Elon Musk

Illinois Democratic Governor J B Pritzker Throws The Gauntlet Down To Donald Trump!

Ronald Leave a comment

Illinois Democratic Governor J B Pritzker has thrown down the gauntlet to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and MAGA Republicans.

In a speech in New Hampshire, Pritzker said it is time for Democrats to engage in mass protests, mobilization, and disruption, and not give Republicans a moment of peace.

The cruelty and callousness of Trump, Musk, and MAGA Republicans must be confronted directly and constantly.

Pritzker was NOT calling for violence, as White House Deputy Chief Of Staff Stephen Miller stated, as the reaction of the Trump Administration to the speech.

But Americans have the First Amendment right to march, demonstrate, hold the Trump Administration accountable in mass gatherings, as they did in the past, including most notably in the era of the Vietnam War!

Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, is totally correct and inspiring, and he has been seen as a potential candidate for the Presidency in 2028, and with his Jewish heritage, he would mark a new direction if he were the party’s nominee.

A Half Century Since End Of Vietnam War, A Continuing Tragedy!

Ronald 3 Comments

It is difficult to conceptualize that the most divisive moment in American history since the Civil War, the Vietnam War, ended fifty years ago tomorrow.

The tragic escape from the US Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, by the American military and diplomatic personnel, and many South Vietnamese trying to make it onto the helicopters, and many falling to their deaths, marked the end of an involvement by the US, lasting 20 years.

This caused the greatest loss of American lives, other than the Civil War and the two World Wars, a total of 58,000 American military personnel.

An involvement in the war begun by Harry Truman providing military and economic aid to France, beginning in 1950;

followed by about 2,000 “advisers”, under Dwight D. Eisenhower;

an escalation to 16,500 soldiers, including Green Beret combat forces, under John F. Kennedy;

a massive escalation to a final total of 549,500 soldiers in March 1968, under Lyndon B. Johnson;

and very slow withdrawal and dragged out combat until a peace agreement was finalized in March 1973, under Richard Nixon;

and then, the final collapse of South Vietnam by April 1975, under Gerald Ford.

The war divided the nation, as it was the greatest division since the Civil War, and so many survivors’ lives from the war effort suffered dearly, and many of them became victims for years after in so many ways, including those still alive fifty years later!

The nation owes a debt to these surviving veterans, which has never been fully repaid, and now, with cuts in the US Department of Veterans Affairs under Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, the failure to follow through on proper treatment and benefits will be a continuing tragedy!

Trump Cancellation Of Federal Funding Of National History Day Contest A Step Too Far! :(

Ronald 11 Comments

Donald Trump cannot go low enough, as now National History Day, a contest that involves hundreds of thousands of students in a competition for the best history project, conducted annually in June, is no longer being financially supported by the federal government

This is part of the gutting of the long operating National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment For The Arts, first initiated 60 years ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society!

It is clear that nothing is too low for the Trump Administration in the mad dash to cut spending through Elon Musk and the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and allow massive tax cuts fot the wealthy to go through to law!

The 119th Congress, with a slim Republican majority, is on the road to destruction of much of federal government programs, without any regard for the damage that is being wrought!

In Two Days, Trump Has Destroyed Tens Of Millions’ Economic Security!

Ronald 11 Comments

In just two days, Donald Trump has destroyed tens of millions’s economic security, with his Tariff Wars on the entire world, except, interestingly, for such authoritarian governments as the Russian Federation, Cuba, North Korea, and Belarus!

People’s retirement accounts and economic well being, regarding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and so much else, are being systematically destroyed by the extremist right wing assault headed by Elon Musk, with Donald Trump’s endorsement.

THe nation and the world are in the grips of a maniacal, dangerous tyrant, who seems to have no concern for the damage he has wrought!

One of his unnamed White House aides used the F word, to say Donald Trump did not give a F—-about anyone who opposed what is doing, and that he is not going to change course.

This is a massive domestic and worldwide crisis that undermines everything decent that the United States has promoted and believed in!

Democrats, including Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy,—and Republicans, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Chuck Grassley, Don Bacon—are sounding the alarm, and Congress must unite with Democrats and a handful of Republicans to stop the dangerous, destructive tariff wars that are undermining the American economy and well being of its citizens, as well as the world at large!

Jeff Bezos, The Washington Post, And Eugene Robinson And Ruth Marcus

Ronald 2 Comments

The Washington Post, considered one of the two best, most complete and informative “national” newspapers, alongside the NY Times, has lost two top columnists who served decades and transformed journalism.

Eugene Robinson and Ruth Marcus were the “cream of the crop” in political journalism, but the Washington Post owner, Jeff Bezos, also owner of Amazon, and the second wealthiest billionaire behind Elon Musk, has chosen to emasculate the opinion pages of the newspaper,caving in to Donald Trump!

The Washington Post will survive without Robinson and Marcus, but it will lose credibility and legitimacy in many corners, and will undermine the pursuit of truth and facts.

This is a clear and present danger to American democracy and the rule of law!

The Attack On Social Security By Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Absolutely Despicable! :(

Ronald 6 Comments

It is extremely disconcerting and highly outrageous that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick ridiculed the idea that Americans would be upset if Social Security was not paid on time monthly in the future.

Lutnick said only “fraudsters” would be upset, and that his 94 year old mother in law would not complain if Social Security missed her monthly payment, as she would consider it a mistake and wait patiently for the next month!

Of course Howard Lutnick is a multibillionaire who can easily help his mother in law, but millions of people depend on Social Security for their survival, and have worked and earned what they gain in their old age or if disabled!

Elon Musk may call Social Security “A Ponzi Scheme”, but it is anything BUT that!

A personal note here, that I knew Howard Lutnick’s father 50 years ago before his death from cancer in 1979, as he was an historian of the American Revolution at my undergraduate alma mater, Queens College of the City University of New York.

I can assert as quite likely, knowing Sol Lutnick, a good man, that he would be furious if he knew that his son was so mean spirited, so selfish, so outrageous, so cocky, so infuraiting as Howard Lutnick is!

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski: A Profile In Courage, Principle, And Decency!

Ronald 4 Comments

The Republican Party in the 1970s had members of Congress who spoke up against the abuses of power under President Richard Nixon, most notably the Watergate Scandal.

Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater (Mr. Conservative); Pennsylvania Senator Hugh Scott (Minority Leader); and Arizona House Minority Leader John Rhodes all showed true statesmanship, by going to the White House and telling Nixon that he would not survive an impeachment trial.

Sadly, fifty years later, Republicans in Congress, with a very few exceptions, refused to take action against the abuses of Donald Trump in his first term.

And now, in his second term, and being much more abusive and law breaking in just two months in office, almost all Republicans in Congress are overlooking what is going on, as they are terrified that Elon Musk will “primary” them for their next election, if they dare to speak up on principle against Trump.

At a difficult time like this, there is at least one major exception to this cowardice, and that is Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been in office since 2002, and won reelection as an Independent in 2010 against Republican and Democratic Senate opponents. She voted to impeach Trump in his second trial in 2021. She has managed to be truly courageous, principled, decent, and honorable, and speaks her mind, and has been criticized by Trump and Musk, but she carries on with no fear.

Mirkowski has great respect from Alaska voters, and at a difficult time such as now, she is a rare case of someone who will speak her mind, and criticize and oppose Trump, unafraid to condemn his abuses of power.

So Lisa Murkowski is a true “Profile in Courage”, and if another book, such as the one published by Senator John F. Kennedy in 1956 on courageous Senators is ever published in the future, Murkowski should head Chapter One!

Chuck Schumer “Cave In” To Trump And Republicans A Disaster! :(

Ronald 10 Comments

Sadly, Senate Minority Leader, and formerly Senate Majority Leader in the recent past, Chuck Schumer of New York, allowed himself to cave in to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and other Republicans to support a Continuing Resolution to avoid shutdown of the government through September 30.

This action on his part, plus that of eight other Democrats and Independent Angus King of Maine, has caused an uproar in the Democratic Senate caucus, and there is discussion of challenging Schumer’s leadership, possibly removing him as Minority Leader.

Schumer could face a primary challenge in 2028 from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to comment when asked about what Schumer and others did, but it was clear he was very upset.

The Democrats, sadly, are ineffective so far on the issue of how to deal with Trump and Musk, and the danger to the Republic is really alarming, with no easy answer as to strategy.

Republican Congressional Sycophants: A Disgrace To Their Oaths! :(

Ronald 6 Comments

It is shocking and a disgrace beyond all belief that the Republican Party in both houses of Congress is acting in a totally sycophantic matter!

No matter what Donald Trump and Elon Musk say or do is accepted without protest, except by a very small number of Congressional Republicans.

No matter how cruel and inhumane and uncaring Trump and Musk are, it has little to no effect on the party that once stood for strong conservative principles, but now has become the equivalent of a Fascist Party!

History will not look kindly on these Republicans who seem to have no concern about the damage perpetrated daily and long term on both the American economy and all domestic programs, and the terrifying swing toward a pro Russian foreign policy, unprecedented in American diplomacy.

Trump and Musk have no issue with antagonizing our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, and the European Union and NATO, as well as our Asian allies.

This is a literal nightmare with no end in sight!

Major Disaster In the Making, If Medicaid And Food Stamps Are Gutted By Congressional Republicans!

Ronald 34 Comments

President Lyndon B. Johnson, as part of the Great Society reforms of the mid 1960s, accomplished the passage of Medicaid and Food Stamps, two programs to help sustain the poor, seniors, the disabled, children, and pregnant women of all backgrounds.

A myth that is popular out there in the right wing fantasy world is that only minorities–African Americans and Latinos–benefit from these programs, and nothing could be further from the truth!

But even if that was so, should not America assist those of racial minorities who have not been given a “fair shake” in society?

But the reality is that the majority of those who benefit from Medicaid and Food Stamps are white Americans, many of them rural Americans, not just urban minorities, as the myth would have it.

A total of 72 million Americans depend on Medicaid, and 42 million on Food Stamps.

Should not the nation help poor and deprived people to be able to afford nutritional food, and should not the nation insure that health care is available, to prolong lives of those less fortunate and prosperous?

Should not those who call themselves “good Christians” support such programs, rather than give massive tax cuts to the super rich who do not need it, and already pay far too little to support the nation?

And these super rich Americans will not be harmed by paying more taxes, as their interest on their massive wealth makes up for whatever taxes they might pay!

So why cannot Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and the multitude of others who have become super wealthy, be patriotic enough to contribute to the advancement of American society, and care about the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and other groups that struggle for survival every day?

Donald Trump and the Republican Party are heartless and selfish, and have no concern for the damage that is occurring, and this is insufferable and unacceptable!