I guess it is all on Her...

 

"Some of the other side might be getting ready to throw some cowpies at me and say - 'What about your side smarty - the Republicans?' That is one good thing about having Republicans almost extinct in this state. Can't blame them. It is all on the Democrats. Like Her, for example." 

First off, let me just get this out there. Not a fan. Not at all of this fairly new St, Paul mayor. Kaohly Her is a Hmong immigrant who loves to flaunt the fact that her parents were illegal and so is she. She thought it was amusing to say so. Me? I am still waiting for Markwayne Mullin to come knocking at her door, with a cadre of ICE agents in tow. As she is a Democrat, I would expect no less tawdry behavior from this mayor.

But now, she really has her toe in a wringer (so to speak). She was caught sexually harassing the police chief. Wait - what- how? Like sending him emails or texts reminding him on Wednesday it is "Weiner Wednesday". And I am sure there is more yet to come. In the world I came out of when I was in the work a day world, if I had sent a suggestive email or test to a female co-worker, and she took it to HR, that would have been my last day at that company - regardless of how good of a worker I might have been.

But as a self-professed illegal immigrant living in a sanctuary city, I suppose she (Her) feels pretty coy and immune from just about anything. In other words, she is expecting privilege which she (Her) does not deserve. To say that is indicative of many Democrats, goes without saying. And then, to show she really has guts with no brains, she said (in relation to the sexual harassment issue) - "I am not going anywhere". 

One might be tempted to ask this question - is she is as goofy as Jacob Frey is. Hm - let me think about that one. As Bill O'Reilly said the other day on his YouTube show, "Minnesota may have some good people left living there, but their government is corrupt." Actually, the entire state, from the trifecta legislature to Tampon Timmy, to the AG, to ALL the state constitutional offices, to the mayors - are lacking. They all need to go.

Some of the other side might be getting ready to throw some cowpies at me and say - "What about your side smarty - the Republicans?" That is one good thing about having Republicans almost extinct in this state. Can't blame them. It is all on the Democrats. Like Her, for example. 

Peace is NOT at hand~

So long as the missiles fly, so long as the drones are launched, so long as the IRGC is in control of the levers of power in Iran - peace will only be a fantasy. I know that our president would love some kind of negotiated peace, but right now that event looks like it lives in the land of never happen. Here is the difference between us and them - we fight because we have to - they fight because they want to. And right now, it sure looks like they want a fight.

Last night we saw what kind of children we are dealing with. "Peace talks"? What a joke. All they want is to throw the baby out with the bathwater, even if it means doing a larger scale "suicide by cop". We have destroyed their military, destroyed their defenses, cut down their number of drones and missiles - and stull they go on. Fight, fight, fight - no matter what the outcome.

If I were Donald Trump, I would give Hegseth the green light to finish these guys. For one and for all, just finish them. They have had their chance to surrender. They have had their chance for some favorable terms in the surrender agreement. Those days are over. Time now to kick it. Get it done either before August or shortly thereafter.

If they want to fight to the death like some of the entrenched Japanese did in WWII - go for it. The bad news is they will find out the fable of 72 virgins is just that - a fable. They will give up their lives for nothing - America will still win the day. But the good news for modern civilization is simply this - peace will once again come to the shire. Translated - Israel can live more peacefully; the Arab neighborhood can live more peacefully; and the good people of Iran can be free of this yoke around their necks.

President Trump - if we are truly "locked and loaded", let us show the world what that really means. Right now we have the stuff needed to do a "shock and awe" on steroids. Do it sir - unleash out dogs of war. Pete Hegseth has our troops ready to go. No more talk - just action.

But does Mike have the right timber to be governor?

"One more thing. And I learned this a long time ago about politics. To win, you also need to be likeable. Is Mike Lindell likeable? I don't know him well enough to formulate an opinion. But I will not pre-judge him, as some others have."

Years ago, while at the Minnesota State Fair, my wife and I decided to try the My Pillow product by buying some promotional pillows at Mike Lindell's booth. While there, Mike happened to be in the booth. We had a chance to meet Mike and have a pic taken with him. While one can argue that from a politics standpoint Mike Lindell might be a bit on the green side, on the business side his success has been good. How so? Using his own story, he came from the dumpster dump of doing heavy drugs, to kicking that habit and starting this pillow company from basically nothing. And now his brand of pillows are some of the most recognized in the world.

After the very contested 2020 presidential race, that is when Mike Lindell really made his mark with Donald Trump. While Trump was taking fire from all sides, Lindell was spending part of his personal fortune to expose what he thought were some very suspicious irregularities with the voting machines used. I won't go into detail, as most know this story. Time will tell if the facts uncovered will bear fruit someday. But that was then and this is now. Part of the afterglow of what Lindell did for Trump, was getting the loyalty prize this year. Donald Trump endorsed Mike Lindell to be our next governor.

What has that endorsement done to the candidate race coming out of the convention? Basically, turned it upside-down. The endorsed candidate, Kendall Qualls (via the polls) is now riding towards the bottom. Lisa Demuth is now polling towards the top. But it is Mike Lindell who is out in front. Will that last? Will Mike Lindell win the primary? Is he better suited for this job than Lisa Demuth, who has the political experience? I guess we will find out on August 11th.

The field is interesting this time around. Two of the people running for the MNGOP governor spot don't have a lick of political experience. Highly successful in business, but nil heard on holding any political office. I know, I know - neither did Donald Trump - and look at what he has done. Lisa is the one with the hard-core experience from being Speaker of the House. Will that help her on August 11th? Maybe.

One more thing. And I learned this a long time ago about politics. To win, you also need to be likeable. Is Mike Lindell likeable? I don't know him well enough to formulate an opinion. But I will not pre-judge him, as some others have.

Win, lose or draw- whomever wins the primary will get my vote. ANYTHING to keep Amy out of the governor's house. After Marx Dayton and Tampon Timmy, we deserve just a bit of normal for a change. 

     

Is Iran going to be Trump's Waterloo?

 

Maybe when Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump this week, Bebe can convince him it is time. Maybe finish this before August? The Saudis would love to help us. So would other Arab nations who have been attacked by Iran. Heck, we can even pull Ukraine into the fray. The table is set sir - time to eat.  

A new poll came out this weekend and showed that 2/3 of those polled wanted this Iran War over - like yesterday. I know Donald Trump is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, but for the love of Mike, can we not just dispense with these guys? I mean, even Zelenskyy is taking pot shots at Russian ships by the coast of Iran. Israel is "locked and loaded". And yet, here we are, in another "pause". Why? So, we can "talk it out" with Iran. Come to a negotiated deal. Note to POTUS (and I have said this many times before) - these guys are playing us. Stalling. They don't want a "deal" - they want the American people to get so sick of this war, they will demand we leave. And that - seems to be working.

Some of our sailors have not had a break for over 200 days. They are tired. They want to get this thing over with. We know that just recently we sent an additional 150 medics to Germany to care for the wounded should we really get down and dirty with Iran. We have thousands of additional Marines on the way over there. My vote would be very simple. One more chance to sign a surrender agreement. Our terms only. If they refuse, unleash our dogs of war. Shock and awe on steroids. Finish them. 

But the longer we sit and wait for these hoodlums, the longer our gasoline is over $4/gal due to what they are doing to the Strait of Hormuz, the longer our food and fertilizer keep going up due to almost record prices for diesel, the more unpopular this war is. President Trump - please don't let this war taint your presidency. Forget the "art of the deal" and replace it with "here is a taste of our steel". You have shown enough restraint for ten lifetimes with these guys. Remember all the Americans their proxies have killed over the past few decades. End this thing with a victory, let's bring our brave men and women home for a well-deserved R+R.

BTW - the IRGC continues to execute their own people. Why? For expressing a desire for freedom. That in and of itself deserves a lethal response from us. Get rid of these murdering hoodlums. Bring real peace back to the Middle East. Restore free passage in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Do I need to put this in sailor talk? Time to kick ass and take names. I can be no blunter than that.

Maybe when Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump this week, Bebe can convince him it is time. Maybe finish this before August? The Saudis would love to help us. So would other Arab nations who have been attacked by Iran. Heck, we can even pull Ukraine into the fray. The table is set sir - time to eat.  

 

Behold! The Minnesota School Gender Dolls~

 

My folks and my wife's folks are no longer with us. As much as I miss them all, I am glad they are not here to see what a fruit bowl this state has turned into. The saddest thing is that many lefties in this state do not think the politics are left enough as yet. 

Hey taxpayers! Here in the loony state of Minnesota, we have yet another national embarrassment. It seems the state Department of Education has funded some leftie at the University of Minnesota to come up with some "teaching tools" for our young heads full of mush (primary school kids). To ensure that kids stay confused about their sexuality, the U of M has come up with Gender Dolls. I had to search long and hard to find a picture of such which did not violate my personal standards on my blog as well as the fact I did not want to get punished by Google for showing smut.

In classrooms this fall, these dolls can be handed out to young students so they can (this is the part which is hard to believe) - take the private parts off the young boy and put them on the girl, and vice versa. What is the purpose of doing this? How about indoctrination. Just when kids are starting to wonder about different parts of their bodies, now is a great time to jumble everything up and tell them they might be made wrong. That a doctor can do some snips and tucks and then little boys can become little girls, or the other way around. 

If I were a parent of a primary school aged kid in a Minnesota government school, and found out this was on the menu, I would pull those kids out of class so fast it would make your head spin. Of all the dumb and vile things that the Democrats in Minnesota have come up with, this goes to the top of the list. 

Yesterday, Bill O'Reilly was talking about the once great state of Minnesota. He was totally disgusted. He said he would visit Minnesota in the summertime. Fish, swim and so forth. But that is before the government in this state became corrupt and vile. Now - he would not come here for anything. To toxic. To poisoned. And who is the poster child for this state gone amuck? Tampon Timmy. The governor who insisted on putting tampons in men's rest rooms.

My folks and my wife's folks are no longer with us. As much as I miss them all, I am glad they are not here to see what a fruit bowl this state has turned into. The saddest thing is that many lefties in this state do not think the politics are left enough as yet. Not until the secular humanists get socialist everything. Are those days coming? Oh yes - hopefully not soon, but they are coming.   

 

E-bikes, E-scooters, Egad!

"All of sudden, a joy ride on a toy can end up with a long hospital stay - or worse. It is too late to outlaw these things, as the 'horse is already out of the barn'. These things are here to stay. But they need to stay in the bike lanes, should your city have bike lanes. Not the best solution, but the best I could think of on short notice."

Am I the only one who sees the proliferation of E-bikes and E-scooters as a problem? I know, I know - the kids love them. But here is my issue with these semi-toys. First off, they are not toys at all. They are motorized things which can take a twelve-year-old into traffic and have an unfortunate meeting with a much larger car or truck. Wait - am I saying these things should not be allowed on the street. Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Then where to ride them? Sidewalks? Nope. Too dangerous for the peds who should be using the sidewalks.

As much as it saddens me to say this, it is only a matter of time before some kid makes a wrong decision. And not to take sides, but in my opinion, the scooters are much more dangerous than the bikes are. I have seen some of these young kids, wearing no helmet, going 30mph or faster on a scooter. I may be old school, but that is a prescription for disaster. I have seen young folks driving these things, going pel mel fast, taking all kinds of chances. Why? Young people think they are bullet proof. I know I did when I was young. The young brains are not developed as yet to sense danger.

The RV campground where our RV is located, is terrible for allowing young folk to ride these things fast and loose. Two years ago, some kid came a few feet from meeting his maker. Why? Taking chances on his E-scooter. Almost had a head on collision with a Ford pickup truck. One would think that after a very close call like that one, this foolishness would come to an end. It has not.

Here is the long and the short of it. When in traffic, E-bikes and E-scooters are no different than motorcycles or motor scooters. One wrong move and a much larger vehicle will ruin the day. All of sudden, a joy ride on a toy can end up with a long hospital stay - or worse. It is too late to outlaw these things, as the "horse is already out of the barn". These things are here to stay. But they need to stay in the bike lanes, should your city have bike lanes. Not the best solution, but the best I could think of on short notice.

  

 

Oh endorsements - where art thou?

"I feel for Kendall Qualls and Adam Schwarze. What a slap in the face. I feel sorrier for MNGOP, however. This organization may not be dead, but it sure is on life support. As an old Marine Corps Gunny that I knew in the service would say, when something was totally useless - 'Better kick some dirt over it before it starts to stink'. And with MNGOP, I can smell the odor already." 

As I live and breathe, I have never, not ever, seen anything like this. The MNGOP endorsement convention is long over, and it is as if it never happened. Somebody looking in from the outside might even think that there is (was) major disconnects between the delegates at the convention and the rest of the interested voters. How so? Some of the endorsed candidates will probably not survive the August 11th primary.

The race which is the biggest head scratcher is the one for the open senate seat. Adam Schwarze. Adam, the former Navy SEAL, came out of practically nowhere and won the endorsement. He even beat Michelle Tafoya, who had a ton of name recognition (and money). Now it was onward and upward to the general election, with just a minor pause at the primary. But wait! That minor pause for the primary has turned into a showstopper. Adam, who was king of the hill at the convention, is now in last place in the polling. He has less support than the nebulous person named "undecided".

That race, in and of itself, is a real cluster. But it gets worse. Mike Lindell, who recently received a tip of the hat from POTUS, is now in first place, ahead of Lisa Demuth. But wait - what? Lisa did not receive the endorsement - that was Kendall Qualls. Even though this race is a bit tighter than the blow away race for senate, the endorsed candidate (Qualls), is in third place behind Mike and Lisa. Riddle me this - what the what is going in with the MNGOP endorsement process?

As a former state delegate three times over, I can attest to the fact that attending these conventions are not always a bowl of honey. They are expensive. They are time consuming. They can be (and often are) - confusing and frustrating. After the nothing burger that this past convention became, good luck on getting volunteers to attend the next one. As they say in the citrus industry - the juice was not worth the squeeze.

I feel for Kendall Qualls and Adam Schwarze. What a slap in the face. I feel sorrier for MNGOP, however. This organization may not be dead, but it sure is on life support. As an old Marine Corps Gunny that I knew in the service would say, when something was totally useless - "Better kick some dirt over it before it starts to stink". And with MNGOP, I can smell the odor already. 

 

Isreal please! More decapitation!

 

"I don't think we can finish the deal without the help of the IDF. Time to get them back into the fray. They are solid fighters with excellent intel, and they always have our sixes (putting the USS Liberty aside). Time for the kill shot Mr. President. Let's take it."   

Ever since the jump, the IDF had one major focus in the war with Iran. Decapitation. Regime change. Why? They knew that the only way to change the snake was to cut off the head of the current snake. The United States on the other hand, was only concerned with the degradation of Iran's military and missile program. Oh - one more thing - the nuclear dust at the bottom of the Fordow facility. Between the IDF and US forces, much of what was on the menu - was accomplished.

OK - war over, right? Well - not exactly. Here is what the Washington Whispers are saying. Iran is a tougher nut than we thought they would be. Every time we smoked one of the IRGC goons who was in charge of something in Iran - up pops another goon. It is like a never-ending chain of bad guys. And then, when POTUS tried to show our other cheek during a "pause" and give Iran the chance to sell some oil, they used it to reconstitute some of their drones and missiles.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is slowed to a crawl because of the IRGC continuing to take pot shots at commercial shipping. The flow through the Strait slows down, the price of oil goes up, the President's approval numbers go down. As far as Iran is concerned, their plan is working out nicely. As far as the good guys are concerned, the stench of a forever war is starting to be noticed.

Since Israel was the closest and best target for the IRGC, the US decided to turn down the heat a bit. Have the IDS stand down. Come to a peace deal with Lebanon. Here is the problem. Decapitation. It is not happening like it was. The Mossad was doing an excellent job in getting all kinds of current G2. My opinion? We need to get the IDF involved again in decapitation. Otherwise, this war could start to drag on. And on. And on.

I don't think we can finish the deal without the help of the IDF. Time to get them back into the fray. They are solid fighters with excellent intel, and they always have our sixes (the USS Liberty aside). Time for the kill shot Mr. President. Let's take it.   

Return to Pickaxe Mountain

 

"How is this going to end? No more talking as the IRGC have proven to be liars and cheats. All I know is this - I am grad I don't have to make the choice on what to do about Pickaxe. That is way above my paygrade, and I am glad it is."   

Yes, there really is a mountain in Iran called "Pickaxe". When I first heard that name, I thought it was either a misprint or a joke. Why? "Pickaxe" sounds like the name of mountain in our old west, which was named by an old prospector. But it is not. It is a real name for a real mountain in Iran. And right now, this real mountain with a real name, could spell trouble for us and for Israel. 

One of the things we lose sight of when thinking about Iran, is just how big this place is. Like bigger than Texas and California put together. So what? Here is the what - with a country that big, and that nefarious, there are PLENTY places to hide things you should not have. And Pickaxe Mountain, due to its heavy granite composition, was a perfect place for the IRGC to hollow out and put in a deep, deep underground storage and nuclear facility. 

The Iranians have done their homework. They know just how deep they needed to go to escape the power of our GBU-57 A/B MOP bomb. This monster bomb, which can only be carried by a B-2 bomber, can be dropped on a hardened target and penetrate (then explode) down to 200 feet. This what was used on Iran's Fordow facility during Midnight Hammer. The bunker busters dropped that night, were just heavy enough to get through to the bad stuff in Fordow and destroy it. 

Okay - if that be the case, why not try those bunker busters again on Pickaxe? Because Pickaxe is deeper and better contained in granite. Our current bunker busters would just make noise, with no real damage. And now we know the real problem. The real choice - and it is not a good choice.

We also have something in our hip pocket which has never been used before. It is called an Earth Penetrating Weapon (EPW). It is a nuke. It is the bad ass bigger brother of the non-nuclear bombs used at Fordow. If we use this weapon, it will be the first time since WWII that an atomic or nuclear bomb has been used in anger. It will be a game changer, in that warfare will never be the same again. We will have crossed the Rubicon should we use this weapon.

Wait - we must have other choices. We do. First off, we can do nothing and continue to attrit the Iranians by our nightly bombing. That may or may not work. Or - we can send in our ground pounders for some boots on the ground action. That could end up being bloody and messy, with no guarantee of success. So that is it. Our choices are do keep on doing what we are doing, start a ground war, or nuke the mountain. 

How is this going to end? No more talking as the IRGC have proven to be liars and cheats. All I know is this - I am grad I don't have to make the choice on what to do about Pickaxe. That is way above my paygrade, and I am glad it is.   

Has China beat us to 6g?

"Back to 6g for a second. Elon Musk thinks his Starlink product might be the closest to getting 6g. If that is true, it will be Elon, once again, to save us. If Elon is just blowing smoke and he is no closer to 6g than 2030, then we might have to give a tip of the hat to China. Will China be a fair trader with us on their 6g products? Are they fair traders on anything? Case closed."

Let me start this by saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with all the super technology which is packed into your current cellphone. By now, most of us (unless we still love the flip phones), have 5g technology in our phones. That was a huge jump for the industry, as it really cut the latency time down for downloading and such. But is good enough ever good enough in the world of technology? Nope. Right now, our smart folks in phone labs are working on the anticipated 6g phone. Why? The latency time will be a hundred times faster than the 5g. What does that mean? You could download 5 movies in less than one second.

Okay - forget the movie example for a minute. There are hundreds of other applications which would be good, very good, to have faster latency. Some of which are medical, and some involve national security. But not to worry - we are way ahead of the rest of the world in this critical development. Or are we? It seems that last week, China announced they have cracked the code (so to speak) and come out with a 6g prototype. If this is true, and not just Chinese smoke and mirrors, that would put them over three years ahead of us. Currently, we are racing to have 6g on the market by 2030. 

Not to be the bearer of not so good news, but there is more. China, who is our main competitor in the world of AI, seems to have fast tracked their AI development a bit faster than us. The lead (all be it small) we have had over the Chinese seems to have evaporated. Now it is an old-fashioned foot race. But all things being equal, here is the real bothersome part to me. Current intel shows the "go to market" pricing that China will have on AI technology will be 40% less than ours. If their product is as good as ours, yet 40% cheaper - that will be a killer on global sales.

Meanwhile, what is going on in the world of our AI. Kathy Hochel (governor of NY) has just put a one-year moratorium on the building of any new AI data centers. In this footrace where every week counts, to have a major state like New York put a hold on any new data centers will not help us - not one bit. And locally here, Elk River just voted down permitting on a new data center. Why? NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard). And the NIMBY bug could be spreading across the nation.

Back to 6g for a second. Elon Musk thinks his Starlink product might be the closest to getting 6g. If that is true, it will be Elon, once again, to save us. If Elon is just blowing smoke and he is no closer to 6g than 2030, then we might have to give a tip of the hat to China. Will China be a fair trader with us on their 6g products? Are they fair traders on anything? Case closed.  

Sliding into another "forever war"?

"Wars and rumors of wars. Sounds familiar? Wonder why our DOW (formerly DOD) ask if for $1.5 T this next fiscal year? War cost money and it costs lives. Many times, the juice in not worth the squeeze. Really? Just ask Putin how his day is going."  

If you stop and take a deep breath, you can almost smell Iraq instead of Iran. Iraq, the "shock and awe" war that G.W. Bush led us into to make quick work of getting rid of Saddam and restoring Iraq to democracy - became a quagmire. The "shock and awe" portion of the war was not too bad, but the years of insurgency following, on was very painful for the USA. And just like that, as we start out the new millennium, we were knee deep in messy "boots on the ground" wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Once we finally extracted ourselves from both wars, the clamor went up from the masses saying - NEVER AGAIN! 

I am reminded of that old saying - wars are easy to start and very hard to finish. Don't think so? Try asking Vladimir Putin on how his four-day military action in Ukraine is going. The four-days have somehow turned into years, with Russia losing 1.5 million men. Right now, Russia is stuck in another "forever war" in which they could never have foreseen. But there they are - spending national blood and treasure for what? To eventually lose?

But were are too smart to fall into that kind of a trap. We were going to teach the IRGC as hard and fast lesson. One and done, in there and out of there. A clean, easy-peasy type of war. So, we thought. But for some reason, Iran had another idea. And now, with a good part of our fleet sitting off the coast of Iran, the "in and out" war is turning into a "forever war". And as much as we all hate to hear these words, to really cut out the cancer in Iran, to get rid of the IRGC and let peace return to the shire - it will take some boots on the ground. And with boots on the ground will come more misery and death for America.

It would have helped if we could have built a "coalition of the willing" like Bush 41 did before the first Gulf War. With that kind of help, the "shock and awe" war made mincemeat of the Saddam predicted "Mother of all wars". It was over in just a few days, with victory for the good guys being almost sanitary. But that was then, and this is now. Those easy days are over. To truly vanquish this foe in Iran, we really need to put the pedal to the metal. Total commitment. Air, sea and land. But if we do that, there will be a cost to pay. Blood and treasure. Right now, I am getting that spider tingling that we might be stuck. Either cut and run, fight to the death, or fight another "forever war" of attrition. 

Do I blame Donald Trump for getting us into this mess? Not really - a nuclear Iran would be unacceptable to Israel, the United States, the Arab neighborhood, and even Europe. Also, a regime who guns down tens of thousands of its own citizens has no right to exist. If we had a viable United Nations, maybe they could have done something about that issue. No - Iran needs to change, needs to de-nuke, and once again the toilet cleaning job falls on the US military (with a strong assist from the IDF).

Wars and rumors of wars. Sounds familiar? Wonder why our DOW (formerly DOD) ask if for $1.5 T this next fiscal year? War cost money and it costs lives. Many times, the juice in not worth the squeeze. Really? Just ask Putin how his day is going.  

And then there is, once again - crazy

 

"We need more NORMAL people to run for office. I know they are out there - they just need to make themselves known. I like people who love this country and are as American as apple pie. Does that make me a 'Nationalist'? Maybe - but in my book, that makes me an American before anything else."   

Ladies and gentlemen - meet Ashley Webb. He/she/it/they are (is) running to be a UNITED STATES SENATOR from the state of Maine. Let that marinate for just a minute. The great state of Maine, a state I called home for almost two years of my life, has finally rejected having a man with a Nazi tattoo on his chest, and is now auditioning for a more normal replacement for him. Normal? Have you seen or listened to Miss/Mr. Webb? What in the world has happened to Maine? I know it is not the water, as I drank plenty of it while living there.

All of a sudden, nationwide, the jar of fruits and nuts seems to have been shaken, stirred and then poured out. From seeing the collage of oddities who were running for governor of California as well as the mayor of LA, to the oddballs running for senate in Michigan, all I can say is WOW! It is like normal has taken a coffee break, and average looks a bit too radical these days. The name of the game is the stranger the better. And - as a plus up - hating America as it stands is a huge new value for the crazies. 

Just thirty years ago, if some of these "candidates" made it onto the public stage, the American public would have thought it was a skit from Saturday Night Live, or some other comedy show. But today, we are expected to look at this loony bin and accept them as serious. In what world could that happen? Not the world I live in. We have enough oddballs in Congress right now, without adding to the mixture. Like whom, you might ask? Rose DeLauro. Enough said.

America - what in the world is happening here? I know we are a diverse country, but now we have gone way, way over the edge by running Commies for office, as well as fruits and nuts who have fallen off the turnip truck. I fear to see what comes out of the next election. I fear even more what will come out of the Presidential election in 2028. With the trajectory of the new left, I could see Hunter Biden making a run for the White House, with AOC as his running mate. 

We need more NORMAL people to run for office. I know they are out there - they just need to make themselves known. I like people who love this country and are as American as apple pie. Does that make me a "nationalist"? Maybe - but in my book, that makes me an American before anything else.   

He is back, and the useful idiots are very happy

 

"Pay attention folks. This threat is for real. They are coming for what you have. For what you have worked for. Is that fair? Depends on whose definition of fair you use. Our definition is much different than their definition."  

The Democrat Socialists of America. Or, as POTUS puts it - Communists. Where did all of this come from? I thought Socialism (or Communism) was a failed economic (and tyrannical and authoritarian system) whose time had come and gone. But all of a sudden, in the United States of America, the land which fought the spread of Communism in the Korean Conflict, fought the spread of Communism in the Viet Nam Conflict, is now having Socialism spreading like wildfire on our home turf.

Not only are they here in the form of the Democrat Socialists of America, but they have also reached into their loony bin for an agenda to run on. It is not bad, if you don't mind the unraveling of everything American. And who is standing in the gap to protect our mushy head liberals from falling for this BS? Traditional Democrats. At something slightly slower than the speed of light, traditional Democrats are watching their once storied party go the way of the Dodo Bird.

I have my own theory on how this nonsense got started. This is just my opinion based not on fact, just on a hunch. The publishing of CEO salaries. Every year the local paper would publish CEO salaries for local businesses. Some were quite amazing. In one year, a CEO could make more money than an entire family could make in a lifetime. That allowed that one troublesome word to enter the lexicon - fair. Is it fair that one person could make so much, while so many could have so little? Never mind most CEOs had to work and sacrifice their tails off to get to that perch. But once fairness became a talking point, the foothold then became a stronghold.

Those of us (still the majority) who think our way of life is the best of the best, now have to address all the nutty things these wannabes working class heroes are spouting off. As a retired guys and a retired veteran, the chore of schooling these folks who should have learned this lesson years ago, is a curious task. Like - were you drifting off during Civics classes? Did you bother to study World History? Are you really that stupid, or just that naive?

Well, buckle up Earthlings, as this fight is just beginning. It is hard to believe when the good guys have history and logic on their side, this might still end up being a fight to the finish. The finish? Yes, if the Democrat Socialists win, and the good guys need to change or leave. But if we leave, where will we go? America is the last and best bastion of freedom and liberty. To lose all of that in exchange for the chains of Socialism or Communism, is like jumping off the cliff into an abyss.

Pay attention folks. This threat is for real. They are coming for what you have. For what you have worked for. Is that fair? Depends on whose definition of fair you use. Our definition is much different than their definition.  

 

World champs! At last!

"Today is a better day for air quality. That is a good thing. Still hotter than heck today, with high humidity. But next week - back to July normal. Was this week our new normal in Minnesota? I sure hope not."

It sure took a while, but we can finally lay claim to being number one in the world. Wait - what? I thought our soccer team was eliminated. It was - I am not talking about soccer. I am talking about something which we should want no part of. But we have it. This week, we hit the milestone. Worst air in the nation. My mistake, not the nation - the world. Whereas an AQI (Air Quality Index) of in the 300's puts you in the awful category, we managed to hit in the 500's for a short period of time. In fact, West Duluth hit an unofficial 600. That is air so thick you could have it for lunch.

I did not really know how to address this issue, but a longtime social media friend of mine (who recently moved out of this hellscape of a state) summed it up nicely. Because he is about my age, what he said really made sense. He was wondering why this spate of bad air has become common and terrible. Whereas when we were growing up in this state, bad air was either non-existent or best case - rare.

Something is making these fires grow more common. Please - please - don't constipate my feed with global warming bs. It was hot and humid when I was growing up just like it is now. And this year, we have had plenty of rain, thank you. No - it is something else. Something different that Canada is doing as well as the greenies in Minnesota. And right now, the main culprit seems to be forest management (or lack thereof).

Back to the world's worst air this week. We are a First World country. Every year, the number of pollutants we put into the atmosphere goes down. Why? Our knowledge on how to have cleaner effluents goes up. This week we had dirtier air than China. Then India. Then any of the Third World countries you could think of. Us - the number one innovator in the world, has the worst air. It was shameful and regrettable.

Two more things on this most sad and embarrassing issue. First, there is some thought that we might have eclipsed and AQI of 1,000 some places in the Arrowhead. To say that boggles my mind would be an understatement. Second, some liberal greenie posted on Facebook this morning that these smoke events were the fault of Donald Trump and Pete Stauber. Here is the problem with that false claim. These smoke events started a couple decades ago. Long before Trump's first term. And long before the seven years that Pete Stauber has been in Congress.

Today is a better day for air quality. That is a good thing. Still hotter than heck today, with high humidity. But next week - back to July normal. Was this week our new normal in Minnesota? I sure hope not.  

The mess in the BWCA (and Canada)

"Pretty soon the climate alarmists will be out blaming the Ford 150 pickup trucks for these fires. It is not the trucks - it is the way we manage our forests. Well, it is too late now for a big chunk of the BWCA. Nature has just managed it for us. And left a trail of smoke, soot, and damage in the aftermath."  

Welcome to the hellscape frequently referred to as Minnesota. And how did we get this way? Mining in the BWCA? Motorboats in the BWCA? The answer is no and no. And yet, walking outside this morning, the air is so thick with smoke that you can almost taste it. The air (if you want to call it as such), is not fit for man nor beast. And what happened? Sabotage by evil people? Careless campers? What? Probably dry lightning - and a mismanaged forest.

I love the purists in the area who defend the no-logging laws we have in the BWCA. The same goes for parts of Canada. "We don't need to manage our forests. Nature will take care of that." And nature does take care of it. By letting it burn. And with the conditions on the ground in the BWCA, this mismanaged forest floor is ripe with fuel for a rip-roaring forest fire. And that is what we have this morning.

60,000 acres of pristine forest have now been burned in the BWCA and the Superior National Forest. That is nature doing her recycling and restoration. The smaller fires in the BWCA have merged into a much bigger fire. How bad is it? One of the fire chiefs said the fire has "gotten into the ground" and we will still have remnants of this fire until the snow falls. BTW - the fire chief also said this 60,000-acre fire is still burning like crazy. And the main fire is still 0% contained at the time of this article.

Is there a lesson to be learned from this mess? Like maybe don't locate YMCA camps in this potential fire zones? Don't allow camping in an area so remote that should it catch fire, getting to safety could be a real problem? How about - just allow reasonable and sensible logging in the BWCA and Superior National Forrest. Or is it better just to lose some of that valuable timber to the vicissitudes of nature. If my vote counted (which it does not), I would choose better forest management practices.

But as we know, there is another side to this issue here. The smoke and ash. According to one of the local weather geeks, last night in Blaine, a new AQI record was set. Unbelievable 535! What can you safely do with an air quality like that? Nothing - no matter how healthy you are. The health experts are telling us to stay inside and do nothing. Thus, all week, with the heat and smoke, we lose a week of summer. Gone. And it is not just here - the smoke goes all the way to New England.

Pretty soon the climate alarmists will be out blaming the Ford 150 pickup trucks for these fires. It is not the trucks - it is the way we manage our forests. Well, it is too late now for a big chunk of the BWCA. Nature has just managed it for us. And left a trail of smoke, soot, and damage in the aftermath.  

Whither - Social Security?

"Many have wondered - how do we fix it? Just when all avenues to fix this gaping hole in Social Security looked way too convoluted, an answer drops right in our laps. Thanks in large part to Taxing Timmy Walz, we found out about fraud."

Ever since I was much younger and in the work a day world, some panic merchant in Washington would be ringing the alarm about Social Security. That is, one group of panic merchants would be running around the Capitol with their hair on fire, and another group would be trying to mollify the masses by lying to them about the solvency of Social Security. Meanwhile, I as well as millions of other workers, went to work, day by day, and had a percentage of our wages withheld and stuffed into this mysterious hole called FICA. 

Some have called Social Security a Ponzi Scheme. Others have called it a lifeline for seniors who have little else to retire on. Now a new group of either truth tellers or panic merchants are sounding the alarm bell (again). If we don't fix Social Security quickly, seniors will have their benefits cut by 20 or 30 percent in 2032. For some seniors, that will be a major inconvenience. For other seniors - it will be a killer.

Mostly due to my age, I have met many seniors over the past few years. Sometimes the issue of retirement money comes up. I have talked to many who are doing just fine, thank you. But I have also talked to others, that based on what they did for a living, Social Security is most of what they get every month. To eliminate it, or even reduce it, would be dangerous and maybe even deadly. 

Here is the long and the short of it (as far as I am concerned). I am tired of every few years hearing about the demise of Social Security. If it is truly broken and running out of money so fast that beneficiaries will soon take a decrement in monthly checks - FIX IT! If it is not running out of money (remember the SS "Strong Box?") then shut up already! Nobody, not even seniors who no longer work, need additional stress by worrying about future benefits.

Many have wondered - how do we fix it? Just when all avenues to fix this "gaping hole" in Social Security looked way too convoluted, an answer drops right in our laps. Thanks in large part to Taxing Timmy Walz, we found out about fraud. With all the fraud we have in Minnesota and beyond, we can reclaim (or claw back) so much money, we can fix that gaping hole. Heck - we might even have enough to give seniors a decent raise in benefits.  

Is this whole UFO for real? Or what?

"Okay - I know this all the mumbo jumbo that we have all been hearing for a long, long time. We need answers. The fact that we have somethings zipping around (over) our sovereign territory, that even our F-22 jets can't even keep up with, is disconcerting. And why are they drawn to our nuclear plants or military bases? Does that mean they are really Russian or Chinese? And all those drones last winter, over many of our skies. What was that all about?"

Did you hear? Another tranche of UFO files has recently been released. Did I see some of them? I did, as did many others. Okay - I will say it. So far, these have been a big fat nothing burger. The UFOs doing the ariel dance over our Capitol in 1952 were more stunning than what has been released. Here is what I thought this entire disclosure thing was going to be about. Proof of an alien. Not some dead thing which could have been put together by a special effects artist. A live alien, landing on the White House lawn, and saying something like - "We are here." So far - no luck.

Wait - what? What about all those decades of people (some very reputable) seeing "somethings" in our skies? What about all these "things" that our astronauts have seen from space capsules or while serving on the ISS? What did Hamlet tell Horatio? "There are more things in heaven and earth". And ergo, Shakespeare might have hit upon the answer to some or all of these "things" we have all been seeing. Maybe they are fallen angels or demons. Or maybe they are us, time traveling back from the future. Or if you really want to go out on a limb - interdimensional beings.

Okay - I know this all the mumbo jumbo that we have all been hearing for a long, long time. We need answers. The fact that we have somethings zipping around (over) our sovereign territory, that even our F-22 jets can't even keep up with, is disconcerting. And why are they drawn to our nuclear plants or military bases? Does that mean they are really Russian or Chinese? And all those drones last winter, over many of our skies. What was that all about?

Some think that maybe the answer lies in our oceans. That hidden within the 70% water we have on this planet, is another species. "Something" is down there and has been tracked at speeds approaching 200mph. Again, it is not us, as our best subs can only go a fraction of that speed.

My final thought on this matter is simply this (and this is for our government) - put up or shut up. If you don't know anything, just tell us so. However, if you do have immutable proof of aliens - show us. We CAN handle the truth. Until that happens, as the old expression goes, "I am not going to pay it no never mind!" 

Time to take this southwest water thing serious

"Our national theme of water, water, everywhere, is running out of steam. People in my neck of the woods can watch this unfold with a dispassionate interest. But for those living in Phoenix or Las Vegas, this crisis is about as real and real can get."

By now some have heard or read about the Hail Mary some scientists want to do with the Colorado River. Drain Lake Powell to save Lake Meade. Say what? As a lad, my dad took the family out west to visit some of the wonderful sites the west had to offer. One place that my dad was keenly interested in was the Glen Canyon Dam. Why? There were using some the equipment which was made at the plant my dad worked at. The Glen Canyon Dam was the start of Lake Powell. Back then, both Lake Powell and Lake Meade made sense for a fast-growing part of the great desert southwest.

Now, the Colorado River is starting to give up its flow. Too many sub-normal years of snowfall in the Rockies. The problem is, the Colorado is a one trick pony for supplying the desert southwest with much needed water. Then the ugly question begs to be asked - what if the Colorado River is no more? What does Pheonix do? Las Vegas? Tucson? Dozens of other communities? We need to come up with a Plan "B", and quickly. If Mother Nature gives up on giving us the necessary hydration, then what or who will?

All we need to do is look to the Middle East. An area of the world where water is not a luxury - water is life. With some countries in the Middle East being mostly desert, relying on rainfall is a non-starter. So, they looked towards the sea, and desalination of that endless supply of water. So far, so good. And now we really need to do the same. The only question is simply this - are we too late? 

Here is the long and the short of it. Years past, when dryness was the name of the game in a growing season, we could take the easy way out. Irrigation. That worked fine until we had too many straws going down into our huge aquifers. Even our largest aquifer (the Ogallala), which sits over parts of our nation's "breadbasket", has its limits. If we are not careful, soon that great aquifer will suffer the same fate as Lake Meade or Lake Powell.

To save our desert southwest, to keep it from reverting back to just a dry, dusty (unlivable) desert, we need a Manhattan type of engineering effort to bring in water - lots and lots of water - and quickly. This effort would be expensive and huge. Hint: other parts of the country will not be keen on the desert southwest taking their water. No - this new water needs to come from the ocean. And the permitting for desalination plant(s) need to be fast tracked through Congress and the Administration.

Our national theme of water, water, everywhere, is running out of steam. People in my neck of the woods can watch this unfold with a dispassionate interest. But for those living in Phoenix or Las Vegas, this crisis is about as real and real can get.   

Riddle me this...

 

"One more thing. Nigeria. The killing of Christians. By Muslims. Do you know that in the past six years, 30,000 Christians have been killed by Muslims in Nigeria alone? Churches burned, and men, women and children killed. I know Trump is really ticked off about this. How about showing the murdering Muslims in Nigeria how effectively our Delta Force or Seal Team Six operates? Riddle me this - why do we put up with this carnage?"

Did you see the blatant travesty which happened at some Somali week celebrations in MN? It was bad enough that these immigrants were flying their version of the new Minnesota flag, but to fly our national flag, the flag so many had fought for and died for - upside down? Riddle me this - why in the world do we put up with this ingratitude? They come here, many on some kind of government assistance, and then thank us by flying our flag upside down? If this is really the way they feel, it is time to leave. Like, now.

Now that I am on this rant, riddle me this one also. Why in the world are we still messing around with Iran? Over the last 47 years, they have chanted "Death to America" about 8 billion times. How do you negotiate with somebody who wants you and your family dead? And now, Israel has uncovered a real time plot to kill our President. Why do we put up with these people? Time to show them what real shock and awe is like.

Okay - put all the chanting aside. Sticks and stones. What about all the Marines who were killed in the barracks bombing as well as the Khobar Towers bombing years ago? We know that was Iran being the puppet master. And even more modern day - what about the 30 or so Americans who were killed or captured during the terror attack on Israel? How about some payback? Every one of these IRGC thugs in Iran have blood on their hands. Directly, of through their proxies.

One more thing. Nigeria. The killing of Christians. By Muslims. Do you know that in the past six years, 30,000 Christians have been killed by Muslims in Nigeria alone? Churches burned, and men, women and children killed. I know Trump is really ticked off about this. How about showing the murdering Muslims in Nigeria how effectively our Delta Force or Seal Team Six operates? Riddle me this - why do we put up with this carnage? 

There is an old saying in the Navy. Time to kick ass and take names. Maybe we as a nation need to do that also. I am tired of seeing all of this injustice. Time to square this circle. 

 

The Minnesota Primary - any surprises expected?

"Meanwhile, more of the normals will leave this state for the freer confines of Texas, Florida, Tennessee and beyond. Wait - are you telling us that our votes will not count this year? They will - sort of. All part of living in this gulag."   

One month and one day away. The Minnesota Primary. Will there be hard feelings once it is over? Count on it. Why? This might be the final breathing of an endorsement system whose time has come and gone. Now please don't get me wrong - I would be happy with any of the fine folks who were endorsed by MNGOP. But - can any of them win in a general election? In this state? Where blue has been the fashionable color for decades now?

I recently have read some Las Vegas type betting polls. They were endorsed candidate vs. endorsed candidate. In other words, Peggy Flanigan for Senate and Famous Amy for Governor. Kendall did horrible against Amy. Adam did horrible against Peggy. Now factor in the polling which has been done in the state. It is a real horse race between Flanigan and Craig for the DFL nod for the open senate seat. And on the republican side, Adam is way, way behind Michelle Tafoya. And on the MNGOP side for governor, Qualls is in third place behind Demuth and Mr. Pillow.

There may be a war in the Democrat Party between the Socialists and regular Democrats, but in MNGOP the war is between the purists and those who want to win. Guess what? The number of folks on the "I really want to win" side of the ledger keeps growing. That is the good news. The bad news is going up against the Minnesota Monolith (The DFL) - might be bridge too far this year.

Wait - what? After this trainwreck of a year or two the DFL has had with all this unanswered fraud stuff? They should be roadkill, laying in the ditch, just waiting for MNGOP to dispose of the carcass. Here is the long and the short of it. Who really cares about all this reported fraud? MNGOP and the normals care. Many of the Democrats look at the fraud issue as an inconvenience, and not a killer. Bottom line? The Democrats will keep voting for the same clown car over and over and over again. Get ready for Governor Amy and Senator Craig.

The primary will come and go and then will start the big hubbub of the general election. Once that is over, the zombies in Minnesota will get more horrible legislation - and just take it. I guess that is the cost of doing business in this authoritarian state.

Meanwhile, more of the normals will leave this state for the freer confines of Texas, Florida, Tennessee and beyond. Wait - are you telling us that our votes will not count this year? They will - sort of. All part of living in this gulag.   

The uncertain future for many of our youth

"Where is a good place to start? Reading skills. I know - hard to believe that in this day of age, only about one out of three fourth graders are proficient in reading. Why? Screen time for one. Also, the reading and writing thing should go hand in hand. Content, style, comprehension - everything. And speech communication is important. Small group communication. I could go on and on. And all this is important BEFORE the technical skills needed to fit into this workplace with has dizzying new skills and technologies developing before our very eyes."

Here is the good news, bad news thing again. And for the young ones - please pay attention. I have addressed this issue before. I continue to do research on it, as I don't want to be labeled as a "panic merchant". But please hear me out. By the end of this decade (and that is about 3 1/2 years from now), many, many of the lower skilled jobs which we know of will be gone. Not gone as is evaporated - gone as far as being available for humans to do. And how many "knowledge" jobs will be gone? Estimates are about 15% of them. And that number is expected to grow as we enter the 2030's.

With Generative AI coming onto the scene (quickly, I may add), part of the jobs being offered will vanish into the land of automation. Work will start to look a whole lot different than anything we have seen before. With the paucity of lower skilled jobs existing in the upcoming marketplace, many futurists are holding onto a wish and a prayer that new "human type" jobs will also be in the offing. But what will these jobs look like? How can our youth train for them when they are currently undefined?

Now I am really going to set off the alarm for dark days ahead for some. In the next 1,000 days or so, our education system needs to redefine itself as teaching the future, and not the past. I know what is being taught these days and how it is being taught. Hint: Not good enough. Generative AI is being developed to "think" as good as, if not better than humans. And then there is also this. With all things being equal, a humanoid robot (and there will be millions by the end of this decade) loaded with AI can work better, longer, cheaper, and more error free than most humans. It will be hard for a young person right out of high school, tech school or college to compete with that. 

We are coming up to a Future Shock which would make Alvin Toffler turn over in his grave. Whereas Toffler was most concerned with the stress of over selection and information overload, today's stressors will be as basic as "how do I fit into this brave new world of automation and AI"? Are we late to the party in prepping our kids for this once uncertain future which is now looking very certain? Years late. We are preparing our kids and grandkids for yesterday's world, when our new world is changing almost daily. 

Where is a good place to start? Reading skills. I know - hard to believe that in this day of age, only about one out of three fourth graders are proficient in reading. Why? Screen time for one. Also, the reading and writing thing should go hand in hand. Teach more and better content, style, comprehension - everything. And speech communication is also important. Small group communication is a must. I could go on and on. And all these are important BEFORE the technical skills needed to fit into this workplace with has dizzying new skills and technologies developing before our very eyes.

Final thought. Each day, every day for the next thousand days, our kids need to be taught the right stuff in schools. No matter the grade. For crying in the beer school districts, please at least teach the basics! When my kids were in school, at dinner time (the nights I was home), I would quiz them on some basic facts (mostly stuff I remembered from high school). The correct answer got them a desert as a prize. They hated it when I did that.

But that is what our schools need to do today. Teach the right stuff and then push and challenge. The "desert" today will not be a bowl of ice cream. It will be getting a job in a new type of market which is still being defined. 

The time is now. The future is very, very close. We have no days to waste.    

No longer defeat them - now it is time to conquer them!

"The IRGC have done this to themselves. I have not even an ounce of sympathy for them. Bear them until they no longer wiggle. At the end of the day, we will have a peaceful Iran, with a non-theocratic government. We will have a team on site to ensure there will NEVER again be one fraction of an ounce of uranium on site. The Strait will operate and be as free as a bird. When that happens, the price of a gallon of gasoline should drop back to under $3/gal. Halleluiah!" 

You have to hand it to the Iranians. They are a brazen bunch. A dishonest, lying sack of (as the president would say) - scum. This is the part which still has my head spinning. They wanted an absolute cessation of hostilities, so they could honor dead IRGC members and Mullahs who were eliminated on day one of the war. We agreed. No hostilities, and not even any negotiations on the final deal. Everything went very quiet and still out of respect for the ones who never show any respect to anybody else.

And then, just like the scorpion who killed the turtle (who was trying to save the scorpion), the IRGC could behave no longer. In the midst of their "grief", they hit three innocent oil tankers with drones. Color me shocked. That was just about enough for President Trump. He unleashed his dogs of war last night. Hit over 80 targets. Tonight, there will be more. As the old football chant goes, "Hit them again - harder, harder".

Here are the facts on the ground:

1) They will NEVER give up their quest for nuclear weapons. They see having them as their key to upward mobility in the region.

2) They don't give a tinker's dam that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. To the Iranians, this is their "lake" and should be treated as such. Their constant harassment of shipping will NEVER go away. Not so long as the IRGC exists. 

3) This is a big one. They don't give a wit about their Iranian people. For those who are not true believers in the power of the Mullahs or Islam in general, they will shoot, hang or imprison them. Period. End of story.

4) They look at negotiations as a sign of weakness. All they recognize as true power is the power which is on the battlefield. They need to be not only defeated but also conquered.

As much as our president has longed for peace with this group of savages, peace will never happen. Only conquest. And it is time, Mr. President. Take off all the rules of engagement and let our military professionals go into battle to go quick and go harsh. Beat them so bad, that when they cry "uncle", there will be no negotiations. They will sign a surrender letter. 

The IRGC have done this to themselves. I have not even an ounce of sympathy for them. Bear them until they no longer wiggle. At the end of the day, we will have a peaceful Iran, with a non-theocratic government. We will have a team on site to ensure there will NEVER again be one fraction of an ounce of uranium on site. The Strait will operate and be as free as a bird. When that happens, the price of a gallon of gasoline should drop back to under $3/gal. Halleluiah! 

 

  

Looking down from 30,000 feet...

"What is my solution? More taxes, or more tariffs? We have tried the tax thing for decades and it sucks. It stunts growth. Maybe we should have Congress authorize tariffs for a period of ten years. If managed correctly, just imagine how much money we could have in our coffers. Just imagine how much of our debt could be paid off. Or - we could do nothing and await the level of $50T in our national debt. Knowing us - we will do the later."

Every now and again, it is very helpful to get in that imaginary airplane, fly very high, and take a 30,000-foot snapshot of our country. Things would probably look pretty good, until you looked into our underpinnings. Like - our debt. With everything else going on, looking at our debt has not been a hot topic for many of us. I know it has not for me. But holy cow! We are creeping up on $40T in national debt! If that does not give any citizen pause for concern, I don't know what would.

I remember not too long ago addressing our national debt when it reached an astounding $33T. I had no clue on how we would be able to service a debt that high. But now we are on the verge of having a debt which is $7T higher than that previous post. And many economists think we might be on the way towards a $50T debt. That could sink our ship.

I decided to do some deeper thinking on this issue. Like - why is it, no matter who is in office, the debt goes up. I did buy into the Trump tariff plan, where we could garner more funds from an external revenue service (tariffs), than internal revenue service (taxes). But, due to the bifurcation of financial viewpoints in our sharply divided Congress, Congress had SCOTUS remind POTUS that the issue of tariffs was up to Congress, and not the President. Then all those dollars raised in tariffs, some of which to be used in culling part of our national debt, went "poof" - gone. And then our national debt resumed its manic assent.

Here is my take on this very sore subject. Our biggest cause for our sky-high debt in this country is changing administrations. Look at the crap that Biden spent money on which no longer exists. Just like when Biden took over, he killed many of the things that Trump had been working on, when Trump once again took office, he killed just about everything that Biden had been working on.

And look at all the national defense items Biden DID NOT spend money on, which he should have. Like what? Look at our Navy. We are way, way under on many of our ship classes. China now has the largest navy. Thus, the Trump Administration needed to spend gobs of cash just to get us caught up. And raising taxes to pay for it, was a non-starter. It would crash the economy.

I remember when Reagan took office after Jimmy Carter. Same issue. Carter wanted to be a man of peace instead of war. Thus, he cut back on defense. When Reagan took office, our DOD was a mess. The Soviets had gone to town under Carter, and Reagan needed to jump start our military procurement. By the time Reagan's second term was done, so were the Soviets. But our debt was much higher. 

Every time this nation zigzags the economy due to a new administration, our debt goes up. Fact of life. When Trump is done, and if we get another Biden in office, it will happen all over again. Our nation jumps around way too much on priorities. And yet, we need to face the reality in the world in which we live. If America goes weak due to lack of defense spending, aggressive nations will try and fill that void. Just look back on history, how weak the US was before WWII. 

What is my solution? More taxes, or more tariffs? We have tried the tax thing for decades and it sucks. It stunts growth. Maybe we should have Congress authorize tariffs for a period of ten years. If managed correctly, just imagine how much money we could have in our coffers. Just imagine how much of our debt could be paid off. Or - we could do nothing and await the level of $50T in our national debt. Knowing us - we will do the later.