Month: December 2024

Jimmy Carter, A True Christian!

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There is so much Christian hypocrisy by most politicians, who fail to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Racism, Nativism, Misogyny, Anti Semitism, and just plain hypocrisy is the norm for most Republicans and conservatives.

And then there was Jimmy Carter, who was a “true Christian” in his commitment to make life better for his fellow human beings.

Carter spent his life, particularly 44 years in retirement, promoting the protection and advancement of his fellow human beings, not just in America but worldwide.

So when he won the Nobel Peace Prize, long overdue in 2002, it was a true testimonal to a great man, who set an example that should be followed by all, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist!

Jimmy Carter’s Historic Foreign Policy Accomplishments!

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Now that Jimmy Carter has passed away, the true analysis of his Presidency can begin, in a way it could not do, while he was still alive.

Just as Harry Truman’s death led to “Truman Mania” over the next five to ten years, the same will happen in the next decade for Carter, and his historical ranking will rise from the mid 20s to the top 20, possibly as high as number 15, the top one third.

Carter’s foreign policy accomplishments are massive, most the case with the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, accomplished only after 13 tortorous days, between Menachem Begin of Israel, and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, with Carter’s prodding.

But also, there are other major foreign policy accomplishments, including the Panama Canal Treaties, recognition of the Chinese government after 30 years of refusing to do so, and promotion of human rights as a factor in foreign policy.

Carter will look as a giant in retrospect, despite the Iran Hostage problem, which although disturbing, led to the ultimate freedom of American hostages, rather than their deaths. And the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, while seen as a negative for Carter, actually, in the long run led to the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Carter will shine in the future as compared to the many foreign policy disasters of Republicans Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump!

Death Of Jimmy Carter A Tragic Moment In US HIstory

Ronald 2 Comments

The news of the passing of Jimmy Carter at age 100 is a shock, even though it was clearly expected.

It brings this blogger and author to tears, which he has rarely had about public figures, with the exception of Hubert Humphrey in 1978 being an exception.

This was a most decent, compassionate, genuine man, who was never appreciated in his time in office, due to the difficult circumstances that would have plagued Gerald Ford, had he remained in office.

Carter was a victim of events that no one could have predicted or reacted to in a different way, despite what the critics say.

Due to the emotional state the author is in right now, I will write more about this tragic event in future days.

I will just say that it is fortunate that Joe Biden, a decent man like Carter, will be in charge of eulogies at his funeral, as Donald Trump, likely, would not even show up, or have anything decent to say about the contributions of the 39th President.

Carter, despite his shortcomings in office, is rated in the mid 20s among Presidents, while Donald Trump is rated in the bottom few, and often as the worst President in American history.

And despite coming back to power, Donald Trump is likely to add to his evil stature historically, and do great harm to American domestic and foreign policy in the next four years, putting America into a weakened position.

The tragedy of Carter’s death and Trump’s election will be seen as one of the greatest tragedies of American history in the long run.

Back From Rome, Italy Vacation To True Madness!

Ronald 20 Comments

This author and blogger has been away on vacation for two weeks, taking a well deserved break and hitting the mark of being 80 years old.

Part of that vacation was traveling to Rome, Italy with my older son to experience the heritage of the Roman Empire, and it was very enlightening, and revealing, how what happened to Rome in ancient times seems to be happening in America in the 21st century, a sense of true madness!

The fact that we are seeing the conflict between MAGA Republicans and technocrats, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, makes clear that we are headed toward total chaos and anarchy.

The two factions, one very racist, misogynist, and nativist, clashes with the billionaires which include people of color and foreign birth in the battle for control of future policy.

The idea that Donald Trump is threatening to take control of the Panama Canal, given back by treaty under Jimmy Carter, and taking place in 2000, is astounding.

The repeated desire of Trump to take over Greenland from Denmark, and to suggest all of Canada as the 51st state is mind boggling.

The growing threat to journalism and freedom of the press of all kinds, including comedy, and also commentary, even by bloggers like this author, is stunning.

With only 23 days until Joe Biden leaves office, and Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office, there is a sense of foreboding that one wonders about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence only 18 months away!

Lack Of Principle And Guts Of So Many Republicans Disillusioning!

Ronald 59 Comments

This author and blogger is so disillusioned at the lack of principle and guts of so many Republican Senators, as it seems more likely by the day that there will be little, if any, opposition to any of the most controversial Donald Trump Cabinet nominees.

By all reasonable judgment, the nominations of:

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

should be rejected for a multitude of reasons.

And this does not include another objectionable nominee, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security.

But at least four Senators would have to be willing to gamble their future and vote against, and that seems now highly unlikely.

Those most considered possible to oppose some, if not all, of these nominees, would include:

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Susan Collins of Maine
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
John Curtis of Utah (newly elected to succeed Mitt Romney)

Some other Republican Senators are also seen as possible holdouts, but not as likely as these four.

And even among these four, the truth is that Susan Collins is unreliable, and Mitch McConnell, despite his plans to retire, and his contempt for Donald Trump, cannot be considered in any way likely to vote against any of these nominees, when push comes to shove.

Murkowski and Curtis seem more likely, but the pressure on them and other Republicans is intense. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who first seemed likely to oppose Pete Hegseth, is now receiving blowback with her reelection race coming up in 2026, and Collins also faces reelection two years from now.

So the odds are that Trump will get all of his controversial Cabinet appointments confirmed, and the nation will face a Presidential cabinet with a number of ill qualified, and in some cases, totally terrifying, and reprehensible individuals who will undermine America and its population for the next four years at a minimum.

So this blogger and author is taking a break, escaping from the morass we are in, and will be back near the end of the year!

Mass Pardons To January 6 Insurrectionists, And Potential Prosecution Of January 6 House Committee Members Beyond The Pale!

Ronald 10 Comments

Donald Trump’s declaration that he will give mass pardons to January 6 Insurrectionists at the US Capitol; and his promotion of the prosecution of all of the January 6 House Committee members who investigated and exposed the whole story of that tragic day, is beyond the pale!

It will insure that Donald Trump, already in the bottom five, and in many cases, dead last, in assessments of Presidents by historians, political scientists, and others, will remain solidly last in the rankings of Presidents!

It will stain him for all time with being the most corrupt, most abusive of the rule of law and the Constitution, of any President, and far more than even Richard Nixon.

It will undermine American democracy as we come up to the 250th anniversary of the American Republic!

A poll was taken about giving pardons to the insurrrectionists, and by vast margins, college educated, Democrats, African Americans, Latinos, urban, and young voters are opposed.

It will be a very obscene day when Trump shows that he has no respect for the loss of life and limb, and destruction of property, that occurred on January 6, 2021, one of the darkest days in American history, alongside December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001!

Murder Of United Health Care Insurance Executive Screams For Total National Health Care By Government!

Ronald 11 Comments

The sad, tragic murder of a United Health Care executive by a disgruntled young man is a cry in the night for massive reform of health care insurance.

Unfortunately, the health care industry, being so profit driven, does not do well by millions upon millions of consumers.

The Republican Party and Donald Trump are so oriented toward “unbridled capitalism” that they will not take action.

The Democrats, who were the party that promoted Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and similar legislation, are instead, constantly attacked, as Republicans and conservatives continue to wish to destroy the great accomplishments of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Barack Obama.

The argument that the United States is “better” than most European countries and Japan on health care is a massive lie, but all that needs to be said is that the nation does not want “socialism”, even though it works, and there is a more humane system in many industrial nations around the world.

The profit motive should not be the dominant factor it is in deciding who gets health care, and how they receive it!

Trump And Nation To Be Confronted With Massive Foreign Policy Issues Immediately Upon Inauguration On January 20!

Ronald 7 Comments

Like it or not, Donald Trump is going to face massive foreign policy issues immediately upon inauguration six weeks from today.

Trump has said the downfall of Bashar Al Assad in Syria is not our business.

But it changes the balance of power in the Middle East, and with the continuation of the Israel-Gaza War and the involvement of both Russia and Iran in the area, the ability of the United States to wish to ignore the problems is not reality!

Additionally, the Russia-Ukraine War is a crucial issue, with Trump seemingly ready to abandon Ukraine, which will undermine NATO.

Trump’s pledge to put high tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada will also upend our foreign relations, if followed through to fruition.

And, of course, China and North Korea remain difficult nations to deal with in international affairs.

The national security and stability of world affairs is dependent on an engaged America.

This brings up the inadequacies of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, and Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence, as both are totally ill-equipped for the challenges ahead.

So the Republican Senate must work to undermine Trump’s choices and force him to select individuals that are competent and qualified to be in charge of our defense and intelligence agencies, which are there to keep America safe.

The Gilded Age Returns: Dominance Of Billionaires In Trump Cabinet!

Ronald 3 Comments

It is quite clear that the “Gilded Age” of the late 19th century is returning under Donald Trump, with more than a dozen billionaires being part of his cabinet and as advisers, including most notably, although unofficially, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The agenda is clear, to have massive tax cuts that will mostly benefit the super rich, with small tax savings for the rest of the nation.

And corporations will, sadly, dominate political discourse, and the aim seems to be to weaken or destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Therefore, the well being of every day Americans is coming under attack, with no regard for the damage that will be wrought.

It seems clear that many of the American voters who supported Donald Trump, out of ignorance and stupidity, will soon regret their decision, and realize that life will be more tough for them than they could have imagined.

It should lead to a reaction with the hope that Democrats will have the opportunity to regain control of the House of Representatives and the US Senate in 2026.

But a lot of the damage that will have been done will likely be very hard, if at all impossible, to reverse, particularly with an extremist right wing Supreme Court.

83rd Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor, And Donald Trump Foreign Policy Views The Greatest Threat Since Then!

Ronald 7 Comments

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, the 83rd Anniversary of the Japanese attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which brought America into World War II.

Isolationist and “America First” mentality had brought America into a naive view about world affairs, and America was caught off guard.

We are now in danger of that occurring eight decades later, with the isolationist and supernationalist mentality of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Just as many public figures before 1941 made excuses for Japanese aggression in the Pacific and Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe, to our detriment, now we have Donald Trump and his lunatic followers who would rather “trust” authoritarian dictators than to enforce alliances against them.

So we have apologists for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, who wish Ukraine to just surrender.

And we have belief that other authoritarian dictators around the world can be our “friends”, while moving toward aggressive reactions to our territorial shared neighbors of Mexico and Canada, and are ready to use protective tariffs, which were a major cause of the Great Depression against major trade partners other than Mexico and Canada.

And the signs are that after having formed NATO in 1949 which kept the peace and promoted stability in Europe, as well alliances with Asian nations that did the same, that now we are ready to repudiate such alliances, and promote being close to authoritarian leaders around the world.

This is pure suicide and insanity, but Donald Trump and his minions are totally ignorant and clueless on international affairs and national security.

And we seem ready to put a dangerous woman, Tulsi Gabbard, in charge as Director of National Intelligence, who has cozied up to Vladimir Putin and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, undermining our ability to defend our nation.

The prayer is that America will wake up from the repeat of history of 80-90 years ago, and secure American national security, but the likelihood is just the opposite, to the detriment of all Americans!