Fellowship of the ring

"Time to get going NATO. Let's get the Ukraine voted in so we can send them some real help. These people are in deep trouble right now, and help NEEDS to be on the way. Sorry Vlad - the cavalry might be coming."    

My, oh my! Look what is happening over in Europe! It seems the slumbering, have been awoken, and are now starting to roar. In particular - Germany. NATO, the left over organization from the Cold War, was becoming as feckless as the UN has become. Donald Trump (when President), as much as told NATO that. Many countries had annual dues in the rears, their contribution of hardware was spotty, and this once fine organization, was becoming just a coffee klatch club.

Who is NATO right now? Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. Did I leave out Ukraine? Yes. They wanted in, but had not yet been admitted. Now that might change. Along with Finland and Sweden coming in also.

Who are these nations? Some large, some small. Some rich, some not as rich. Some always free, some recently freed from the Soviet Union. Who are they now? I like to think of them as the "Fellowship of the Ring". Just like in the Tolkien novel(s), these are a bunch of different people, united against the monsters from Middle Earth, who are here to kill or enslave them. Only in real life, the evil one is not Sauron - it is Putin. And there is no Mordor in Middle Earth - it is Russia.

Actually, we may owe some degree of thanks to a couple of folks for bringing this "Fellowship" together. What couple of folks would that be? Donald Trump, who called NATO out for what they have become, and - Vladimir Putin. Putin has become the motivator, the reason, why nations would want to join NATO - and have the aegis of protection that Article 5 provides. 

Here is my question to Putin. Are you going to nuke the Ukraine if NATO votes them in? Or are you just going to nuke Brussels (headquarters for NATO). Or Vlad, will you go for the "Full Monty" and nuke everyone? Do all those nukes make a little man like you feel like a big man? Sorry Putin. There are more of us freedom loving folks, than tyrants like you. You are yesterday's news. Nobody cares about you anymore. You are no longer the boogie man that Europe once feared.

Time to get going NATO. Let's get the Ukraine voted in so we can send them some real help. These people are in deep trouble right now, and help NEEDS to be on the way. Sorry Vlad - the cavalry might be coming.    

How do you subdue a freedom loving people? You don't...

"Thank you Ukraine, for reminding the rest of the world how valuable freedom is. How dear it is. Just a side note to the world's latest bad boy dictator. Thanks for waking up the sleeping giant. Unlike WW II, when the Japanese thought the sleeping giant was us, today the sleeping giant is all people - all people who have an unquenchable thirst for freedom and liberty." 

America may appear to be lost right now, stuck in the morass of woke and PC goblety-gook, but another nation is not. The Ukraine. Who in the world would have thought the Ukraine was going to be the beacon of hope in the 21st century? Oh, they are not beyond having problems - we need to be honest on that one. But - when it comes to the unquenchable thirst of freedom, we would be hard pressed to find a finer example than the good citizens of Ukraine. 

One older gentlemen was interviewed by a war correspondent on the streets of Kyiv yesterday. The older gentlemen was asked why he was not fleeing to a safe border. His response? "I don't have a gun. I don't have any bullets. But I do have a butcher knife. And if any of those Russian bastards come down this street, I will slit their throats." Wow! Going up against armor with a kitchen knife? This is 1776 in America all over again.

What I want Biden to do today, is to be someone else. Someone with balls. I want him to hold a presser, look into the camera, and tell Putin this: "You have until tomorrow morning to start your withdrawal from Ukraine. If you don't, the United States and its NATO allies will kick you out of the Swift financial network. And it will get worse from there."

There are certain rules every nation must follow. The most basic of those rules, is to behave. Not to invade another country. One thing which I have been amazed by so far, is nobody has brought up the obvious. Invading another country for no reason, is a war crime. Russia's leadership should be hauled in front of the Hauge and tried. Just like what the world did to the Nazis at the end of World War II, there has to be a reckoning. Russia needs to pay for its crimes. They need to atone for the death and destruction they caused. Russia needs to know, acts like this do not come without consequences.

One more thing. Once Russia is booted out of the Ukraine, and peace once again comes to the shire, it ain't over yet. Ukraine needs to boot Russia out of the Crimea. It is sovereign territory which belongs to Ukraine. Period. If Putin does not like that, it is tough toenails. 

Thank you Ukraine, for reminding the rest of the world how valuable freedom is. How dear it is. Just a side note to the world's latest bad boy dictator. Thanks for waking up the sleeping giant. Unlike WW II, when the Japanese thought the sleeping giant was us, today the sleeping giant is all people - all people who have an unquenchable thirst for freedom and liberty. 

  

"It is not the size of the dog in the fight - it is the size of the fight in the dog which matters"

"History is being made right now. Putin and Xi are getting ready to slice and dice the world, so it will look more to their liking. Freedom will take a back seat to tyranny. That is, unless freedom loving people stop this power grab."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The President of the Ukraine. Lawyer, actor, comedian, politician, and - fighter. This young man, with a young family, has shown the good people of the United States that all people are not like the cowards in the Afghanistan Army. How so? When push came to shove, the local army in Afghanistan, the one we trained, the one we equipped with billions of dollars of our finest arms, folded like a bunch of cardboard cutouts. Even the President of Afghanistan fled, taking millions of our taxpayer dollars with him. It was a sad sight. An embarrassing sight. A disgusting sight. Not so with President Zelenskyy.

But enough about Afghanistan. Lessons learned, and we moved on. Today, we see a modern day "David and Goliath" fight, unfolding between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine, who is NOT a member of NATO, who has had no superpower funding and backing (with the exception of some Stinger missiles and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles), is playing the part of David. Goliath, played by Vlad Putin, has one of the strongest armies in the history of mankind. The battle for Ukraine should have taken a bit over a day. Except for one thing. This dog, called the Ukraine - does hunt.

Most analysts are now saying the same thing. Ukraine is going to fall to the Russians. People will die. Russians will die. In fact, probably more Russians will die, than Putin had put into his calculus. Is there a lessons learned we can take from this? A few. Here are my thoughts:

• Help is NOT coming - Sorry about that. As much as we would like to see a knight in shining armor come in at the last minute and save the day, help is NOT coming. The UN is beyond feckless, and the US has Biden in charge right now. Case closed.
• Our 2A is a godsend - Sorry to all my jellybeans on the left, who hate the 2A. The final thing the Ukrainian government did before the evil Russians showed up, was to give a gun to anyone who wanted one. Why? This is one of the reasons our Framers put the 2A in our Bill of Rights. Will shotguns defeat tanks? Nope. But as Churchill would tell the good people of London when it looked like the Nazis would be at their doorstep, "If you have to go, at least take one of them with you." Bingo. This victory will be pyrrhic for Putin, and also painful. Every Russian soldier who is killed, would only deepen that pain.
• LESSON LEARNED - It has been said that Xi has been sitting up, paying attention to what is going on in the Ukraine. He is taking notes, so when he does this to Taiwan, he will be able to see any pitfalls to avoid. We too, should be taking notes. And here is note one - Stinger missiles and Javelin missiles can help turn the tide against a superior foe. We should make sure the Taiwan government has the best we can offer, so when the red menace comes, Taiwan will have a fighting chance. It is too late to do anything about the Ukraine, but maybe not for Taiwan.

"It is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog which matters." Kind of sounds like us, doesn't it? Like Circa 1776? There is no way we should have beat the British - but we did. There is no way the Afghan Army should have lost to the Taliban - but they did. There is no way the Ukrainians should be putting up the fight they are against the Russian - but they are. 

History is being made right now. Putin and Xi are getting ready to slice and dice the world, so it will look more to their liking. Freedom will take a back seat to tyranny. That is, unless freedom loving people stop this power grab. Do we have the right size dog to stop the tyrants? Or do we have the right size of fight in the dog we have? The answer to that question will determine how the world will look going forward.
 

A fool's errand

"But - we don't have a strong President. We have Biden. Remember him? The guy who thinks our biggest existential threat is 'global warming'. And 'White Supremacists'. The Russians? Biden never considered them."

Okay. I know I will not be the only one to say this. Putin is "off his nut". He is acting much more like a megalomaniac, than the head of state of a large country. Many (including myself) did not think he would pull the string on this one. Maybe a bit, but he would pull his forces back and head home. Mission accomplished. To go after the entire country of Ukraine, is nuts. Besides being a bloodbath, Putin is now a candidate to be tried at the Hague for war crimes. 

This morning, someone brought up the fact that Putin is also interested in getting Poland "back into the fold". Why? Putin thinks there are too many Catholics in Poland. As I reported earlier, Putin is very Russian Orthodox. So much so, it is blurring his vision towards other religions. But wait - Poland is a member of NATO. How is that going to work? Well, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Last night, I turned on the TV after midnight. Just to see if the world was still at peace. It was not. When I saw videos of the explosions going off in Kyiv, my thought was very simple. Putin has kicked over the hornet's nest. The bell has been rung, and he can't un-ring that bell. Putin has elevated himself from a tin horned dictator, to a certifiable nut case. To do what he has done, for the reasons he did it, someone would have to be "off his nut".

Oh, to have a strong President right now. Biden is so very ill equipped to handle this crisis. We need a President who can look Putin straight in the eye, and say, "Don't you ever threaten the United States again! If you want to play the "nuke card", we can play it too. And there are three countries in NATO who are in the nuclear club." Then Biden should tell Putin, if he goes after our electric grid, we will darken the entire Russian landscape - for years.

But - we don't have a strong President. We have Biden. Remember him? The guy who thinks our biggest existential threat is "global warming". And "White Supremacists". The Russians? Biden never considered them. That is, unless it was under the Trump Administration. Biden loved the fable that Trump was Putin's puppet. If we could only have Trump back right now...

What comes next? Unknown. As one retired general put it yesterday, these are uncharted waters. What can we do right now? Pray. Other than that, I am out of suggestions.  

 

Have we sent in the clowns???

"Folks, as the world has become more dangerous, more complicated, we have elected clowns. Not just in Washington, all over the country, as well as some of our allies. We are worshipping at the alter of Global Warming and Woke, while Putin and Xi have geared up for the next big fight." 

I just listened to Ned Price give the State Department Q+A presser. That was right after I listened to retired General Jack Keane give his assessment as to where we are right now. I had to turn off the TV. It was becoming too much. Seeing what is going on up in Canada with Fidel's kid, seeing what is going on in our large cities with Soros funded DAs, watching the continual breaching of our southern border by the cartels, and now to see Russia about to make a move for the Ukraine, and maybe beyond - a question comes to mind. Have we given up? Have we sent in the clowns?

Is there not one person in charge, in the United States, Canada, or half of Europe, who has some gravitas? Some backbone? Who knows what the Sam Hill he or she is doing? Jack Keane gave a dire assessment today on where we are. Ukraine is a sitting duck, and the cyber attacks and the psyops have already started. The Russians have set up field hospitals, and stocked them with blood. War is all but certain.

Once the Ukraine is taken, then what? What if the Russians go after former Soviet satellites who are now in NATO? Can we stop them? Keane has serious doubts. Article 5 to the NATO Agreement (collective defense), might just become a worthless piece of paper. 

Here is the bottom line. We have not prepared for this moment. We did at one time. But starting during the Obama Administration, the balance of power started to shift. Our defense budget did not keep pace with what was happening in Russia and China. Now under Biden, it is even worse. We are mostly bark with not enough bite. And as much ground as we have lost in the arms race with Russia and China, it is nothing compared to how far behind NATO is. Talking about all the unity we have with NATO is great right now, but are we all hat and no cattle? If Putin makes a bold move on a NATO country, what are our options? Anything? 

One of the orders of battle this country has had for a long time, was to have enough starch in our forces, where we could fight two wars at once. If it ever came to a war in the Pacific and one in Europe, we would be up to the task (like in WW II). Many military experts are now saying those days are behind us. If we got into a shooting war with Russia, it would take just about everything the US and NATO has. Plus, it there is an agreement with Xi, that China could move on Taiwan when Europe explodes - hang on. Taiwan could be toast in a matter of days.

Folks, as the world has become more dangerous, more complicated, we have elected clowns. Not just in Washington, all over the country, as well with some of our allies. As we worship at the alter of Global Warming and Woke, Putin and Xi have geared up for the next big fight. 

The one ray of hope I heard on the news today, was the country of Ukraine is now allowing private citizens to carry arms. Really? What took them so long? Our Founders knew one thing for dead certain. Armed citizenry is the best defense against foreign invaders, or - an overreaching tyrannical government. We may have clowns in charge right now, but the citizens and patriots in this country are anything but.  

Is Vlad mad? Or just sad about his dad?

"Does the world not have a peacemaker right now, who can convince the Russians to lower the temperature? Does war have to be the ultimate and final answer? Biden wants to continue to negotiate with Putin. Note to Joe - it is very hard, if not impossible, to negotiate with someone whose mind is made up."

Here is something to behold. Our neighborhood bully, Vladimir Putin, is a church going Christian. Wait - what? This former KGB guy, who some say was a stone cold killer, who now has almost 200,000 troops at Ukraine's border, ready to unleash hell on Earth - is a Christian? So goes the story. His dad was an atheist, as were many during the Soviet Union period. However, Vlad's momma was a Christian. And Vlad was raised a Christian. In fact, one of Vlad's pet rocks is to rebuild many of the orthodox churches which were destroyed by the Communists.

Wait - hold the phone. Was it not Karl Marx, the grand-daddy of Communism who came up with that now infamous line - "Religion is the opium of the masses"? I am totally confused. But I do know this. Any Christianity which Putin practices, misses some very important points. How do I know? Because if he indeed followed the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, I doubt if we would be in the pickle we are right now. Even though Putin was more inclined to be a momma pleaser growing up, maybe he ended up being daddy's boy after all. 

On the news this morning, it was reported that intel has shown that more blood was being sent to the front lines. Not good, if it is true. That means the hammer is about to fall. The "peacekeepers" in the tanks, might end up being the dogs of war instead. With the UN and the US now being feckless, it will be up to the Ukrainian Army to hold off the Russians. One analyst who is a retired general, said the Ukrainian Army could lose half its forces in the first few days of battle. 

Does the world not have a peacemaker right now, who can convince the Russians to lower the temperature? Does war have to be the ultimate and final answer? Biden wants to continue to negotiate with Putin. Note to Joe - it is very hard, if not impossible, to negotiate with someone whose mind is made up. We are not going to send it troops (thank goodness), sanctions will probably not work, and talk is cheap. Putin thinks he has some kind of grand authority to go into another country, and tell them they now belong to Russia. It simply does not work that way. Putin would not want another country doing that to Russia. Putin needs to read his history books on how close Russia came to falling to the Nazis. Lots of Russian blood spilled back then.

I don't want to sound like a neophyte, but it is time for mankind to stop playing "King of the Hill", and start getting along as civilized people. War accomplishes nothing, except heartache and misery. But here is an idea. Since both Biden and Putin profess to be Christians, there might be an answer. The Apostle Paul writes that we are all to be "imitators of Christ." Paul also said that where two followers have a dispute, it should be worked out (peacefully). The sun should never go down where dispute remains unresolved.

Other than that, I am stuck in coming up with any good ideas how to solve this mess. Is Putin mad? No - but he is confused. Is he sad about his dad being an atheist? Maybe. But Putin (like the rest of us) does have a Heavenly Father who will never disappoint. Maybe it is time for all involved to remember that.  

Putin's Putsch?

"On this 'Two Tuesday', history is being made - and it is not good history. Good time to go fill your gas tanks up. With Biden taking away all our spare oil, we too, are at the mercy of the Russians."

I have said for a while now, that Putin reminds me of Adolph Hitler. After what happened yesterday, I am starting to wonder if Putin has been taken over by the spirit of Hitler. So why call this article Putin's Putsch? There was no beer hall, no charging of treason. What gives? It was precisely what happened in November of 1923, which gave wings to the Nazi Party. Even though the putsch was a failure, and Hitler was charged with treason, the time Hitler spent in prison, was fruitful in planning his next move(s). Then as we know, the rest is history. After prison, Hitler proceeded to set Europe, and almost the entire world, on fire.

Putin is an evil man. He really is a bad actor. But he has guts. And he can stare down most of the leaders in NATO - including Biden. What happened yesterday, was Putin addressing his nation (and the world), by saying in so many words, "I am taking some chunks of the Ukraine, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it." Because most of Europe has agreed to let Putin be their gas station attendant, he controls the nozzle and the price - and the price just went up.

Now to give the devil his dues. Yes, Putin is a very evil man. Some say he has been a stone cold killer in his past. Something straight out of a James Bond novel. But - he is also very smart, and very cunning. He is able to look over the chess board and read the tea leaves quickly. Our chess player is Joe Biden. But Joe does not know how to play chess. In fact, he struggles with checkers. And Putin knows that. Putin has played Biden like a fiddle. But here is the frosting on the cake for Putin. Many of the blunders that Biden has made, have been unforced errors. Putin did not have to do a dang thing, other than sit back and watch.

It has been rumored that this former KGB Agent has sent "kill lists" to his special forces, many of whom are already embedded (and hidden) in Ukraine. These lists, have "kill or capture" orders for the names of many people who have been a burr under the saddle of Putin. I know, I know. Some are now wondering why something like this is not against international law. Where Putin could or should be dragged in front of the Hague (should this rumor be found true.) But who would do it? Putin right now feels that he is "untouchable". And the United States? The great United States? With Joe Biden, we have become the late, great United States.

On this "two Tuesday", history is being made - and it is not good history. Good time to go fill your gas tanks up. With Biden taking away all our spare oil, we too, are at the mercy of the Russians. Will the entire continent of Europe erupt in flames as it did under Hitler? I sure hope not. But to me, Putin is much more dangerous than Hitler ever was.     

Freedom, ascending

            "What then is freedom? The power                      to live as one wishes." 

Marcus Tullius Cicero 

No, it is not hiding under the water, letting out an occasional gurgle. It is bursting forth like a geyser. What is it? Freedom. The "f" word, tyrants hate to hear. Where is it right now? Everywhere. There is something wired in our DNA which gives us a longing for freedom, and abhorrence to tyranny. Many in this country have that freedom DNA. Some, like our current President and his handlers - do not. Many in Canada have shown us they too, have this propensity for freedom. Again, their Prime Minister, does not. Is that it? Just us folks in the northern part of North America? Not hardly.

I find it interesting in hearing the good folks in the Ukraine. They have shown little fear, with the Bear at their doorsteps. Are they just going to lay down and let themselves be assimilated into Russia? Nope. They will fight to the death, if need be. But according to many, they are now a free country, and have no desire to go back in time. They tried being serfs to the Soviet Empire, and have no desire to be serfs again. Freedom!

Remember the demonstrations in Iran? Seems there are many (mostly younger) folks who have had it with living under the iron boot of the Mullahs. Prior to the revolution, people in Iran had a degree of freedom. Living under the Shah was not good, but history has proved much, much better than living under a theocracy. What do many in Iran desire right now? Freedom!

Communist China. A brutal regime to those on the lower end of the scale. The Uyghurs have been exploited and abused by the CCP. Kind of like the Kurds were in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. What the Uyghurs want more than anything else right now, is a seat at the table. Instead, they have been imprisoned, enslaved, had their organs harvested - and worse. What do they want for all of China, especially their own people? Freedom!

Marcus Tullius Cicero lived in the century before the birth of Christ. He was a Roman citizen who was a lawyer and a philosopher. He was a lover of freedom - so much so, he was ordered beheaded by Mark Anthony. But, a famous quote which is attributed to Cicero is as follows:

"What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes."   

I love that quote. To me, the operative word is "power". That really is what freedom is all about. The power contained in each of us, not to accept anything but freedom. Years ago, I had this thought about freedom. That all men are born free - someone only needs to take that freedom away from them. Take that power of freedom away from them.

Look around. People all over the world right now, are saying that THEY have the power to be free. And that is an awesome power to have. 

Our gasoline gamble

"But before we give up all hope, Joe Biden could end up being a Saturday hero. All he need do, is reverse everything he reversed once coming into office. Open up everything once again for exploration and development. Re-start the Keystone Pipeline. Nix the Nord Stream 2 line."

"No blood for oil! No blood for oil!" Remember those days? That was the caterwauling coming from the chattering class, when it looked like we were in the Middle East only to plunder their oil. Nothing could have been further from the truth. However - back then, the truth was this. The United States was a huge customer of OPEC's oil, and we needed to ensure that commerce would or could continue. Our economy, like most economies, ran on oil (it still does). And since the days of Jimmy Carter, we have not been energy independent. We needed oil then. We need oil now.

Then in the past decade, some amazing things have happened. We discovered a huge reserve in North Dakota (the Bakken Formation). Canada had discovered more oil reserves in their tar sands area. Donald Trump became President, and opened up just about everything he could, for drilling and exploration. The Keystone Pipeline was authorized. All of a sudden, we had enough oil and natural gas to make us energy independent. In fact, we had so much petrol, we started being an energy exporter. 

Now one would think, that once we became energy independent, that would have silenced the chattering class. I mean, what happened to all that imperialism? The blood for oil in the Middle East? One would think the loony left would be dancing in the streets right now. But no. Now they DON'T want us to drill. They WANT us to go back to OPEC for oil. Heck, they are even okay with us buying oil from our arch enemy - Russia. SMH...

Here is how upside down the world is in the mind of Joe Biden. While Donald Trump was President, he not only made us energy independent, he also nixed the Nord Stream 2 gas line, going from Russia to Germany. Someone once said, Russia is nothing but a big gas station. When oil prices are high, bad actors like Russia and Iran can get more money to spread their form of mischief. When gas prices are depressed, just the opposite happens.

Ted Cruz was on the news this morning and said something quite interesting. He was instrumental in getting a resolution passed to nix the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. It passed the House and Senate, and was signed by President Trump. One of the first things Biden did when coming into office - was to reverse that. Russia immediately began building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline again.

If Biden had not killed our petrol industry, and reversed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Cruz is convinced Putin would not have 100,000 + troops on the border of Ukraine, just waiting to attack. In other words, Biden caused this mess. Just like our retreat in Afghanistan, this mess in the Ukraine has Joe Biden's fingerprints all over it.

But before we give up all hope, Joe Biden could end up being a Saturday hero. All he need do, is reverse everything he reversed once coming into office. Open up everything once again for exploration and development. Re-start the Keystone Pipeline. Nix the Nord Stream 2 line. Putin would instantly go from being a big league player, to a man of meager means, once again. Will Biden do this, when it makes so much sense? Not a chance. Why? Because he is Joe Biden. His puppet masters will not allow it.

And those "No blood for oil" signs? They are needed now in Moscow. The chattering class (if they had one), needs to protest right outside the Kremlin. All of Putin's oil money is going to spill a whole lot of blood in the Ukraine. Maybe our chattering class needs to wake up and join that protest.   

Nothing good can come out of this...

"Nothing good will come out of this. Despots, like Putin, are more like animals than men. They bring us back to our most carnal desires of bloodlust. People will die, just so an empire could be rebuilt. A country will die, just so it can be absorbed into a juggernaut."

Oh my. Just when it looked like mankind can start acting like the humans in Star Trek (acting like one species), instead we are acting like warring factions from the planet Klingon. To satisfy one man's blood lust, his desire to go back in time and to recreate an empire, the world once again, is on the precipice of war. And this particular war, could be the fuse which ignites an entire region. Or an entire world.

Even though some jellybean called me a "war monger" last week, when I suggested that Biden should go full bore Donald Trump, and open up everything we have for oil explorations and production, I am anything but a war monger. I desire peace. I abhor bloodshed and war. War is antithetical to my faith. And I know what is happening right now in the Ukraine, can lead to nothing good. In fact, with now 190,000 Russian combat soldiers and support units on site, the situation over there has gone beyond serious.

One military expert summed the current situation up in very succinct terms. "The Russians have brought in their blood units. They would only do that if they mean to attack". In fact, it is not just the blood units. It is every type of conventional combat unit needed for invasion. Troops for taking ground, troops for keeping ground. Supply units. Ammo trucks. Tanks. Armored vehicles. Aircraft. 

What the Russians have outside of Ukraine right now, reminds me of Desert Shield right before Desert Storm. We had everything we would need to throw Hussein out of Kuwait (if Saddam did not leave voluntarily). We knew it, and the Iraqis knew it. Invasion was all but a certainty.

If the Russians do invade this coming week, here is what the military experts are expecting. The battle will start out with cyber attacks to the infrastructure in many of the large cities, especially in Kyiv. Air defenses in the Ukraine will then be taken out by Russian air and missiles. Tanks will come over the border in great number. The battle will now be joined by an over matched and out gunned Ukrainian Army. NATO and the United States will immediately impose vast and painful sanctions on Russia.

Russia will know these sanctions are coming, and has prepared for them. Maybe there is an agreement with Xi of China to backstop any financial pain these sanctions might cause. Russia will retaliate with a blistering cyber attack on NATO countries as well as the US. In fact, we are so certain of this cyber attack on us, we have issued a first ever "Shields Up" alert.

Now is when the conjecture will take over. One of our military experts said if Russia hit our infrastructure will a cyber attack which would hit our grid, water, gas, or financial - we would retaliate with our own cyber attack against Russia, which would be "eye watering" harsh. Then what? Would Russia call it quits, or would Putin unleash some of his newer tactical weapons which could or would take out a military base, aircraft carrier, or even a city? Once this fuse is lit, there is no telling when or where it will end.

Nothing good will come out of this. Despots, like Putin, are more like animals than men. They bring us back to our most carnal desires of bloodlust. People will die, just so an empire could be rebuilt. A country will die, just so it can be absorbed into a juggernaut. 

If Putin attacks, his place in history will be solidified. It will be right next to Genghis Kahn, Mao, Pol Pot, Papa Doc, Castro, Stalin and so forth. These men, the butchers of millions, have marred our history. They remind me of part of a poem I wrote while overseas:

Here I stand a man among men,

I know no evil, I practice no sin.

I burn, destroy, kill and maim,

It is funny, I don't even know my name.

I sully the path where peace had trod,

Some call me man, but I call me a god. 

 

Striking out in MN

"What are we really seeing here? The slow death of public education. Dying under its own weight. Charter schools, Montessori schools, private schools, home schools, Catholic schools and so forth. They are all waiting in the wings to pick up the slack."

Good title, eh? Sounds a bit like our delayed baseball season this year. However - it is not. It is about the most selfish organization on Planet Earth. Education Minnesota. How they have taken a wrecking ball to government education in Minnesota. And they are at it again. How so? Follow this...

This week on the national news, it was reported that the United States has 400,000 fewer government school educators now, than before the pandemic started. For a profession which was already fighting diminishing numbers, losing an additional 400,000 members is jaw dropping. The number of teachers are so low in many areas of the country, some schools are only going half days. In other districts, the National Guard is being called in to teach. Meanwhile, the kids are coming out of this pandemic, less educated, and way less ready to progress. 

What are the good teachers of Minneapolis and St. Paul going to do to help? Well, go on strike of course. In the old days, the districts could call in temporary teachers to keep some classes going. Not this year. There is no water at the bottom of the well. If the teachers really do go out on strike (and the numbers in the vote say this is almost a certainty), the kids can kiss spring and summer vacation good-bye. So long as the strike is going on, classes will not be held. Meanwhile, the nation's largest achievement gap, will continue to grow in Minnesota. The teacher union's response? Meh...

What are we really seeing here? The slow death of public education. Dying under its own weight. Charter schools, Montessori schools, private schools, home schools, Catholic schools and so forth. They are all waiting in the wings to pick up the slack. Why use one of these types of schools instead of government schools? Why you ask? Time and time again, many of these schools have proven they can do it better and cheaper. AND (this is a big one) - unlike Education Minnesota, these non-government schools actually care for the kids. Duh!

Get set parents. You are coming up on unscheduled time off with your kids. Unlike distance learning, this will be no learning. Just sitting around, eating a hot dog. To Education Minnesota, I say this - well played. You have once again shown your true nature. And it sucks. I am sorry kids. You deserve better. So, so much better. 

The way things were...

 

"Biden and Trudeau. Two peas in a pod. Two living anachronism's. Two dinosaurs, left over from the Jurassic period of serfdom. What is coming this year? As Richie Havens sang at Woodstock - 'Freedom!'"

NEWS FLASH! Did you hear what Castro's kid called the truckers (and those who support them) in front of Parliament? The same kind of names the Democrats have been calling the Republicans in this country. What is it with these socialists? If they have bloodlines to dictators or not? Here is the good news about this young son of Fidel. He is doing to the Liberal Party in Canada, the same thing that Biden is doing to the Democrat Party in the United States. By letting their true colors fly, the freedom loving people of North America are seeing the truth. And the truth is not in either one of these guys. 

In our beloved country, more and more people who were blinded by the last election, are starting to get the 5am wake up call. There are seeing what things are now, and more importantly, the way things were. While in the business world, there was an old expression - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Well, guess what Joe Biden did, while the ink was still drying on his name in the White House. He broke a whole bunch of things which were not broken. He thought he could "fix things" by breaking them. As Mr. Gates and Obama have said, Old Joe ain't too bright.

More and more legit polls are being released right now, which show a red wave coming like no other. 30 Democrats in the House are pulling the rip cord. They can see what is happening, and what is coming. Next January, when the new House and Senate are sworn it, a hard rain is going to fall. This insanity, which Biden has unleashed on our country, will be stopped. Investigations from Afghanistan, to Hunter, to our southern border, to you name it - will start. The power shift coming in our country, could be a generational one. The Democrats, might just go the way of the Dodo Bird (fitting analogy).

Justin Trudeau is seeing something up in Canada right now which belies his bloodline. Freedom. It is a word which is alien to Democrats down here, and also alien to Liberals up in Canada. It is hard to believe it is so. Why? It is the way both countries were. It is the way both countries still are. Once we get rid of all this woke bs, as well as the equity fiasco, we can once again concentrate on normal things. Like, how to make America (and Canada) great again.

Biden and Trudeau. Two peas in a pod. Two living anachronism's. Two dinosaurs, left over from the Jurassic period of serfdom. What is coming this year? As Richie Havens sang at Woodstock - "Freedom!"

For anyone who has been seduced by the dark forces of Biden and Trudeau, time to wake up (not woke up), and smell the coffee. What does this coffee smell like? Take us home, Mr. Havens - FREEDOM! 

The 100 year vision

"Trump had vision. Operation Warp Speed. The Abraham Accords. Energy independence. Launching our Space Force. Biden's vision for America? More unions. More spending. More inflation. More crime."

Last week, there was a panel on a news show. It consisted of a Republican, Democrat, and media person. Many topics were discussed, including infrastructure. They discussed the Russians and the Chinese, and how they will jointly do business going into the future. The Democrat then gave a very interesting perspective. Infrastructure was conflated with how the Russians and Chinese view the world. In fact, the Democrat gave a very "un-Democrat" like response.

"The problem with our country right now, is vision. The Russians and Chinese are looking ahead - way ahead. Like 100 years ahead. How they can shape the world (and beyond) for the next century." 

Then it dawned on me. Our current President, with this "Build, back better" fiasco - is living in the past. Our vision is focused on the past. Including wanting to have 50% of our workers belong to a union. That is so yesterday! Meanwhile, the Russians and Chinese are looking towards the infrastructure which will needed to be constructed on the Moon. And then Mars. And then the Asteroid Belt.

Our country had great vision under President Kennedy. Who can ever forget that famous line - "We will go to the Moon not because it is easy - we will do it because it is hard." Using computing power, which was less than many of today's phones contain, we safely landed people on the Moon under the Apollo Program. Not once, but  six times. And after that - our vision stopped.

If not for people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, I would wonder if this country has any vision left. Trump had vision. Operation Warp Speed. The Abraham Accords. Energy independence. Launching our Space Force. Biden's vision for America? More unions. More spending. More inflation. More crime. More spying on us. Meanwhile, the Chinese are galloping way ahead of us. 

I have not told this story for a while. My first company out of college was Sperry Univac. They had a "futurist" on staff. Every time this man talked, we all listened. We was wise way beyond his years. One of my favorite topics he talked about, was the home computer. How some day in the near future, most homes would have a computer which would make life easier. How many things in the house could be tied into this computer (hello, Internet of Things). My point is this - talking about the future is alluring. Focusing on our past, some of which was soiled, is not. And Biden is very good at reminding us of any soiled past we might have had.

Pandemic aside, this decade is still going to be remembered as "the Roaring 20's". Not like the last century - this decade will be jaw dropping impressive. How do I know? Our government may not have long term vision, but many of our new Captains of Industry do.

All we need our government to do right now, is get the heck out of the way. Trump knew that, Joe Biden does not. Hopefully, our next President will. Why? The future is ours for the taking. That is, if our vision can see it. 

 

Then there is the latest Durham report...

"Ms. Nancy said after Trump was out of office, the White House needs to be 'fumigated'. Ms. Nancy had it half right. It is not the White House which needed to be fumigated. It is the rest of Washington which resides in the middle of the 'swamp'."

Well, okay. Maybe it was not timely enough to help anything. But this weekend, the latest version of the Durham Report "dropped". And it is a hum dinger. Bad for Trump? Nope. Bad for the Hillary Clinton campaign? Ouch. How bad is bad? Heads will (or should) roll bad. Insurrection bad. This makes January 6th and Watergate together look like a cake walk. But, how is the MSM covering this? Crickets...

I don't know all the ins and outs on what this report states, but I do know this much. John Durham has not only uncovered a vile conspiracy during the campaign (hello, Russian hoax), but he also uncovered an even more vile conspiracy after Trump was elected. How vile? And who was involved? We know one name for sure right now. Jake Sullivan. Jake Sullivan? The National Security Advisor to Biden? Yup. Same guy. And he might only be the tip of the iceberg.

When Donald Trump warned us about the "deep state", he knew what he was talking about. That being said, I think even Trump was surprised how deep and wide the Washington "swamp" is. It touches both parties, from coast to coast. I know, I know. Sometimes Donald Trump reacted to the "swamp" in cringe worthy terms. Other times not. A weaker President might have just quit. Thrown in the towel. This conspiracy against Trump, was so deep, so pervasive, it would have broken most people. And - this conspiracy against Trump might have gone all the way up to, and including, January 6, 2021.

If Biden has one ounce of credibility, he would demand Jake Sullivan's resignation. This guy is nothing but an operative for the DNC. First he needs to be fired, and then maybe the perp walk. We not only need to show the American people we have one system of justice which fits all, but we also need to validate our election system to show it is fair, and not rigged.

Thank you John Durham, for having the guts to submit this report. Many who will see it are "swamp dwellers". It is time to clean house. It is funny. Ms. Nancy said after Trump was out of office, the White House needs to be "fumigated". Ms. Nancy had it half right. It is not the White House which needed to be fumigated. It is the rest of Washington which resides in the middle of the "swamp".

I will address more on this once this report becomes more widely circulated. I doubt if it is going to be a "nothing burger". This might be the ticking time bomb we have been expecting. 

 

How America almost lost the space race

"So where are we now, with Biden as our President? Without Musk and Bezos pushing the envelope, pretty much nowhere. I guess space exploration does not fall into the 'Build, Back Better' category. That being said, Musk is way out in front of everyone." 

Provocative title, heh? Yesterday, while it was frigid cold outside, I watched a news article made by some Canadians. Why is that important? No political venting. Just the facts as they saw them. They talked about the race to space, from the 1960's to present day. How America, went from being a dark horse, to the first on the Moon, building the space shuttle, and then - nothing.

Meanwhile, ever since the days of Mao, China has set its sights on outer space. Russia may have had the first satellite, but China was right behind them. Only problem was, their technology was not at that time. Many failures, but a strong determination. In fact, the Canadians laid the fault of letting China catch up with the United States, squarely on Obama. Their words - not mine, "Obama did not give a s**t about outer space. When asked about China wanting to go to the Moon, and we had nothing planned, his response was that we had already been to the Moon." That was a big problem.

But then came Donald Trump. And Elon Musk. And Jeff Bezos. All of a sudden, the interest in going back into space was high again. But by this time, China was already building a space station. Had two rovers on the Moon, one on Mars. They were building a space ship which looked like Musk's "super heavy", and their sights were also set on Mars. Plus, they had signed a joint agreement with Russia to put a base on the Moon to mine Helium 3. 

So where are we now, with Biden as our President? Without Musk and Bezos pushing the envelope, pretty much nowhere. I guess space exploration does not fall into the "Build, Back Better" category. That being said, Musk is way out in front of everyone. That is the benefit of being a visionary. As he is out is front, Bezos is trying to catch up, and NASA continues to stumble all over itself. What would I do, if I were in charge? Outsource the entire space program (with the budgeted dollars), to Elon Musk.

It will be interesting to keep an eye on this new space race. China is the dark horse, and we are even darker, with Musk calling the shots. As much of the space chasers in the world are playing checkers right now, Musk continues to play chess. Sometimes, four dimensional chess. 

Thank you Elon, for being on our side. Thank you, for picking up what NASA has dropped. You are a great American sir - and we appreciate you. 

Prescription for disaster

 

"It is time for Putin to regain some of his sanity and start to withdraw away from the border. The world hates bullies, and have seen enough of them in the 20th century. Collectively, we can't further our humanity, when we have some, who insist on acting like sub-humans."

What in the world could be going through Putin's mind right now? He has over 100,000 troops either on the Russian border with the Ukraine, or playing war games in Belarus (right next door). And right next door to Belarus, is Poland - a member of NATO. We have recently sent 3,000 of our finest combat troops over to Poland, many from the 82nd Airborne. Get the picture? The people of the Ukraine, who have never done anything harsh or truculent towards Mother Russia, are now in the middle of Putin's bullseye.

The State Department has just ordered our embassy staff out of the Ukraine. The President has strongly urged any Americans to leave today or tomorrow. A "Hail Mary" phone call will take place this morning, between Putin and Biden. To discuss what? Please don't? Or what, Mr. Biden? What in the world can we do, other than slap Putin with more sanctions? Putin can retaliate by cyber attacks against us. Against our grid. Remember the cyber attack against meatpacker JBS? That might have just been a taste to what Russia could do to us.

There is one thing that Biden could do which would send shivers up Putin's spine. Go full bore "Trump" on him. Sign an executive order opening up EVERYTHING we have for drilling. Re-tool the Keystone Pipeline. Make us an energy exporter again. All we did when we unilaterally disarmed much of our excess energy production, was empower and enrich Putin. We can take that empowerment back, by simply restoring our energy prowess. Plus - that would lower our recent surge of inflation.

Here is the real sad part of a war with the Ukraine, as mentioned before. The good people of the Ukraine, and Russia, are joined at the hip. They look alike, talk alike, have have much mixed blood between them. Kind of like if the United States decided to invade Canada. Actually, an invasion of the Ukraine by Russia makes little to no sense. What would Russia gain, besides some chest thumping. Russia would immediately become the world's bad boy, trusted by nobody, except other bad guys (like China and the Norks).

A page of history could be written in the next two weeks. The kind of history which will be regrettable. The biggest fears by many strategists in our country, is this will develop into Russians and American soldiers exchanging gunfire. Should that happen, the fuse to something horrible could be very short. 

It is time for Putin to regain some of his sanity and start to withdraw away from the border. The world hates bullies, and have seen enough of them in the 20th century. Collectively, we can't further our humanity, when we have some, who insist on acting like sub-humans. Just saying...

 

Putin (not Ivan), the Terrible

"Keep praying folks. Pray for the Ukraine. Pray for peace. Pray for the safety of our troops over in Europe. An invasion could go from a wildfire to a raging inferno, affecting much of Europe." 

Well, things have changed. Bigly changed. Seems we have picked up some intel very recently, which shows "the ship is about to hit the sand". Meaning - what exactly? Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, is about to do something very foolish. Not only foolish, but very, very bloody. What is the United States doing to stop this upcoming carnage? Nada. That is, except telling our citizens in the Ukraine to leave - and leave in a hurry.

I heard an interesting take on how and why this is about to happen. My good friends on the left - please don't throw anything at me. These are not my words (although, I think they might hold water). This all started on the first few days of the Biden Presidency. When Joe took a sledge hammer to our energy independence. All of a sudden, Putin received a huge gift. His oil business, was back in business. Full speed ahead.

The energy issue, as well as the fact Putin has zero respect for Biden, has left us in an awkward place. And a weak place. In the not that old days (Trump), word would be clearly delivered to Putin that this move would cost him dearly. And those words would be backed up with force (if need be). With Biden, as soon as the invasion starts, we will be spectators. The rest of NATO will be as useless as....(never mind). 

History might be made before February is out. The biggest battle that Europe has seen since WW II might be brought to us, live and in color. Good people will die. Innocent people will die. Russian soldiers will die. The price of oil will go through the roof (it is already $95). Then what? Will this be a Crimea, Part II? They came, they killed, they conquered, they left. Easy peasy when you are a giant bully picking on a 85 pound weakling. And us? The former great super power? We will be super bystanders instead. 

I am NOT advocating war, especially with Russia. Nothing good could come from that. I do know however, that under Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump - our national defense was "peace through strength". In other words, the stronger our military, the less chance we would need to use it. Now we are in a real pickle. Weak energy. Weak military leadership. And we are stuck with this for another three years. Lord help us.

My sincere hope is that Putin is only playing with us. That there will be no invasion. I don't put much hope on that one, but I can still hope for the long shot. Keep praying folks. Pray for the Ukraine. Pray for peace. Pray for the safety of our troops over in Europe. An invasion could go from a wildfire to a raging inferno, affecting much of Europe. That - could push us over the Rubicon.  

Rebels - with a cause

"Here is a hint for our government - don't screw with the truckers. The industry is already down about 80,000 drivers. Do you really want to piss off the remaining drivers? I think not!"

Authoritarianism. Statism. Dictatorial ruling. Tyranny. These are all things that freedom loving people detest. And these are at the heart of the truckers strike in Canada. The upcoming truckers strike in the US. It is not about the vax. It is not about the mask. Those are only symptoms of the disease. The disease, as freedom loving people know - is tyranny.

By the way, this truckers strike in Canada could be over in five minutes. Rather than castigate the truckers for practicing medical freedom, just say the worst part of the pandemic is over, and all mandates are now lifted. The same holds true for the United States. We have enough problems right now, in both Canada and the US, to not add to them with this self inflicted wound. As much as Trudeau and Biden would like to think they are royalty, and we are their subjects - that is not true, and that ain't ever going happen!

Freedom. It is like a breath of fresh Canadian air. It is a breath of fresh air, which cuts through the stench of government bullying. Of the jack boot of authority, on the necks of free people. What I would love to see happen right now, is for both Biden and Trudeau to jointly declare the worst is over, and all government mandates lifted. Then publicly, and with great fanfare, to thank ALL the first responders, who worked at great personal risk during the early days of the pandemic. That of course, would include truckers. I mean, most of us citizens and patriots realize this - it is just that our statists governments do not.

BTW - for people in government who continue to drink their own bathwater, here is a news flash. If you really want to see how bad our supply chain issue can get, just keep screwing around with truckers. They are a VITAL link in keeping things going. Keeping shelves stocked. Parts coming in to factories. These are NOT the people to screw with. And the public, for the most part, support them.

Rumors are flying right now, that if this issue is not solved and solved soon, the US truckers could disrupt the Super Bowl. Or on March 1st, Slo Joe's SOTU speech. GASP! Really? Wouldn't that be a hoot and a holler? Here is a hint for our government - don't screw with the truckers. The industry is already down about 80,000 drivers. Do you really want to piss off the remaining drivers? I think not!

Thank you Canada, for showing all of us, once again, what freedom looks like. For folks who have red blooded freedom coursing through their veins, this brings a smile to our faces. We don't have King George anymore. We took care of that. We sure the heck don't need Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden gumming up the works. They can be voted out just as easily as they were voted in. 

  

Like father, like son

"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

Thomas Jefferson

As a proud American, I want to allow freedom loving Canadians to borrow one of our most treasured historical quotes. This quote is accredited to Thomas Jefferson - When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Maybe it has taken the Canadian truckers to bring what is happening in Canada to light. Tyranny. The people under the jack boot of Justin Trudeau. Or, as some call him - Fidel's kid.

Seeing what is happening up in Canada right now, is a ray of hope for all of us. If the truth be known, I have always loved Canada. Love the country, and I have worked with some folks in the Canadian Forces when I was on active duty. Good people. Not too much different than us Yankees. That being said, there have at times I have been disappointed in how far left the Canadians were swinging. But this vax and mask mandate issue in Canada, might have been a tipping point. Kind of like our Boston Tea Party.

There is something about the Canadian leader which I have always found unsettling. Maybe it is in his genes, but he has always reminded me of a despot. Forgive me for saying this - maybe a bit like a Canadian version of the "Pajama Boy". Canada has elected some good leaders in the past, as well as some not so good. Maybe what Biden is doing to America, along with what Trudeau is doing to Canada, will lead to new generation of liberty minded leaders in the future. Both countries deserve that.

Rumors are floating around that we would like to follow Canada's lead with our truckers. Like, maybe a coast to coast event, starting in California, and ending up in Washington DC. Ending up in Washington on March 1st - the day of Slo Joe's SOTU address. Oh, if only that could happen! What a message that would send! What kind of a message? In the United States, as well as in Canada, we are CITIZENS, not SUBJECTS! We have a visceral distain for tyranny.

Thank you Canadian truckers, for showing us once again what firm resolve looks like. As was written in the song Me and Bobby McGee, "Freedom's just another word, for nothin' left to lose".  If we lose our freedom, we really do have nothing. Remember that Justin. Remember that Joe. You both work for us, not visa versa. And you will not rob us of our freedom!

Enemy of the State? Or just that clueless...

"The Republicans have been crystal clear. Once they retake the House and Senate, 'a hard rains is going to fall'. Every bad and horrible thing which Biden has visited on this great nation - will be investigated."

Today in Drudge, was an article from an Israeli news source. Seems the Israelis have discovered that Iran now has a missile which can reach not only Israel, but also the US. How scared is our fearless leader? He wants to give Iran yet another $50B! This is after he and his former boss (Obama), gave the Iranians pallets full of cash. It gives one pause to wonder - is Biden an enemy of the state, or just that clueless?

But it is not just the Iran issue. Biden does many things which leave normal people scratching their heads. Like, wanting to give new crack pipes to "people of color". Why? The ones which are being used in some communities, are not the same high grade like the pipes that Hunter uses. All this paid for - by the US taxpayers.

And the fentanyl which is coming over the southern border has gone from a major killer to almost an exterminator of our young people. Coming in from China, going to the cartels, and then simply walked across our open border. Why is Biden allowing this? Besides all the illegals, the trafficking, the gangs, there is a mountain of deadly drugs. Is he that evil, or just that stupid? You tell me.

Rumor has it, although I have not yet found the documentation, Biden wants to reshape America. Reshape it where 50% of all workers, will belong to unions. What? Why? Unknown. But during the heyday of unions in America, we got up to almost 30% participation. And with the number of jobs which could be automated, becoming automated every year, this goal makes zero sense. Period. But according to the other things Biden has done, this may be stupid, but is the most harmless.

What about Russia? And the Ukraine? Is Biden going to drag us into another war? After Afghanistan, very few people have any confidence in this Commander-in-Chief, or his advisors. What does Putin see right now, when he looks at America? He is probably more confused than many of us are. Like how in the world could this once great superpower, voluntarily neuter itself by electing a guy like Biden? All of a sudden, America has become low fruit on the tree for the world's bad guys. It is like the Obama years all over again - only worse.

The Republicans have been crystal clear. Once they retake the House and Senate, "a hard rains is going to fall". Every bad and horrible thing which Biden has visited on this great nation - will be investigated. In fact, if Biden makes it to the end of his term without being impeached, it will be a miracle. 

Many of the citizens and patriots not only want Biden impeached, but also doing the perp walk. What he has done to this country is criminal. It is sedition and treasonous. It will take years of normal leadership to fix all of the damage this confused old man has done to us. Some of the damage may be permanent. 

I am not naïve. I know there are many puppet masters which are just as guilty as Slo Joe. All of them need to face justice. All need to do the perp walk. Once this problem is fixed in 2022 and 2024, the enemy might still be at the gate. But at least the enemy will not be inside the gate, living in Washington.

I, Robot (coming soon)

"If you don't like technology, the next few years might be a bumpy ride. If you do however, this will be the science fiction you have read about, becoming science."

ICYMI, during the past two years, when Covid - 19 was sucking all the oxygen out of the news cycle, we have became closer and closer to more of a "robot-centric" society. In other words, the future is right around the corner. Future? What kind of future? The I, Robot type of future. That is, for anyone who can remember that futuristic movie.

Actually, between Biden's American Rescue Plan, which pays people more to stay home than to work, and the pandemic itself - we have a huge problem in getting enough people to go to work and make stuff. To work in the hospitality industry. To drive trucks. To fight our battles. So, we will automate as many of those functions as possible. And this is not starting next century, or even next decade. It is starting now. 

In fact, I just read an article not too long ago, which said the demand for automation has really picked up since the supply chain issues, free money from the government, and the pandemic has caused our current labor shortages. But even without those three things, we were on the path to more robotics in our future. Why? We are approaching the long anticipated nexus of robotic technology, AI, and nanotechnology. Those three disciplines are all coming together nicely in this decade.

Even some militaries are getting into the act (including ours). Robot "dogs", who can be used for mostly bomb sniffing and recon. However - I just watched a YouTube this past weekend which showed how some of the "dogs" were being equipped with smaller caliber ordinance. The Russians have some tracked vehicles which are unmanned. I bet the Chinese do also. And pilotless fighter jets? Right around the corner. 

Yesterday on the news, was an article about an "auto-bartender". You sit at the bar, tell the "auto-bartender" what you want to drink, a glass then appears. A specified about of ice is dispensed, and the drink (in absolute measures), is prepared. You pay with your credit card, and go enjoy. No tip, no mess, no worries.

If you don't like technology, the next few years might be a bumpy ride. If you do however, this will be the science fiction you have read about, becoming science. An economist showed a graph the other day, with the amount of manufacturing jobs going out to 2050. The number of jobs were dropping every year. We will still be making stuff - just not as much by humans. 

I might have to watch the movie I, Robot to refresh my memory. Only as I can remember - it did not end well for mankind. Oh, well...  

 

Oh, just grin and bear it!

"Biden's America. Soros America. Democrats America. November is only 10 months away. We need to 'throw these bums out', and elect responsible adults who understand law and order. Not lawlessness and disorder. The choice will be ours, and ours alone."  

When I worked at Big Blue, the "mothership" was in White Plains, New York. A ritzy little town, not that far from the Big Apple. Lots of IBM'ers live in that area. Lots of money. Some might be thinking "so what" by this time. Here is the so what. This morning on the news, they showed yet another "smash and grab" robbery at a high end store. Right in a mall, located in White Plains. But here is the meat of what I want to convey this morning.

It was all caught on video tape. A group of thugs, sauntering into this store, and taking what they wanted. But, but - that is stealing! Yes, it is. But that did not bother these thugs. In fact, they should rename this type of an event to "smash, grab, and saunter away". No hurries, no worries. Except for a store clerk who tried to take back what was being stolen, everyone else was just a spectator. Including the mall cop, who was right outside the door.

How in the world did we get to a place like this? Where mall cops are as useless as ice is to an Eskimo? George Soros. His money. His money buying elections for progressive socialists like Alvin Bragg in Manhattan. Or George Gascon in Los Angeles. Or - pick most any large city in the United States right now.

Since our "new normal" now is "no bail, no jail", what the heck? The thugs get rich, and the rest of us are told to "just grin and bear it". Really? Sure, the Democrats will tell us. Those rich insurance companies will pay for the loss. Plus - this is kind of reparations, anyhow. Really? Here is the bottom line. The people who will pay for all these items stolen, plus the damage to steal them - is us. In our insurance rates. And here is the kicker. If a store gets hit too many times, the insurance company might drop them. Too high of risk for them. Bye, bye insurance - bye, bye store. All because brazen thugs have a get out of jail free card. 

How long will this go on? As long as we allow it to. WE THE PEOPLE, are empowered to stop this. Right in its tracks. How? Elections, recalls, petitions, anything, except apathy. But if we sit back on our haunches and just watch - take a "grin and bear it" approach - it will go on forever. Or until a shop owner with a big gun and full mag has had enough. And trust me, nobody wants it to go that far.

Biden's America. Soros America. Democrats America. November is only 10 months away. We need to "throw these bums out", and elect responsible adults who understand law and order. Not lawlessness and disorder. The choice will be ours, and ours alone.