September 11 2001

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!

61st Anniversary Of JFK Assassination: It Still Hurts!

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As I write this blog entry, the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy arrives, the most tragic event of my lifetime until September 11, 2001!

A young, vibrant, charismatic, good looking young President, murdered at a time when there was hope and optimism about the future of America.

This is very different than the present sense of pessimism and dread that millions of Americans feel after the nation has put into the White House a man who represents the worst elements of the American experience.

The fact that two women–Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris–who represented the sense of hope and change that Kennedy represented six decades ago, lost to Trump is very much a source of disappointment.

It is not as if John F. Kennedy was perfect or had a perfect rcord in office, but he inspired millions by being the youngest elected President in American history.

And the fact that his nephew, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has so damaged the historical memory of both his father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was also taken from the nation by assassination, and his uncle, by his horrendous and lunatic conspiracy theories about health and medicine, is tragic.

And the fact that RFK Jr. is about to work with Donald Trump in undermining the health care system, makes the anniversary of the JFK Assassination more depressing than ever before.

Kamala Harris MSNBC Interview With Stephanie Ruhle A Homerun On Substance!

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It has been two months since Kamala Harris began her Presidential race, having a late start, and many critics saying she was not being specific on policy, and not agreeing to interviews.

The idea that a new campaign could please all critics overnight was preposterous, and meanwhile, Kamala Harris’s public opinion rating has improved by 16 points in two months, the most since George W. Bush after September 11, 2001!

Harris has been very busy and committed, and has come across as a charming, knowledgeable, intelligent, and very likeable woman, who is surging ahead in polls against Republican nominee Donald Trump, after being ridiculed and underrated by those who thought she should not be the Democratic nominee.

The fact that Harris stayed in the background as Vice President was misunderstood, as no Vice President would be so bold as to try to draw attention away from the President who they serve.

Harris was involved in all policy making and shares the successes of President Joe Biden, and now she has been interviewed on MSNBC by Stephanie Ruhle, a very impressive performance with precise details on her economic plans, and making clear how she is a great alternative to the flailing and incoherent Donald Trump.

Harris has hit a homerun, and anyone who avoids being prejudiced against her because she is a woman and of mixed race Black and Asian Indian ancestry, would have to accept that Harris has proved her mettle, and that she is well qualified for the Oval Office, and will save the nation from the Fascist demagoguery of Donald Trump!

Horrifying Division In America Over The Israel-Gaza Tragedy!

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The shocking Hamas attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip last weekend has caused horrifying division in America over the Israel-Gaza tragedy!

We have seen some young American Jews in law schools and universities denounce Israel, causing a split among American Jews.

We have seen Arab Americans in colleges and universities, and in major American cities, march and demonstrate against American Jews and Israel, and there have been reports of physical assaults by Arab Americans and Israeli supporters against each other, requiring more law enforcement buildup in major urban centers.

There is growing fear of open bloodshed and loss of life occurring as the upcoming invasion of Gaza City by the Israelis begins in the coming days, as Israel has made it clear it will stop at no restraints to destroy Hamas and its terrorist network.

In so doing, Israel may be engaged in the future in violation of international law and basic human rights, and likely to cause massive death and destruction of a captive population which has nowhere to go, and large numbers not supportive of the Hamas terrorism.

Massive loss of life in the Middle East is feared, and already, Israel’s loss of life from the dastardly attack on October 7 and since is the equivalent of 10 September 11’s, as if 30,000 had been killed on September 11, 2001, instead of 3,000!

The war could expand to include all of the nations of the Middle East, including the villainous Iran, and with possible supportive backing by other rivals of the United States and Israel, including Russia and North Korea!

Those who are pessimistic see a gloomy future, and the thoughts of an expanded war make some imagine that we might be on the cusp of World War III!

The Most Historic Turning Point Trial For American Democracy’s Survival!

Ronald 2 Comments

American democracy’s survival is the crucial point for all Americans to understand, as Donald Trump, now indicted for the third time, in the most crucial of all cases, will face justice sometime in 2024.

If he fails to be convicted, it will mean that the concept of the rule of law has been destroyed, and it will cause the death of the American experiment two years short of its 250th anniversary in 2026!

If Donald Trump gets away with the abuse of power, what can stop either him or a future authoritarian tyrant from doing it again, and leading to violence, bloodshed, and potential civil war?

America’s place in the world will be compromised if Donald Trump is not convicted, and it will embolden Russia, China, North Korea and Iran to exploit the result, and destroy NATO and our other alliances around the world!

This upcoming trial is one of the crucial moments in American history, alongside the Civil War; the Great Depression; entrance into World War II; the Cuban Missile Crisis; and the September 11 attacks!

Those who continue to defend Donald Trump will go down as villains in American history, their reputations besmirched for a man who has no concerns except for himself!

California Open Senate Seat Requires Having A Senator Who Will Have Longevity!

Ronald 3 Comments

Now that it is official that Dianne Feinstein is retiring from the Senate at the end of 2024 at the age of 91, it is urgent that the open Senate seat have a Senator who will have the opportunity to build seniority over time for the Golden State.

So Congresswoman Katie Porter (49), seen as a junior Elizabeth Warren in the sense of copying her strategy and tactics toward corporate monopolies; and Congressman Adam Schiff (62) who has compiled a wonderful record in more than twenty years in the House and was on the committee for the first Donald Trump impeachment trial, should be seen as sensible alternatives.

What is not sensible is that long term Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and has the distinction of being the only member of either house of Congress to vote against the authorization for use of military force against terrorists resolution (AUMF) after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, be elected to the Senate seat.

The question is why this author feels this way, and the answer is Lee will be past 77 if she took over the seat in January 2025, making her the oldest first Senator in history to have a full term. She has said she would only serve one term, but the concept of electing Lee is just one of ego, as this author sees it.

If however, Feinstein was to retire sooner, it would be perfectly fine for California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Barbara Lee to fill the seat, but with the understanding that she would not seek a full term in office.

Lee is a wonderful legislator, but what is needed is the potential of a new US Senator who could gain seniority if reeelected in the future. But my admiration for her as stated in an earlier article on History News Network on March 4, 2022 still stands! And if Lee chose to remain in the House of Representatives, and facing easy reelection every two years, that is perfectly fine!

Thanksgiving A Day To Commemorate The Overall Success In Midterm Elections

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This Thanksgiving is one to commemorate the overall success in the Midterm Elections of 2022, as Joe Biden and the Democratic Party had major successes in the Senate (one seat gain and continued control) and the Governorships (winning three, and losing one, so overall gain of two), with only a small switch in the House, creating a divided Congress, but setting up a situation where the Republican Party will demonstrate its inability to govern effectively!

The only times that the party in the White House had a better result in the past hundred years was in 1934 under Franklin D. Roosevelt, which saw a major gain for the governing Democrats of nine seats gain in the Senate and an equal nine seats gain in the House of Representatives; 1998, when the Democrats under Bill Clinton gained five seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate balance stayed the same; and 2002, when George W. Bush, a year after the September 11 attacks saw a gain for the Republicans of two seats in the Senate and eight seats in the House of Representatives.

The Republican Party campaigned in 2022 on the issues of crime and inflation, but now are making clear their intent only to waste time on investigations of the Biden Administration, including Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. This demagoguery will insure Democrats being able to regain the House of Representatives in 2024, since just like this election, only a few seats will need to be won to take charge once again!

Joe Biden Arguably Has Faced The Worst Set Of Crises Other Than Lincoln And FDR!

Ronald 12 Comments

Abraham Lincoln faced the breakup of the Union and the Civil War in his Presidency from 1861-1865.

Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the Great Depression, the growing threat of Fascism and Nazism, and World War II, from 1933-1945.

Other than Lincoln and FDR, the question arises which other Presidents faced crises on a level as dangerous and challenging as those two Presidents.

One could say George Washington facing the challenge of making the Constitution work, and the nation able to survive as a republic from 1789-1797.

One could say Harry Truman, facing the challenge of sudden elevation to the Presidency in a time when World War II was not yet resolved, and having to deal with the threat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War years from 1945-1953.

One could say John F. Kennedy, facing the threat of the Soviet Union, including the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which dominated his time in the Presidency, from 1961-1963.

One could say George W. Bush, facing the challenge of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and the dual wars fought during his Presidency in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Great Recession which developed in his last year in office, from 2001-2009.

One could also say Barack Obama, facing the challenge of the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, and the constant domestic resistance from the right wing Tea Party Movement, and the growing extremism of the Republican Party, from 2009-2017.

But one could also argue that Joe Biden, facing the COVID 19 Pandemic; the growing epidemic of mass murders by firearms by domestic terrorists and mentally disturbed people; and the threat of nuclear war in the midst of the greatest foreign policy crisis (The Russia-Ukraine War) since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, is the greatest challenge and crisis other than Lincoln and FDR!

America’s Relation With World Conflict Began On This Day In 1917, And Now Facing New World Conflict!

Ronald 3 Comments

On this day, April 6, 1917, 105 years ago, America left its isolationist heritage, and began its relation with world conflict, as Congress voted American entrance into World War I.

Woodrow Wilson had wished to keep America at peace, but war was forced upon him by the actions of Imperial Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II.

After World War I, America went back into isolationism, but the rise of Nazism and Fascism forced America and its President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, into World War II in 1941, against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan.

Isolationism would never fully revive again, as America entered the challenges of the Cold War against the Soviet Union from 1945-1991.

Once the Soviet Union collapsed, it was thought America was free of foreign conflict, but international terrorism woke us up in 2001.

And now, the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin has begun waging war against Ukraine, including war crimes, massacre, and genocide.

It places the United Nations organization, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the United States as a world leader to have to consider going into what might become World War III, a horrifying thought.

But it seems clearly, to this blogger and author, that ultimately, Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine, but will very likely attack NATO nations, including the Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) and Poland at some point, and the US and NATO will need to respond to attacks on their allies.

Nuclear war is a possibility, horrendous thought, but in the end, a bully must be stopped, or he becomes a worst, more dangerous bully!

So it seems highly likely that Joe Biden will have to do what Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt did, take America into a world war!

Eighty Years Since “The Day Of Infamy”–Pearl Harbor Attack In 1941!

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Today, December 7, marks 80 years since “The Day of Infamy”, the attack by Imperial Japan on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which ushered America into World War II, and the beginning of world leadership for the United States!

There are only a small percentage of veterans who were in Hawaii at that time still alive, and overall, a small percentage of Americans in the military eighty years ago who are still alive, as one would have to be, at the minimum, 98 years of age or older today!

Pearl Harbor remains one of the three worst moments of threat to American national security, joined much later by the Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and then by the Donald Trump incited mob attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021!

In the long run, the January 6 attack will be seen as the greatest threat ever, as it was domestic terrorism, NOT foreign terrorism, and Japan and Al Qaeda did not, in the long run, remain a “clear and present danger” as domestic terrorism remains such for the future of American democracy!

And only January 6 represented a President conspiring against his own nation, unlike Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 and George W. Bush in 2001!