Before I introduce this post I need to update you on my battle with USAA. The inevitable finally happened; all these years, 49 as of this month to be exact, I bragged about not hearing this from my bank, insurer, brokerage firm, mortgagor, and all around favorite organization in the U.S. But, it has happened. I called last week to discuss something with them and this is what I heard, “Welcome to USAA, press one for English.” That did it for me for I do not do business with a company that  doesn’t understand where they are and what language we speak. I am not trying to disparage those who speak Spanish, I am merely saying, if you want to live in the U.S. learn our language. If I would happen to move to some South American country would I expect them to speak my language? Hell no I wouldn’t; it would be my responsibility to learn their language.

So, starting this week I re-joined and began moving everything to NFCU to which I belonged starting in 1967 when I returned from RVN. I stayed with them until I moved to USAA in February 1974. Needless to say, I am really impressed with what they offer and am sure I will be happy with them. 

Okay, now to the post. Another good one from my friend and fellow Marine Greg, I did not watch the SOTU address as I knew it would be nothing but one lie after another and sure enough that appears to be exactly what it was. I have convinced myself that his election was, in fact, fraudulent in every aspect. I mean, do we really have that many stupid idiots in America that thought he was the best choice. I don’t think so, the problem is Trump just pisses everyone off all the time. He has certainly ruffled my feathers of late by his disparaging remarks against my Governor. I don’t think he knows DeSantis very well as he is not one he wants to spar with. And now that Haley has thrown her hat in the ring, he is even attacking her.  What does he think he is going to gain by doing that? I remember my favorite president of all times, Ron Reagan saying, “A Republican should never speak ill of another Republican. ” Trump had best shut his mouth. If the primary were held today, I would not be voting for Trump as I personally believe he hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming president again. Shut the hell up Trump!!

Smoke, Mirrors, and Balloons                                                                                  By: G. Maresca
Since the Biden Administration took office, their billowing nonstop smokescreens are asphyxiating. Consider the humiliating withdraw from Afghanistan to the proxy war with Russia in Ukraine to record inflation claiming food, energy, and a stagnant stock market.

The mirrors are as plentiful as a carnival funhouse with the daily flood of illegals pouring across our Southern border as Biden toasts “President Harris,” while calling out to dead congresswomen and confusing Cambodia with Colombia. Biden’s response: blame Donald Trump.

Then there was the manifestation of a series of flying objects – the first one identified as a Chinese spy balloon. Four more objects appeared within days. Coincidental or is the logical conclusion too overwhelming? If Biden doesn’t know what these are, we should know.  For half a century, Washington claimed Biden doesn’t know anything, but when he admits he didn’t know anything, nobody believes him.

With layer upon layer of bureaucratic red tape that holds Washington hostage, we were fortunate that when Biden finally gave the order he didn’t shoot down the Goodyear blimp at the Super Bowl.  Popping China’s spy balloon was the first thing Biden did to reduce inflation since taking office. With Biden at the helm, it is like watching a kindergartener juggling hand grenades.

It took some cowboys in Montana to call attention to the first balloon. Then Biden claimed it posed no threat, only to shoot it down.  One more downed balloon and Biden gets the top prize at the funhouse.  The balloon didn’t penetrate Washington airspace because the Chinese knew there was no intelligence there to collect.

Being a national security issue, this is the bipartisan concern the nation has been searching for as China is testing American resolve. The communist Chinese must exit from our universities, research facilities, corporations, and from any land acquisitions.

President Obama’s East Asia Strategy afforded the Chinese plenty of intelligence correlated electronics, hardware, and software. Recall the 2009 hack of F-35 fighter-jet blueprints to the continuing theft across the board of intellectual property through clandestine cyberattacks. China’s thievery of American data and technology continues to be met with little to no consequences.  How much American technology was attached to that balloon?

The Rutherford Institute reports foreign entities owned 40.8 million acres of American agricultural land with China owning nearly 192,000 acres that were all near military bases. Customs and Border Protection reported a 700% increase in Chinese migrants at the Southern border as we witness the consequences of open borders and air space.

China is on a ceaseless campaign to embarrass and humiliate America while becoming the world’s dominant military. The obvious seems lost on those shining a seat with their groove thing in the Oval Office and throughout the Pentagon. How long have these flights been going on without a response and why? Sadly, the military is too consumed with reducing their carbon footprint and pushing their diversity inclusion and equity (DIE) agenda.

Biden appears compromised, yet Congress does nothing.

Since this is the Chinese “year of the balloon” and for better protection of their fleet of spy balloons in the future, the Chinese will be changing from white balloons to rainbow-colored ones stenciled with the letters: BLM.

From all these classified documents and balloons floating around and Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals, and the “big guy’s” stake in them, where are the straight answers? The nation’s media, its fourth estate, does not have the slightest intention of pursuing any of this.

American companies that deal in technology should not be doing business in and with communist nations. This did not occur during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, so why is today any different. Let China have the NBA. They deserve each other.

If anything, a Chinese balloon has brought to the forefront our military vulnerabilities that must be addressed. As a nation, we are not isolated from foreign military threats, and our pathetic response begs many questions about our military preparedness.

Meanwhile, at the southern border ….

We are trying to solve a spiritual problem through political means. Until we realize this, the situation and all the hot air surrounding it will only continue to inflate, and those Chinese spy balloons will be the least of our concerns.

Originally posted 2023-02-18 10:10:46.