are “true.” And, in the case of my former (LYING) students, often times when attempting to work with the parents to mitigate the issue I would discover the parents were pathological LIARS. Those were the most challenging times I had as a sixth grade teacher (for 23 years). I can’t tell you the number of times Trump has reminded me of a spoiled sixth grader with a lack of parental guidance. The bully who is actually acting out because of a sense of emotional insecurity. That he somehow conned his way into the presidency (with 34 FELONY conictions and another 50 waiting via three indictments) does not speak well for “we the people” as voters.

I point this out once again, because the LIES which seem, at least to me, much more significant than how tall or how much Trump weighs have become a daily occurance and it seems like many of us have become numb to that reality. Just recently, Trump didn’t mess up the reflecting pool it was victimized by vandals. I’ll let you quantify the number of LIES that have come from Trump’s mouth since Bibi Netanyahu talked him into bombing Iran. (Now, his denial that Netanyahu talked him into it is, to me, a BIG LIE). How many times now have we heard the “Big LIE” of the 2020 Election? If you’ve noticed, virtually EVERY person Trump has nominated for a post requiring Senate confirmation refuses to answer the question of “who won the 2020 election.” That LIE is a prerequisite for membership in Trump’s cult.

It’s true our MSM does often refer to Trump’s LIE about the 2020 election as the “Big LIE.” The problem I have with that is that LIE is just one part of a political strategy taken right out of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Directly from Mein Kampf:

“,,,,,in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily, and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes.”

Every time I listen to a pundit on TV wondering why the republicans are so proficient at LYING, it just bugs the heck out of me. It is a form of political propaganda and, obviously, it’s very effective. However, in my view, if everytime a political leader told an obvious LIE in order to justify a significant issue – especially, as in the case of republicans repeating the same LIE almost in unison – I believe the people viewing (or listening) to whatever the LIE is should be reminded the technique comes directly from Hitler. I still remember back in the late 1980’s when Rush Limbaugh hit the radio airwaves. To me, he was the first “master” of the BIG LIE that I became aware of. Now it’s routine “strategy” of the republican party. It’s a prerequisite to become part of Trump’s cabinet.

Another of Hitler’s “techniques” adopted by Trump and republicans is projection: “Hitler discussed accusing opponents of one’s own crimes and tactics, what we now call projection. Nazi propaganda routinely accused others of propaganda while denying that Nazi messaging was propagandistic, claiming instead to simply tell truth that democratic media suppressed.” (From “History Rise” on the internet) So, from LIES about his height to accusations of vandals pealing up the paint in the reflective pool we’re not only seeing the depth of Trump’s LYING but, sadly, how “we the people” and the MSM just seem to take it in stride.

The LYING (which leads to the CHEATING and the degredation of the rule of law) will be the overriding “legacy” left behind by Trump – LYING that will leave him in the same section of our History books reserved for Benedict Arnold. Yes, I believe the man who routinely accuses his “enemies” of “treason” is himself treasonous. After all, he led an attempted coup d’etat on January 6, 2021 – and, “we the people” still voted him back in office. In the “Stormy Daniels” trial (where he was CONVICTED of 34 FELONIES) the entire focus of the trial was CHEATING to “win” in 2016. Him accusing others of “treason” is the epitome of “projection.”

Next, he’ll be LYING about his weight (238 pounds). I can tell you (sadly from my perspective) is that myself – who weighed 205 pounds a couple days ago – am right on the border of “overweight” and “obese.” So, Trump at 5’11” and 238 pounds is – well, you can figure it out. There are many people far more expert than me suggesting Trump is in (very likely) serious health decline. The bruises on his hands and neck, his awkward walking when going up and down stairs, the “kankles,” and his confusing dialogue indicate there’s something seriously wrong. However, the pathological LYING has been there from, well, as far back as I’ve been able to find. And, I’ve read books that go back to his early days all the way up to the present. It’s all been there for anyone willing to do a bit of reading – again, not a good “look” for America’s voting public. As he continues LYING about Iran I hope more and more Americans understand how serious this is. We’re facing another 2 1/2 years of this! YIkes!!!

Final Thought: If you have read this far and think what I’m saying is BS – I suggest your reading list would start with the book from his niece, Mary Trump, and then progress to the plethora of books which have been written about him from his early life up until he bacame our so-called president. After all, six BANKRUPTCIES is not a good “selling point” on one’s resume. Overt racism should NOT be a good selling point.To me, it’s a more damning reality regarding us (ie “we the people”) than it is on Trump – he’s pilfering our country for BILLIONS of $$$ and we should have known better than – especially the second time – electing a FELON who was found, by a jury, to have sexually assaulted a woman and found in another legal proceeding to have been committing serial FRAUD for a number of years – not to mention his business was found guilty of FRAUD.

The next few election cycles will be key to whether or not America can reverse the DAMAGE Trump is inflicting on our democratic republic virtually every day. I pray the “ballroom” never gets built and Trump is ordered to rebuild the “East Wing” of the “White House.” After all, he’s just a tenant. His name and photos can be removed from various D.C. buildings, but if he succeeds in building the “ballroom” and the so-called “Trump Arch” his stain will remain for years to come! (Unless a future president has the guts to have both structures torn down – and, for that matter return the “rose garden” to its previous “state.” Stay tuned!!!

This morning when I read an article on “Yahoo Finance’s” main site where Trump was talking about working out a peace deal with Iran (and, unfortunately, Israel – led by Bibi Netanyahu) he made the comment: “final negotiations on ‘peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.” My first thought was “The skunk smells his own hole first” – and then my mind went to wanting our so-called president to look in the mirror. After all, it was Trump’s “ignorance and stupidity” that got him into the “fix” he’s in right now – and that he has no idea how to get out of. Separately, he made the claim (in reference to Netanyahu) that ““I call all the shots, Netanyahu doesn’t call the shots.” This appears to confirm Trump’s sensitivity to the apparent FACT it was Netanyahu who talked him into this fiasco.

All of the “players” in this “drama” are well aware of Trump’s ignorance and his vulnerabilities. Trump is getting “played” by those who now are in charge in Iran, Netanyahu, and Vladimir Putin at a bare minimum. I have to believe Xi Jinping is also squeezing Trump when it comes to China’s near total control of the “rare earths” needed for, not only the “AI” boom and the “data centers” which are destroying communities all around America, but also the missile supply the U.S. has unloaded on Iran that needs these “rare earths” in order for the misslle supply to be replentished. And, of course, the U.S., under Trump, will fail to realize the “bomb, bomb, bomb” strategy of war is headed for extinction due to the “age of the drone.” You can count on them ordering the production of even more of the expended bombs.

Regarding the issue with Netanyahu, I’m not sure, to this day, that Trump understands how he was played. (Would that qualify as “ignorance and stupidity?”) I mean Netanyahu even bragged in front of the cameras after the assault on Iran began that he’d been trying to get a U.S. president to do this for 40 years! Maybe that was one television broadcast Trump failed to watch. As with many Americans it’s frustrating (and embarrassing) watching Trump working to manipulate markets with the “we’re almost in agreement” LIES almost on a daily basis. Before this is all resolved my instincts tell me Iran will come out the other side much stronger than where they were on February 27th, the day before the “ignorant and stupid” decision to start the bombing.

(I started this a couple weeks ago) – Well, now we’ve moved on past Trump’s “White House” Cage matches and he’s now in France, looking like “death warmed over” after an all nighter on Air Force 1 – at least that was my perception after looking at photos of him seated next to French President Macron. It’s been announced the U.S. and Iran have agreed upon a “memorandum of Understanding” (MOA) regarding the extension for 60 days of the “Cease Fire” which has been shaky, at best, with competing claims about who “won the war.” I find this just further evidence about the childish nature of those who are in charge of America’s government. In fact, the Iranians have been reported to have claimed they brought in psychologists in order to understand the ways to “play” Trump during the negotiations resulting in this agreement. They suggested Trump is mentally ill.

When I we find out what is actually in the MOA, my guess is my earlier prediction of what would be in any agreement won’t be too far from reality. I felt the Iranians would insist on a dropping of sanctions on their economy (allowing them to sell their oil freely), a return of their funds which have been frozen – apparently around $24 BILLION (What will all those who complained about Obama freeing up $1.7 BILLION on the completion of the JCPOA think? Like, for example, Lindsey Graham), The Iranians want reparations for all the DAMAGE caused from the bombing, they want assurances there won’t be more bombing (including Lebanon) and want American forces removed from the region, and, of course, they want continued control of the Strait of Hormuz. Picture the right wingers if Trump gave them even part of that “wish list.”

And, this doesn’t take into account Bibi Netanyahu and the Israeli’s. I read just yesterday the Israeli’s don’t want there to be any agreement and they don’t want there to be a connection with their war on Lebanon (Hezbollah) with any part of any agreement. In fact, they don’t want any agreement with Iran period, full stop. They want to continue the bombing of Iran and they want to turn Lebanon into another version of GAZA. (In my view, just MORE WAR CRIMES committed by Netanyahu and Israel) On the first day this MOA was announced the Israeli’s carried out MORE bombing raids into Lebanon. And, I read reports that the Israeli government has no plans to stop bombing in Lebanon. In fact, in the five days between now and the “signing ceremony” I expect the Israeli’s to attempt to undermine it – because, with the Iranians, connecting a stop in Israel’s war in Lebanon to the deal is a key part of any agreement. Honestly, I’ll be surprised if Israel doesn’t attack Lebanon in the next couple of days. (Or, maybe they’ll wait until a day or two after the signing ceremony)

Most American “experts” are pointing out how the Iranians are not to be trusted in any of this but, it appears to me, the real country that is likely to torpedo this deal will be Israel. Netanyahu, as many besides myself have been pointing out since October 7th, will likely keep the war with Iran (and HAMAS and Hezbollah) going indefinitely in order to keep himself from facing the corruption charges which have hung over his head for the past several years. It’s in his interests to blow this “peace deal” up forthwith.

When it comes to how this agreement will be received in the United States I’ll just remind you that prior to Trump (and Netanyahu) starting the bombing of Iran and February 28 the Straight of Hormuz was open, few had visualized it being closed, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (he who continues “squeezing” BILLIONS from Saudi Arabia and other Middle East Arab nations) and Steve Witcoff were supposedly “close” to an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions plus there weren’t public reports of talks about removing sanctions from Iran – or “unfreezing” their BILLIONS in frozen assets. At first glance, Iran is coming out way ahead in this war – often times conditions usually associated with WINNING! When Trump suggests this agreement should, for sure, get him the Nobel Peace Prize, I guess the response would be it’s a tough “lift” to START and then LOSE a war in order to get the prize. Will they give it to him out of appreciation to what lengths he’s willing to go to in order to “win” the award. He would then be able to say “I’m just like Obama” – now.

You have to give Trump credit for this. At the time of his ILLEGAL invasion of Iran the reporting of Trump’s alleged assault on the 13 year old girl in the Epstein files was first “ramping up.” Well, not only did he succeed in getting that issue off the front pages, but, in essence he got the Epstein files themselves off the front pages. It’s almost as if Trump is busy churning out one potential IMPEACHMENT worthy scandal every day – all while this IMPEACHMENT worthy Iran invasion has dragged on for OVER three months – in an attempt to put Epstein completely in the rear view mirror. So far, it’s worked – you don’t see much detail about Epstein these days and, I’m sure, Trump will continue to throw scandals at “we the people” in order to keep it that way. Will he succeed? Time will tell. Stay tuned…..

Final Thought: The 2026 election is getting juicy already. Mainers nominated Graham Platner as the democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, opposing Susan Collins. Platner is an everyday kind of guy and has a few issues which republicans are feasting on – but, apparently, not Mainers. I don’t often watch Fox “news” but I picked up on a segment by Kelleyanne “alternative facts” Conway. Here’s her latest “alternaive facts” regarding Platner: “Is there a magic number in the scandelabra that would make you stop?” Conway asked. “Would it have to do with Nazis or putting upon women, perhaps underage women, but definitely women, not your wife of two years? Would it be that you’re lying about that you’re insulting heroes that you’re not, he’s not even fit to lick their combat boots? So I’d ask the Democrats, is power really worth that to you? Because power for power’s sake is the definition of corruption.”

I put what she said on Fox in bold because it’s so much an example of the republican “playbook.” Trump did virtually the same thing calling Platner a “thug” and the worst example of a political candidate he’s ever seen. My suggestion for both Conway and Trump is to put Trump in front of a mirror. Platner’s “hiccups” pale in comparison to our so-called president. Platner has THIRTY FOUR fewer FELONY convictions than Trump. Platner hasn’t had sex with a porn star or a Playboy model while his present wife is nursing a baby. Platner has not been adjudicated to have sexually assaulted a woman and he hasn’t had something like 25 women accuse him of sexual assault. Platner has never publicly suggested you can grab a woman by the “pussy” because you’re famous. Platner’s business hasn’t been convicted of FELONY fraud – or he, himself, found guilty of “serial” fraud. I hope you get my point. To our so-called president – if I could advise him – “Don’t throw stones from a glass house!” And, also, in regard to the reference to the “Nazi” tatoo – Platner has not adopted the “Big Lie Theory” of the actual Nazi’s and he hasn’t been agreeable to turning America into a fascist nation! Yikes!!! I rest my case!

The stench from Trump’s corruption is so thick you’d need a razor sharp knife to cut through it. And, it’s mostly out in front of the public and is so obscene that it just keeps going on almost as if it’s the new normal. I’m going to take my time with this post – which means it’ll probably be hard to keep up with a so-called president who can’t take his hand out of the “cookie jar” and a republican controlled Congress which is unable to act to prevent virtually any of this thievery. If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know I simply work off the top of my head when writing. I don’t feel the need to do more than the minimal amount of “research” to complete each posting. This “blog” (if that’s what it is) simply represents my frustration with the direction of the country I’ve lived in for 78 years.

Over the course of that lifetime I’ve learned what the expectations of the founding documents of our nation SHOULD be (and we’ve definitely evolved over the years in the attempt to be a “more perfect union”), but also the forces which have been surreptitiously aligned to REVERSE so much of what has been gained since the “New Deal” and then the legislation from the 1960’s. (Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act) Most, in my view, of America’s “pock marks” – in our history – are centered on the treatment of “minorities.” This should be OBVIOUS to anyone who doesnt’ get their “news” from Fox, Newsmax, or any of the other right wing outlets that practice the same propaganda techniques used by the Nazi’s of the “Third Reich.”

Now we have a president (and a bunch of republican sycophants in Congress) who want to take us back in time while, at the same time, pilfering our treasury out of BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars. I have to add, virtually EVERY advancement in American History – like the 40 hour work week, women’s right to vote (more on that later) – civil rights advancements, Social Security, Medicare, etc. etc. have been initiated by LIBERALS. We’re watching the Project 2025 republicans who HATE “liberals” trying to turn us back to the 50’s. Some reports suggest these “conservatives” (BILLIONAIRES) have transfered tens of TRILLIONS from America’s taxpayers into their greedy pockets. Yikes!

By trying to list the examples of pure republican CORRUPTION (and, yes, democrats are involved as well. They just don’t think on the same scale as these republicans) I can think of off the top of my 78 year old head I hope to give anyone who might read this a reason to participate in the next NO KINGS protest and to make sure everything is in order with your voter registration so you can participate in what will hopefully be a MASSIVE rejection of these republicans in the November election (if we still have elections by then). I’ve been lamenting the fact this republican party has been heading for the “right wing cliff” over the past 20 years – almost 20 years on this site for me. And, right now, they’ve got one foot over the edge. (Both feet?)

Will November finally be the long needed “reckoning?” I truly hope so, because I feel our time is running out. We MUST NOT allow this THIEVERY in plain sight to continue! It’s time to take a stand. And, I realize many who understand what Trump is doing don’t like democrats (myself included in many instances), but the “JOB” this year is to vote AGAINST republicans – UP and DOWN the ballot. They’ve allowed (as stated above) TRILLIONS to be transfered from taxpayers to BILLIONAIRES. It’s time for a MAJOR course correction! And Trump has increased that THIEVERY exponentially. It’s grifting on steroids! (Once the republicans are in the History books, we can begin cleaning up the democrats) Following are a few of the most egregious examples:

The “weaponization” slush fund is as good as anyplace to start. Trump wants to pilfer almost $1.8 BILLION from us taxpayers to re-route to the 1600 INSURRECTIONISTS (Including those found guilty of Sedition AND the “cop beaters”) who were pardoned on “day one.” About the only “day one” promise Trump actually kept. (The Ukraine war continues and Israel’s war against HAMAS and Hezbollah continues a year and a half later – plus food prices and gas prices are going in the opposite direction of Trump’s promises – also for “day one” – reminder: Mexico was going to pay for the wall) Not only is the plan for these INSURRECTIONISTS to receive MILLIONS, but also people like Mike Lindell (the pillow guy), Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, and even Trump himself. (The courts and Congress are stopping this, but Trump and Blanche have a workaround. They’re going to find a way to send taxpayer funds to the cop beaters of January 6th!)

Plus, Trump had his personal lawyer er Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche throw in a guaranee neither Trump, nor anyone in his family, or his business organization could face charges of tax fraud. The proposed slush fund aims to forever prohibit the IRS from initiating any audits or claims against Donald Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization based on previous tax filings, effectively shielding them from scrutiny regarding tax fraud. Apparently, there’s about $100 MILLION at stake. But, hey – that only amounts to a grift of about $2 BILLION taxpayer dollars, including the above mentioned “slush fund,” going to some really creepy thugs. (In the case of Trump’s illegal “tax holiday” I believe the next administration can simply undo it because it’s not put in place by an act of Congress)

OK now for the crypto bs: Donald Trump has been linked to significant financial gains from cryptocurrency ventures, reportedly amassing a fortune exceeding $1.2 billion through various schemes, in just the first two years of Trump 2.0, including licensing his name to crypto tokens and promoting his own meme coin. (I don’t even know what they are) His administration has also been criticized for rolling back regulations and dropping investigations into crypto firms, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and corruption and selling “crypto” pardons.

“The combination of Trump’s financial gains from cryptocurrency and the regulatory environment during his presidency has led to significant scrutiny. Many experts and critics view this as a troubling example of how political power can intersect with personal profit, undermining ethical standards in governance.” Do ya think???

The trading in the stock market – 3700 trades in the first QUARTER of this year – how ethical is that? President Donald Trump disclosed last week that he binged on corporate stocks earlier this year, when he and his administration were promoting or conducting business with some of those same companies, and a new report suggests the president knew the details of the trades.

The 79-year-old so-called president personally signed a 112-page federal financial disclosure document May 8 disclosing that he executed more than 3,700 individual stock trades between January and March, and his signature certified that he has full knowledge of his stock holdings, reported NOTUS. This version of Trump’s CORRUPTION amounted to tens of MILLIONS of profit. Nice work if you can get it!

The Iran fiasco and the open manipulation of markets – this kind of gets back to his stock market CORRUPTION. He’s got himself into a war he has no idea how to get out of without proving what a LOSER he really is – so, almost every day for the past month or so it’s “We’re really close to an agreement to end the war.” Stock market goes up, oil prices come down. After a day or so, “rinse and repeat.” And, of course, Wall Street continues to fall for it and “bathe” in their record profits – while those of us on “Main Street” continue to suffer through a terrible economy. We, recently, watched Xi Jinping look on smuggly as Trump continually threw him adoration – with Xi giving Trump NOTHING for his long ride home – and, of course, the leaders of Iran realize they have Trump “where the hair is short” and they’ll be “twisting the knife” as Trump begs them for some kind of “peace deal.”

I’m anticipating the Iranians getting sanction relief, BILLIONS in the release of siezed Iranian assets, reparations for the damage caused by the bombing, and continued control of the Straight of Hormuz – via tolling. My guess is the Iranians will agree to allow the U.S. to come dig up the rubble over their uranium assets buried in last year’s bombing raids so that Trump can claim total victory. The only people in the WORLD who will NOT be laughing at him will be the MAGA’s who watch Fox “news,” Newsmax, etc. The bottom line here is it will be the Iranians calling the shots.

The “boys” and their putting their hands into the “pie” – for this one I’m just doing a bit of copying and pasting – it’s too involved for me to type it all out and, to be honest, I can’t keep up with Erik and Don Jr. – like their dad they’re following the old adage from when I was doing a bit of farming: “Make hay while the sun shines!” – here we go”

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., have engaged in a variety of business activities across multiple sectors. Below is an overview of their key ventures.

Investments in Defense Technology

• Drone Production:
  • Both Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have invested in domestic drone production companies.
  • They are notable investors in Powerus Corporation, which focuses on supporting American drone industry dominance through domestic manufacturing.
  • Eric Trump is also involved with an Israeli drone maker, Xtend, which has secured contracts with the U.S. Department of “War.”

Cryptocurrency and Financial Services

• World Liberty Financial:
  • This financial and cryptocurrency company is majority-owned by the Trump family and has been a significant part of their business strategy.
• American Bitcoin:
  • Founded by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., this venture is aimed at capitalizing on the growing cryptocurrency market.

Other Business Activities

• Trump Organization:
  • Both sons continue to play prominent roles in the Trump Organization, overseeing various aspects of the family business while their father is in office.
• Advisory Roles:
  • Donald Trump Jr. has joined the boards of several companies, including Unusual Machines and BlinkRx, which have benefited from their association with the Trump family.
  • And, I haven’t even gotten to Jared Kushner – who, it appears to me, set up the Iranians in the guise of negotiating a new nuclear weapons agreement. Kushner was soliciting funds from Gulf Arab states for his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, while serving as a U.S. government negotiator in the Middle East. Kushner served as the Special Envoy for Peace, negotiating U.S. foreign policy. While negotiating for the U.S. he sought to raise $5 billion from Gulf Arab states, including meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. These Trump “boys” seem to be much more CORRUPT than Hunter Biden. But, where are the republicans who were so worried about Hunter’s role on the Board of Ukrainian Energy company Burisma? And $5 MILLION? Doesn’t this Trump/Kushner CORRUPTION make Biden look like an amateur?

Trump slapping his name and image “everywhere” – Since the start of his second term in January 2025, Donald Trump has placed his name on several locations, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Additionally, he announced the commissioning of “Trump-class” battleships. He’s putting his signature on U.S. currency, he’s putting his name on National park passes, he’s soon to have his mug shot on U.S. passports, and this doesn’t account for him hanging banners with his mug shot on it across many of Washington D.C.’s iconic buildings. Thankfully, a federal judge recently ordered he take his name off the Kennedy Center unless Congress approves the change. We are discovering America has a lot of courageous judges – of course, excluding six of the justices on the SCOTUS.

Trump LYING about his height (apparently he weighs 238 pounds) – once again, after Trump’s most recent physical it was reported he’s 6 foot 3 and 238 pounds. Last year I started looking at Trump next to others in photos and came to the conclusion he’s around 5 feet 11. The first time I started checking this out was when he was standing next to (f)Elon Musk – who is reported to be 6 feet 2 inches tall. Musk clearly towers over Trump when they are side by side. Then, just recently when Trump was in China standing next to Xi Jinping they appeared to be around the same height – Xi is reported to be 5 feet 11 inches tall. Then Trump, next to his daughter-in-law Laura Trump in photos, they appear to be about the same height as well. She’s also 5 feet 11 inches tall. Look, I’m 78 and have shrunk around 3 1/2 inches over the past few years – it comes with the territory of getting OLD. Trump can’t seem to accept he’s not even 6 feet tall any more. And, trust me, that 238 pounds is something to be a bit concerned with. Next thing you know, Chris Christie is going to accuse Trump of obesity!

French President Macron is said to be 5’7″ or 5’8″ Trump is bairly taller (but much heavier!) Sorry, couldn’t figure out how to make the image larger!

Partnership with Heritage Foundation (Project 2025 and “Saving America by Saving the family”) I’ve been writing about the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” since well before the 2024 election. I have repeatedly referred to it as a “roadmap to fascism.” It is the mechanism that is allowing all this CORRUPTION. They are benefiting from the CORRUPTION as well. (Obviously, America’s Oligarchs are gaining far more than the Trump family – making their “investments” pay exponential “dividends.” The most obvious example is Musk. He “invested” around $300 MILLION to get Trump elected and his net worth has tripled since he threw those Sieg Hiels at Trump inauguration party. (with, it seems, few even noticing or caring) Musk is now worth a reported $750 BILLION – attempting to be the first “TRILLIONAIRE.” (News Flash, Musk is now a TRILLIONAIRE! – That’s a THOUSAND Billions!) Once again, “nice work if you can get it.” Regarding the “Saving America by Saving the Family” I would refer you to my previous post which was written by Thom Hartmann. In a nut shell, Those at Heritage want to take away the right to vote from women, they want to ban all forms of abortion and birth control, and they want women back in the kitchen during the day while making babies at night! And, I’m not kidding! (And, of course, they want to ban things like Gay sex, Gay marriage, and Trans rights)

Plane from Qatar – a $400 MILLION gift (or should I say grift, or better yet, bribe?) to our so-called president which is a bit over the limits of the emoluments clause of the constitution. The Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution prohibit the president from accepting any gifts, emoluments, or titles from foreign states without congressional consent and restrict the president from receiving any other emolument from the United States beyond a fixed salary. (He gets to keep this plane when “we the people” get the end to this nightmare) These clauses are designed to prevent corruption and undue influence from foreign powers and domestic entities. Oops! on both fronts. Trump considers the constituion an annoyance and our republican legislature willfully allows him to get away with it. Do you think HIS Department of Justice will object to any of this grifting? Keep in mind it’s costing a reported BILLION dollars to remove “stuff” from the plane that might allow someone, say the Qatari’s, from monitoring our president and to turn the plane into a “White House” with wings. Ugh!!!

The “free” Ballroom – and NOW the “free” ballroom is apparently in need of an infusion of a BILLION taxpayer dollars – in addition to the $400 MILLION in bribes paid by America’s leading corporations? (OK, bribes is a strong word, but do you think these corporate OLIGARCHS are shoveling all this money Trump’s way with nothing expected in return? If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge……….) Republicans are attempting to force this $1 BILLION through as part of a reconciliation bill they are proposing that throws more taxpayer dollars ICE’s way – with no “strings” attached – but the Senate Parlimentarian wont allow it. (Trump’s immediate response was the republican Senators should FIRE her) Once again, it appears this “free ballroom” will only cost “we the people” a cool BILLION. The fact polls say an overwhelming majority of Americans are pissed Trump tore down the East Wing of the “White House” and want nothing to do with this ostentatious ballroom means nothing to him (all he cares about is that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon – wink wink). OK, if you’ve read this far you’ll agree, I’m sure, that’s enough. But, I’ll say it again, Trump’s CORRUPTION is so thick you’d need a sharp knife to cut through it!

Final Thought: After all this here’s the definition of Nacissistic Personality disorder from the Mayo Clinic:

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention (try to force yourself to watch/listen to one of his cabinet meetings) and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.

Does that define Trump? You be the judge! Stay tuned…..