Category Archives: Current Events

Current Events

Federal Reserve

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Another good one from Marine Greg.  As you read this, remember a couple of things. One is the economic definition of inflation in layman’s terms: “Too much money chasing too few goods.” And secondly, one of the truisms I learned in Econ 101 is: Put five Economists in a room and ask them a question, and you will get six answers, all different. Why is that? Because Economics is a social science, not a hard science

 

A Binging Pivot                                                                      By: Greg Maresca

It was one of the most anticipated announcements of Joe Biden’s presidency that was nearly on par with him dropping out of the presidential race and fading to irrelevance.

For the first time since 2020, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point making the range between 4.75% and 5% with anticipation of more to come.

“The U.S. economy is basically fine,” claimed the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, who made the cut regardless and seemed unconvinced about anything else. To no surprise, the stock market approved following up with record highs.

When deciding on rates, The Fed has always been a reactionary institution that relies on historical data and models like the Phillips curve that was debunked two generations ago. Cutting rates will grow the money supply and bring some relief from higher interest rates. The Fed is putting pressure on inflation to bring down interest rates as the way to manage our exploding deficits.

The rate cut will only fuel inflation – an unwritten and unrestricted tax on everyone – no exceptions.

The interest rate was at a historical average, but the national financial sector and the Washington bureaucratic swamp are addicted to cheap money that makes $50,000 cars and $300,000 homes seem affordable. Over time this money infusion will make those cars and houses even pricier. Believing cheap money is the driving force of economic prosperity is as counterfeit as they come. Such behavior increases demand without an increase in supply – the root cause of inflation. Keep in mind that both food and fuel are excluded from inflation calculations.  This, my friends, is unknown to most Americans. Should food and fuel be added to the inflation number, you would be shocked.

Interest rates are The Fed’s dependent drug.

“When is the next cut coming and how big?”

A half of a percent reduction suggests the economy and its capacity for job creation is not nearly as good as Powell or any other entrenched government bureaucrat will admit.

There was no need for the cut, but lower rates produce lower mortgages and pacifies the masses making them feel better about the current political and economic situation.

The Fed, “a nonpartisan agency,” put its thumb on the scale during a presidential campaign begging the question: Is The Fed an impartial and independent agency or beholden to politics and Wall Street? Lowering rates at the expense of higher inflation seems self-serving in the run up to a presidential election that is less than six weeks away.

Powell, who served as carnival barker for the Biden administration’s highest inflation rates in over 40 years, told us inflation was “only transitory” is doing his best to foster a post-inflation merry go round.

The Fed’s decision is analogous to the hangover coming the morning after a Friday night binger. This economic hangover, however, will conveniently occur after November’s election, so make sure you start your Christmas shopping early as none of this bodes well for glad tidings.

Typically, The Fed cuts rates in response to economic downspin, not because of a supposed stable and growing economy. Provided the economy goes south with rates already low, this only serves to dig the hole deeper.

The real issue that is ignored, dismissed or unacknowledged is the ever-increasing federal spending. Every dollar spent, pilfers a dollar through taxes, borrowing or money-printing. Unless there are cuts to spending and debt reduction, nothing changes diminishing even further the fading American dream.

How about less government and regulation and more innovation and investment to drive the economy.

The cut is all about the election and The Fed’s preferred outcome. It is nothing short of a lame attempt to prop up the incumbent executive branch that would certainly preserve Powell’s job. No need for the bureaucrats to fret as it is always the working class that takes the brunt of the foibles of incessant government intervention.

The cut also implicitly implies The Fed overplayed its hand and is concerned about a recession.

Prematurely cutting interest rates is the perfect recipe for an increase in inflation. The dollar lost 20% of its value in just three plus years turning greenbacks into proverbial toilet paper.

The Fed’s rate cut in a supposed stable and growing economy only kicks the inflation can farther down the road until after November’s election.

How politically expedient.

Current Events

The Undecided

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This is another good one from my favorite contributor, Marine Greg Maresca. You should send it to all your undecided “friends,” that is if you have any. I don’t!

THE UNDECIDED                                                                by: Greg Maresca

At least three percent of American presidential voters are “undecided.” In a tight race, provided the polls are accurate, such a modest percentage (158 million voted in 2020) translates to 4.7 million Americans remain fence sitters and could be the difference in November’s election.

Even Pope Francis is undecided, or is he? The pontiff’s take on America’s presidential race was concise saying, “Both are against life: the one that throws out migrants and the one that kills children.” Francis advised American Catholics to “choose the lesser evil.”

How anyone who is paying attention has yet to make up their mind is astounding. Conceivably, the undecided are more indecisive than anything, yet subconsciously they don’t realize it.

Perhaps the most potent of political questions that transcends every presidential election needs to be asked repeatedly:

Are you better or worse off than four years ago?

A concise examination is revealing and all too obvious.

As Vice President, Kamala Harris was appointed to “stem immigration across the U.S./Mexico border” and permitted the wave of nearly eight million illegal and unvetted immigrants. The results of which continue to flood our schools, hospitals, charities, courts and housing with an annual price of half a trillion dollars. The influx of illegals is dangerous and calculated as Democrats add to their constituencies knowing no illegal will bite the hand that feeds and enables them, while seniors have had to exhaust their savings or find employment to make ends meet.

American foreign policy has been a fiasco starting with the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that cost 13 American lives while leaving billions in armaments to America’s enemies. When given a choice of supporting the police during the BLM riots, Harris balked. The Keystone pipeline was shelved, and energy expenses skyrocketed that fueled historic record inflation that saw insurance, utility and grocery prices skyrocket.

Harris won’t come clean on her real priorities which amount to the redistribution of wealth by taxing unrealized capital gains, establishing price controls, while you pay for others’ college tuition and Medicare for all – including illegals.

One Harris proposal is a $25,000 down-payment on a mortgage courtesy of Uncle Sam that has nothing to do with buying a house; rather, it’s about buying votes.

Harris will continue with the same economic and energy policies that brought upon the highest inflation rate in decades while identity politics continue to run amuck infesting every institution and level of government. Harris may prove to be more disastrous that Biden, pleasing America’s enemies.

What has been totally dismissed during this campaign is how the trustees from the Social Security Administration have been ringing the bell that the SSI trust fund will become insolvent in 2033, while Medicare’s insolvency will follow three years later in 2036.

Those infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome, which is actually the hatred of conservatives, has caused them to lose objectivity. While the left nonstop compares Donald Trump to Hitler, is it any surprise that attempts on his life continue? Yet, it is the left that continues to assure Americans that the real threat is not the side doing the shooting.

Many will vote for Harris only because of their contempt for Trump, which on the deductive reasoning scale is a zero. Recently at a stoplight, I was behind a Sheetz gas tanker that had an advertisement saying: “I don’t have to think. The app knows my usual.” This is exactly what the left desires in its electorate – no need to think.

Provided he wins, Trump will serve only four years. And for whatever reason(s) you loathe him, his policies were successful in growing the economy and keeping the nation secure.

The deciding voter must choose between someone who changes as the moment dictates or someone who speaks the inconvenient truth, and has endured two impeachments, four federal prosecutions and survived two assassination attempts. One at least loves the country, flaws and all. The other is a disciple of Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals.”

Steering this ship of state that has lost its rudder takes leadership not a figurehead and definitely not a puppet. Elections have consequences and we certainly get the leaders we deserve.

The direction couldn’t be any more opposed: Capitalism or Socialism.

Still undecided?

Then perhaps you need to sit this one out.

I am convinced that Obama is finishing his third term and hoping for a fourth. Neither of the puppets of the last 3 1/2 years combined don’t have the brains to pull off some of the shit they have.

Current Events

Hope Endorses Joy

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By: Greg Maresca

The Democrat presidential ticket’s watchword is the thematic term: joy. When the news broke, I thought of an episode of Hogan’s Heroes where Col. Klink was reminiscing about his pre-war outings with the Nazi program: Strength Through Joy. The program was pure propaganda that promoted Nazism and monitored dissident and anti-state behavior.

Who said you couldn’t learn anything from a sitcom?

Einstein said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”

Barack Obama was once the Democrat’s hope candidate, while Kamala Harris is now their joy nominee. Democrats wouldn’t know this, but hope and joy are not campaign slogans but Christmas.

What is there to be joyful about?

Let’s count the ways.

Joy is someone else paying your student loan and your mortgage down payment. Joy is universal income and not having to work with free healthcare. Joy is more debt, inflation with increased oversight and regulation. Joy means high energy prices and power outages. Joy is eliminating the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court. Joy entails public school indoctrination and unrestrained illegal migration, no police or prisons. Joy is knowing Planned Parenthood has a mobile bus offering free abortions and vasectomies. Joy is higher food and gas prices, tens of millions of illegals, terrorists and drugs flooding the border. Joy is taxing unrealized capital gains while supporting Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax. Harris is much like Warren; except she is a real Indian (when not playing the Black card).

What’s not to like?

The most memorable Democrat Convention moment was opening night when Joe Biden angrily yelled for all to embrace joy that you could bottle and even wash your dishes with it.

Harris’s campaign slogan might surprise her innumerable staff members who through the years left her employ overdosing on all that joy. Perhaps the media should interview them. Then again, that is not their job. The media’s job is to get Harris elected. Democrats plan to ride the wave of obfuscation into the White House as their media buddies work the oars and sails.

Three months ago, if someone said Harris would own the top of the Democrat ticket without earning one primary vote, they would have been laughed at Kamala style on steroids. The worst president in modern history has passed the baton to an even worse candidate. Her meteoric rise is totally fabricated, forced, and fake. Yet, this inept, and awkward vice president is somehow the most qualified, the most wonderful, and the most inspiring figure in American politics.

The media made Obama a celebrity whose accomplishments, intelligence, and work ethic were irrelevant. Now, they have Harris, who will save democracy despite not winning one primary for the office she seeks. It’s all counterfeit, resembling a high school popularity contest, but few care. All the while, the mindless masses continue to digest this narrative hook, line, and joy.

Making joy a virtue of frivolity was the highlight at the Democrat’s latest kumbaya of a convention. Subsisting on vibes rather than substance. The Dispatch’s Nick Catoggio used another sitcom (Seinfeld) to juxtapose the convention to “a show about nothing,” and he was hardly alone.

The last thing Democrats want is the issues front and center believing the formula: personality – policy = joy is enough to keep the White House. Moreover, as Robert Kennedy, Jr, recently said, “Who needs policies when you have Trump to hate.”

Those who believe Harris is making the calls on policy are the same who believe Biden has full mental acuity. Biden was “sharp as a tack” before “they” (including Harris) couldn’t hide it anymore.

Yet, Kama-chameleon and her cheerleaders joyfully run away from everything they have stood for.

Ignorance is bliss. It is also Harris’ foremost strategy.

Accepting the nomination as a cackling caricature of the Wicked Witch of the West dressed in mournful black does not project joy but is a ghoulish facsimile underscoring a campaign that is out for blood. Harris’s constant crackling does not perceive optimism, but of mental limitations – the notorious giggling fool – the epitome of style over substance.

Can you feel the joy?

Rather, that is your wallet being emptied.

If you haven’t figured it out, the Harris/Walz campaign of J.O.Y. is precisely an acronym:

Joke’s On You.

PS. I love it; the new theme is now “JOY.”

Current Events

A MUST READ!

13 Comments

I receive a plethora of daily emails from everyone reference Trump and DeSantis, which I sometimes read and delete; however, I recv’d one yesterday from a gentleman who posts on the blog periodically. I read it twice. It’s long so you need a few free minutes to take it all in. It is a very well documented and written. It’s all fact, not fiction, or BS, but only one  opinion – his at the end. If you are having doubts as for whom you would voter in the primary, or the general election itself, read this article first before you decide. He gives credit where it’s due and criticism where it is deserved. Enjoy and learn.

His email said,

Hi Colonel:                                                                                                                                  I appreciated the article that you posted today regarding the military and Ron DeSantis. I live in Iowa, the first caucus State, and have written an analysis of my thinking regarding the choice of Trump or DeSantis. That analysis is attached to this email, in case you are interested. I’m hoping my thinking will affect some of my conservative friends.

Best wishes and many thanks for your blog,                                                        Bob 

Trump or De Santis-for whom shall we vote?

Donald Trump

Simply stated, the Republican Presidential nominee for 2024 will be either Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. No matter how much I like or dislike either of these guys, the reality is that, unless one of them is elected President in 2024, a Democrat will be President for four more years; and, it does not matter which Democrat as they are all horrible.

Therefore, the question is: should we nominate Trump of DeSantis? Let’s consider each of them.

Prior to his running for President and while he was initially seeking the Republican Presidential nomination, I was not a Donald Trump fan. He struck me as egotistical, vulgar, uncouth, and unprincipled.

When Tiger Woods’ wife discovered his serial infidelity, Trump’s sage advice was for Tiger to tell his wife that he could not be the husband and father that she and their children needed, and therefore he should spend the balance of his life playing golf and being a playboy. This is the advice and worldview of a fourteen-year old boy, not a mature, responsible man. It was not surprising to me that Trump was working on his third marriage.

His feud with Rosie O’Donnell was also off-putting, not that I took her side, but rather because his name-calling and abusive behavior was obnoxious and unnecessary.

Finally, during the primaries, I found his mean, personal, dishonest attacks against his Republican opponents to be disgusting. Referring to Ted Cruz, a decent and honest man, as ‘lying Ted’ or Marco Rubio as ‘little Marco’ made Trump look like a little man who was trying to make himself look bigger by cutting down others.

Notwithstanding his obvious personal shortcomings, it was also unclear what his political philosophy was, or if in fact he actually had one. For years he had supported both Republican and Democrat political candidates based upon his assessment of who could provide the most help to his business enterprises. There was no sign of any honorable principles in his personal, business, or political life.

After he won the Republican Presidential nomination and during the 2016 fall campaign, I referred to Trump and Hillary Clinton as ‘heart attack’ and ‘cancer’ respectively. She was ‘cancer’ insofar as she would continue to build a larger government that would continue to gradually suck the life and freedom out of our Country. He was ‘heart attack’ as one would never know if, based upon some ridiculous pretext or emotional outburst, he would launch or cause a nuclear weapon, start a war, or use his Presidential powers to destroy his real or perceived enemies.

During the campaign, Thomas Sowell, one of my favorite economists and political commentators, wrote a series of article on Donald Trump in which he documented Mr. Trump’s unfitness to be President. However, Professor Sowell was also far from being a fan of Hillary Clinton. As the election grew near, Sowell wrote an article comparing the plight of the American voter to that of an American fighter pilot in World War II whose plane had been disabled, but who yet had enough control to land the plane in the ocean or on land. If he chose the ocean, he might die from the crash’s impact, he might drown, or he might be eaten by sharks. If he chose land, he might also die from the crash’s impact or if he survived the landing, he might be captured by the Japanese, tortured, and then shot. Such was the choice between Trump and Clinton. In fact, it kind of made me envy the World War II pilot’s situation. Finally, in a column written just before the election, Sowell indicated that while he thought that Trump would be a horrible President, Clinton would be worse; and, therefore, he would be voting for Trump. I had toyed with voting for a third party candidate, however, my brother rightly pointed out that either Trump or Clinton was going to be the next President, and that with Trump there would be a wider possibility of outcomes; that is, with Clinton, you knew you would get ‘awful’ while with Trump you might get ‘awful’ but you might not.  So, in 2016 Jeanne and I both voted for Donald Trump for President. It was a good decision.

Trump’s policies as President, to my pleasant surprise, were generally quite good.

He was tenaciously pro-American as evidenced in his renegotiating trade deals, confronting China on trade policies and intellectual theft, luring businesses back to the U.S.A., and withdrawing from agreements that were disadvantageous to our Country, including the Paris Accords, and the Iranian nuclear agreement. He also insisted that our NATO allies should pay their dues and not make suckers out of the U.S.A. since we regularly paid our dues.

His foreign policy was also quite strong. Dropping a super-bomb on a Taliban camp sent a signal of strength. Similarly, when he hit a joint Russian-Syrian air base with dozens of missiles after the Syrians used chemical weapons on their own people, it was a policy of strength. When he changed the rules of engagement in Syria and Iraq allowing our troops and allies to decimate Isis, regular beheadings of Westerners that had become common during the Obama years ceased; and, Isis was essentially destroyed and become a non-factor. I really liked his policy that, rather than start wars where thousands of our young men would be killed, he would target the leaders of bellicose countries. He did this when he targeted and killed an Iranian General who had been instrumental in planning and executing the deaths of many American.

After Russia invaded Ukraine during Biden’s Presidency, a poll was taken which found that 59% of Americans believed that Russia would not have invaded if Trump were President. Actually, 100% of Americans should have believed it, since Trump had been President for four years and Putin did not invade Ukraine during that time.

His handling of North Korea was also quite effective insofar as he made it clear that he wouldn’t tolerate any military action from them (My nukes are bigger than yours and unlike yours, mine actually work), but he balanced that with a charm offensive with North Korea’s leader. This resulted in a suspension of North Korea’s missile launches in the Pacific and over other countries such as Japan.

I also fully supported his effort to stop illegal immigrants from coming to our Country at their whim. He tried very hard to build a wall at our Southern border, and had some success even though Congress consistently refused to provide funding for the wall.

The economy also performed very well during Mr. Trump’s term, at least until the COVID pandemic started. His economic policies which included lowering marginal income tax rates and eliminating costly regulations encouraged increased productivity.

Regarding tax policy, doubling the standard deduction so that most taxpayers would not have to itemize and essentially eliminating the deduction for state and local taxes were brilliant economically and politically. Listening to Democrat Governors vociferously complaining that their rich citizens could no longer deduct their state income taxes on their federal income returns was quite enjoyable. Let that sink in, Democrat Governors who continuously complain that the rich are not paying their fair share of income taxes were now whining that their rich citizens were paying too much federal income tax-priceless.

However, probably the best thing that Mr. Trump did while President was to appoint three outstanding constitutional jurists to the Supreme Court which resulted in the overturning of the Court’s previous abortion rulings and the end of affirmative action.

In my view he did not perform particularly well during COVID as he gave too much power and credibility to public health hucksters; however, I cannot blame him too much for this sorry episode in American history as the whole crisis could not have been foreseen by him nor was there any good recent precedent on how to handle such a ‘pandemic.’

During his four-year tenure, he was impeached twice and was subjected to a special counsel investigation due to a claim that he had colluded with the Russians to fix the 2016 Presidential election. Both impeachments and the Russian collusion charge were laughable and were only taken seriously by feeble-minded people, mostly Democrats.

Mr. Trump’s strengths included being a strong advocate for the well-being of the United States and its citizens; being very intelligent including having a fair amount of common sense or ‘street smarts; being a problem-solver, (for example, trying to fundamentally change the nature of our relationship with North Korea); knowing, understanding, and supporting free-market capitalism.

Mr. Trump, like the rest of us has more than a few weaknesses, however, by far his greatest problem is his pride, ego, and total self-love that prevents him for taking responsibility for anything that goes wrong and enables him to claim credit for anything that goes right. This manifested itself in high rates of turnover in senior positions in his administration including Secretaries of Defense and State, Attorney General, National Security Advisor, and Chief of Staff. This is also the source of a lot of his childish name-calling.

Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis was elected Florida’s Governor in 2018 by a slim margin (less than 1%) over a dreadful Democrat candidate and was re-elected in 2022 by almost a 20% point margin. The people of Florida clearly like him and his policies. His statement that “Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die” is very popular with a huge portion of the population that hates ‘wokeism’ but feels powerless to do anything to oppose it short of not drinking Bud Lite or shopping at Target.

He first gained attention during the COVID pandemic when he demonstrated that he actually had a brain and could think for himself. After reviewing the data, he rightly determined that COVID was not a mortal threat to most healthy individuals; and, therefore, he opened Florida’s businesses, churches, and schools long before most other states. He did a great job of making the vaccine widely available as soon as possible, particularly to the most vulnerable, while not penalizing anyone who chose not to get the shot. He was savagely criticized by the mainstream media for this approach as he was called Ron DeathSantis. However, he held his ground to the benefit of the State’s businesses, school children, and citizens.

He also signed parental rights legislation that included the following two provisions:

A school district may not adopt procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, or a change in related services or monitoring, or that encourage or have the effect of encouraging a student to withhold from a parent such information. School district personnel may not discourage or prohibit parental notification of and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being. This subparagraph does not prohibit a school district from adopting procedures that permit school personnel to withhold such information from a parent if a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect, as those terms are defined in s. 39.01.

Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.

These two provisions essentially prohibit school personnel from initiating gender transitioning for a child without the parents’ knowledge and approval; and prevent homosexual and transexual indoctrination of children between the ages of four and seven. This should be non-controversial. It isn’t. The bill resulted in the fury of hell being thrown at Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature. Some of the most fierce and powerful opposition came from that great family-friendly Corporation, Walt Disney. However, DeSantis stood his ground and the bill was passed and signed into law.

As a result of the battle described above, DeSantis and Disney had and continue to have conflict. DeSantis appears to be winning since, as previously stated, he was re-elected with a margin of almost 20%, while Disney’s stock has declined in value by approximately 50% during the last two years.

He has also supported and enacted similar legislation designed to protect children from having their bodies mutilated even with parental consent as well as laws banning men from using women’s bathrooms and showers. He has also supported, helped to pass, and signed legislation that bans men from competing in women’s sports.

DeSantis has done other good things such as flying illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard so that their residents could demonstrate how loving and accepting they are toward such immigrants. Just kidding of course, the rich liberals living in Martha’s Vineyard are loving, accepting, and protective of illegal immigrants as long as they don’t have to be near them or in any way deal with them.

Recently, he signed a bill that reduced from fifteen weeks to six weeks from conception, the period in which a woman in Florida can get an abortion. While many see this as a sell-out of the prolife position, I believe it is a realistic improvement over the status-quo-ante which will save lives and move policy in the correct direction.

He also fired a county attorney who indicated that he would not enforce the abortion, parental rights, and other bills listed above.

While idiots around the country were defunding the police, DeSantis and the Florida Legislature were luring good policemen to the state; and, people in Florida, with a few exceptions in large cities, enjoy a secure low-crime environment. Florida regularly pays bonuses to their police officers and also pays signing bonuses to officers to come from other states.

He has done a lot of other good things such as quickly rebuilding Florida after a massive hurricane wreaked destruction on the State. But the bottom line is summarized in two facts: The people of Florida re-elected him with a margin of almost 20% points; and, people are now voting with their feet by moving to Florida each year by the hundreds of thousands.

So, which of these two guys should we support? As the Presidential election season approached, I was optimistic that we had two very strong potential candidates to run against Joe Biden or whatever warm body the Democrats chose to run in 2024. Currently, Mr. Trump has a significant lead among Republicans for the 2024 nomination. I believe this is because of three factors: he is better known nationally than DeSantis, his policies as President were excellent and produced more wealth and freedom for the average person, and most Republicans are disgusted with the political elites’ obsession to destroy him for relatively minor infractions while ignoring the sell-out of our country by the Democrats (see the Southern border and Biden’s selling influence, access, and secrets to the Chinese). When Trump’s home at Maro Lago was raided, my first instinct was also that we had to nominate and elect him to clean-up the vermin that is in control of our government/legal system/country.

However, since he announced that he is once again running for President, Mr. Trump has made a compelling case for voting for Ron DeSantis. At a time of crisis in our Country, when Joe Biden and the Democrats are systematically destroying our rights, freedoms, and prosperity, it should be ‘all hands on deck’ to oppose and stop them. The left is not our loyal opposition, they are our enemy and the greatest threat to the continuation of our Country as a free and prosperous nation. Ron DeSantis has been a powerful leader and voice against the insanity that is being visited upon us by Biden and the political left. When Trump began his campaign, not by attacking Joe Biden and the Democrats, but by attacking Ron DeSantis, I consider that an act of political treason. His attacks have been childish (Ron Desanctimonious), and dishonest (DeSantis wants to end Social Security, locked-down Florida during the pandemic, and wants to increase retail prices by over 20%).

Trump has made it clear that when it comes to the well-being of the Country or his political future, the latter comes first with him. With Trump, it is all about Trump, first, last, and always. It is why he never served in the military (DeSantis did), because in the military one must be willing to give one’s life for his Country; that is, put the Country before yourself. It is why he is currently married to his third wife (DeSantis is still married to his first wife); that is, because a real man, to have a successful marriage, puts his wife and children first. It is why he cannot keep staff long-term (DeSantis can and does)-see above where I list the turnover in key positions of his administration.

In summary, currently, I believe that Ron DeSantis is a better, more principled man than is Donald Trump, is just as strong as Trump, and is able and willing to put the well-being of the Country and his family before himself. Trump or DeSantis? I think it is clearly DeSantis.

Originally posted 2023-07-21 12:26:07.

Current Events

A Messiah Awaits

8 Comments

Are his comments not a breath of fresh air, and trust me they are not hot.  I am a Floridan, and if there is one thing you can count on from Ron, he means what he says and does what he says. Broward County and Disney learned that the hard way. 

 

From the Wall Street Journal                                          Thursday, 20 July 2023

Next Target for Ron DeSantis: the Military

Ron DeSantis is gradually laying out his presidential agenda, and on Tuesday he unveiled a plan to build a “Mission First” U.S. military. The Florida Governor has several worthy ideas to restore American confidence in the armed forces, though fighting the culture wars isn’t a substitute for preventing an actual war.

“We need a military that is focused on being lethal, being ready and being capable,” Gov. De-Santis said in South Carolina. The U.S. military is suffering from institutional drift, as senior officers rush to associate themselves with progressive causes. One example: Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt in a June speech unleashed a political broadside against elected state legislatures for considering what she styled as “anti-LGBTQ+” measures.

One good priority is reviving American military education. Gov. DeSantis is right that the service academies ought to be “narrowly focused” on disciplines such as engineering or military history and leadership. Civilian academics have taken over most military educational institutions such as war colleges, and the instruction is often, as Gov. DeSantis says, “substandard.”

The Governor, a Navy veteran, also says he would review the performance of every four-star flag officer and remove those who aren’t focused on lethality. There is reason to wonder if the services are producing the war fighting talent the country needs by picking leaders on the merits. More aggressive civilian oversight would help.

Case in point: In 2021 a Navy admiral suggested the service should bring back photos as part of promotion boards to achieve more diversity. Gov. DeSantis said he’d ban “race and gender quotas in military recruiting and promotions.”

The perception that the military is a political institution may be hurting enlistment, and the Army looks likely to come up at least 10,000 soldiers short this year. Gov. DeSantis says he will “restore national pride” in the armed forces, to include a school program explaining that the U.S. military “ has been a force for justice and good in the world,” which is at least a start. But an under-appreciated reason the services are struggling to recruit is that the force is too small and ill-equipped to fulfill its current missions. This wears out troops. President Trump boasts that he rebuilt the U.S. military, but he offered a one-time increase that only started to rebuild the readiness burned in President Obama’s two terms.

The defense industrial base also continued to erode on Mr. Trump’s watch. Contractors are now recalling retired engineers in their 70s to teach new workers how to build Stinger antiaircraft missiles that haven’t been in production for decades.

Gov. DeSantis’s special operation against wokeness will thrill his base, and he has correctly identified China as the top threat to U.S. security. His harder task will be building public support for a larger and more capable U.S. military that can deter the Communist Party from a terrible mistake such as invading Taiwan.

That will require convincing skeptical Republicans to increase defense spending—for example, building two attack submarines a year for the U.S. Navy, up from 1.2 now. Or speeding up the new Air Force strategic bomber. Or building a long-range missile inventory that can last more than three nights of fighting in the Taiwan Strait.

An aide to the campaign says Gov. DeSantis still plans to offer a broader defense agenda. But on U.S. support for Ukraine he’s too often catered to the isolationist right that would, in Ronald Reagan’s words, play innocents abroad in a world that’s not innocent.

Still, the Pentagon’s growing preoccupation with identity politics is corrosive to an institution built on cohesion and self-sacrifice. The country would be better prepared for a fight if a new President started to right the ship.

Has he nailed the problems or what? “. . . review the performance of every four-star flag officer and remove those who aren’t focused on lethality.” Wow, that would sure open up the promotions for three stars, albeit he should look at all flag officers, not just the four-stars.

Increase defense budget bother you? He’ll find other areas to reduce the funding e.g., all the woke shit, welfare, immigrant benefits, and many more. Ron is not a big spender, just ask a Floridan. Trump hasn’t talked about any of thee issues, because he is too busy calling people names.

My dream team would be Ron and  SC Senator Tim Scott. What a team that would make. Sorry guys but if you didn’t already know it, I am no longer a Trumper. He simply will not shut the hell up!

Originally posted 2023-07-20 09:26:59.