Housecleaning at Twitter?

"How in the world can Elon balance so many businesses at once? And these are not "widows and orphans" type of businesses - they are cutting edge. I don't know how he does it, but he does."

I get the feeling this purchase of Twitter was not just a whim of Elon Musk. I think he has done some vetting and snooping. He knew that Twitter has "had its day". It is a bloated company, inhabited by thousands of "wokesters" and hipsters. In other words, the leftward bend in this company was making it unmanageable, and a target for the new Republican majority which is coming in January. So to fix Twitter, to make it a great company, it needed a bit of Elon's magic.

Meanwhile, back at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco, there is a whole lot of bed wetting going on. Thousands of wokesters, many of whom work out of their homes, are wondering if they will have a job by the end of May. And (this is the frosting on the cake), those who survive the Elon purge, might end up having to move to Texas. Oh the irony! The loony leftists at Twitter, having to move from the People's Republic of San Francisco, to Texas - one of the freedom lands left in America.

Some people look at Elon Musk and shake their head in disbelief. How in the world can pull these things off? I mean, come on man! He is an immigrant from South Africa! But Elon Musk is one of these unique folks who can cut through the haze without wasting a lot of money. Plus - as we have seen from SpaceX - he knows how to take and manage risks.

As I have said before, I am a huge fan of Elon Musk. I love watching him operate. I love listening to him being interviewed. He is funny, he is smart. He is not full of himself, as are many in the new tech era. His politics are evolving towards the right. Why? The socialist twist in the Democrat Party is driving him that way. Will he make Twitter into a right wing bastion? Absolutely not! He will however, make Twitter fair and balanced. Something Twitter has never been.

How in the world can Elon balance so many businesses at once? And these are not "widows and orphans" type of businesses - they are cutting edge. I don't know how he does it, but he does. What we would give to have 100 more or so, just like him right now! He puts meat on the bones of MAGA.    

Did Afghanistan beget Ukraine? Just asking...

"Our exit from Afghanistan was so ad hoc, so amateurish, so clumsy, the Russians and Chinese must still be laughing. Of course, the families of the 13 brave service people who died in this cluster flick are not laughing at all. This was Biden, Blinken, Austin and Sullivan at their worst. If someone tried to screw this up more, it would have been very hard." 

Oh, how soon we forget. Between the pandemic, Ukraine, our economy, the southern border, our energy woes, and so forth, what about Afghanistan? Have we really forgotten what a debacle that was? Maybe it is time for a refresher course on how NOT to leave a war zone. 

First off - Americans left behind. Anyone know the exact number? Our SOS Blinken thinks the number is somewhere between 150 - 200. But according to a Town Hall report from February of this year, their research shows the number could be as high as 9,000. In the minds of most military folk, any number higher than zero is too much. The fact we left ANY Americans in that hell hole is a stain on Joe Biden. 

Next up - our military equipment. Current estimates are high - very high. Like we left $83B worth of our equipment for the enemy. That is unfathomable. We left 2,000 armored vehicles. 4 C-130 aircraft. 90 helicopters. 29 ground attack aircraft. Over 82,000 grenades and mortars rounds. Howitzers. This is just a partial list. But the frosting on the cake, was we left pallets of money for the enemy also. Millions of dollars.

Escaping Afghans - depends on who you talk to. According to the Senate GOP, most of the 82,000 Afghans who escaped during the confusion, and were brought to America, were NOT properly vetted. But - according to the Democrats, and their official news publication (CNN) - everybody was vetted. Really? Horse feathers and bull crap is what I say to that one!

Joe Biden just authorized another $33B worth of weapons to be sent to Ukraine. That is a lot of money - but much less than the $82B we gifted the Afghan enemy. Just think what the Ukrainians could have done with $82B worth of our weapons. SMH...

Our exit from Afghanistan was so ad hoc, so amateurish, so clumsy, the Russians and Chinese must still be laughing. Of course, the families of the 13 brave service people who died in this cluster flick are not laughing at all. This was Biden, Blinken, Austin and Sullivan at their worst. If someone tried to screw this up more, it would have been very hard. 

The question on the table persists - did Afghanistan beget Ukraine? Many experts think it might have. It emboldened the Russians to do something they have only dreamed about for years. 

They needed the right time and the right place, with the right (weakling) American President. They found the weakling they have been searching for. The rest - is now history. 

On the hotseat (again)...

"Biden's plans for why he is letting over a million of new illegals into this country are beyond transparent. And Biden does not even care. Get the illegals in, and then give them amnesty so they can vote blue. We have been onto that scheme for quite a while now."

Yesterday, my favorite bald headed Cuban was on the hotseat in the House. He was giving testimony about how swimmingly his handling of the border is. Anything which is bad right now, is Donald Trump's fault from the previous administration.

It was a bloodbath. My favorite part was when Mayorkas was told over and over again that next winter, when the Republicans are running the House, they will impeach him. Not a maybe, but absolutely. Could not happen to a nicer guy.

I have heard on the news that deep down, Mayorkas is very hurt and dissatisfied with the border. But to be a good soldier for Biden, he cannot show it. When he went down to the border to address the Border Patrol, and many turned their backs on him, it cut deeply. As it should have. The Biden border policies, which he is carrying out, have not made their jobs harder down there - it has made their jobs impossible.

In any event, from a career standpoint, Mayorkas is a dead man walking. Will he have a chance to catch his breath after the grilling and drilling he took yesterday? Not really. Today he will be in front of the Senate. The Republicans (and some Democrats) are not fans of Mayorkas either. Will the Senate back up impeachment with a Senate trial? Probably.

Biden's plans for why he is letting over a million of new illegals into this country are beyond transparent. And Biden does not even care. Get the illegals in, and then give them amnesty so they can vote blue. We have been onto that scheme for quite a while now. But the fentanyl which is coming over the border. It is killing hundreds of our youth. For that issue alone, both Biden and Mayorkas should be tried for murder. Period.

Fifty years from now (if Putin does not nuke us first), history books will be written to describe the Biden years. What is happening right now is so fantastically bad, many might think those history books belong in the fiction section of the library. But what is happening is true. For that reason, Joe Biden, aka Uncle Joe, will go down in history as the worst (by far) President we have EVER had.

Behold----Twitter Reborn!!!

 

"One more thing which comes to my mind concerning Elon Musk. He is one of these guys, who while the rest of us are playing checkers, is playing four dimensional chess. He is wizard - maybe even a genius. I am happy he came to America. I am happy he is one of us."     

What??? Twitter reborn??? Yes. For the first time in forever, Twitter will be a bastion of free speech. Well that is, according those troglodytes on the right. But the enlightened folks on the left of course - hate this. But why? Didn't Elon promise free speech for all? Including all those on the right and the left? Yes, but who cares. The left loved having folks like President Trump "shadow banned". And of course, who could forget Twitter refusing to have any tweets or information which related to "Hunter-gate". 

And what about "Hunter-gate"? Folks on the left keep telling us that it is a "nothing burger". Move along, nothing to see here. Oh, really? In a different universe, where "Hunter-gate" was exposed before the election (and allowed to be tweeted on Twitter), would it have made a difference in the election? I guess we will never know. But I do know this - with Elon Musk owning Twitter, that type of "shadow banning", on an important event like "Hunter-gate", will never happen again.

On a side note, I am a member of the chorus of patriots on the right, who is busting a gut laughing at the left - being all tied up in knots over the "new" Twitter. Elon Musk, when he first took over Tesla, was a darling of the left. Even though they did not know about his politics, the fact he did make an electric car, was wonderful! But now, he is a rat. I mean, HOW DARE HE!!! The left cannot even come close to "squaring that circle"!

What do I think about Mr. Musk? He is absolutely one of my favorite Americans. He really is. Do I think he is as conservative as someone like Donald Trump or Ted Cruz? No idea. But I do know this - Elon Musk is changing this country. He is changing it for the better. Be it space, neuroscience, satellite internet, AI technology, electric cars, battery technology, and now Twitter - Elon is changing things. He is an absolute disrupter.

One more thing which comes to my mind concerning Elon Musk. He is one of these guys, who while the rest of us are playing checkers, is playing four dimensional chess. He is wizard - maybe even a genius. I am happy he came to America. I am happy he is one of us.     

  

Are we at war with Russia? Just asking...

 

"If you are a praying type, keep praying for peace. Pray that cooler heads will prevail in Moscow, and that hate is removed from the hearts of the invaders. The world needs peace, not war. Amen."  

"Mr. Secretary", the news reporter asked our SecDef, Lloyd Austin, "are we going to have a nuclear war with Russia?" Without batting an eye, Austin replied, "I don't think so". Now, here are my words - YOU DON'T THINK SO??? What kind of an answer is that? The Russians have all but told us, if we keep arming Ukraine, we might be on the receiving end of one of their Satan II missiles. I guess an answer I would like much better from our head defense guy is either, "No way they would try it", or "If they did launch something at us, our BMD could handle any missile they have."

Why has the heat all of sudden been turned up? Because someone in the Administration decided to blab to everyone, our strategy for Russia has changed. Instead of giving Ukraine just enough to help them, we now want to give them enough of our firepower to cause a serious degradation in  the Russian Army. As if the Russians have not suffered enough losses so far. Now, (as the saying goes), "this s*** is about to get real!"

Many in our government now feel that Russia is "all hat and no cattle". Threats and no action. I am not of that ilk. I think Crazy Ivan might just be crazy enough to try and teach us a lesson. Launch just a couple nukes, and then call it a day. Even though Austin has said time and time again, "nobody wins a nuclear war", I don't think Putin believes that. I think he is head over heals in love with his new hypersonic missiles. That his missiles are better than anything we have, or can defend against. That a first strike with his hypersonics, might be the final strike. 

Here is the bottom line as I see it. Russia's conventional forces have proven to be way, way overrated. His troops were ill prepared for what awaited them in Ukraine. So the Russians sunk to new levels of butchery. Committed unspeakable war crimes. Heck, if they can't beat the Ukrainians the old fashioned way (army against army), they will butcher women and children instead. Then throw all the bodies in mass graves. Why bring that up? If Russia would stoop to doing something like that, I could easily see them launch (something). Why? That would be the only way Putin could win. To take us and NATO out of the equation.

I know Putin, Lavrov, and many Russian Generals think they have Joe Biden cowed. They can bully him or scare him. They know what Biden said about WW III at the beginning of the conflict. Now they are going to pour salt in that wound, and threaten us (again). 

The question remains - are we at war with Russia? Is it just a "proxy war", or is it something bigger? What if a Russian jet shoots down a Polish jet in Polish air space? What if it is an American jet? Does Article 5 kick in immediately, or does the pot continue to boil at a higher temperature? I think that all nations involved, mostly Russia, are playing with fire right now. If Pandora's Box is opened up, it could be a game changer for everyone.

If you are a praying type, keep praying for peace. Pray that cooler heads will prevail in Moscow, and that hate is removed from the hearts of the invaders. The world needs peace, not war. Amen.  

 

Another Friday night drop...

 

"So many people wanted to see Trump end up in the pokey. But it will be the other side who will start to look good in stripes. Stay tuned on this one - it is far from over. But like I said - don't look for it on the network channels or MSNBC or CNN. Fox and Epoch Times will continue to be the voice of truth on Deep State scandals."     

Whoa! This is starting to get good! It seems the slow, very slow, investigative work by John Durham, is starting to pay off. On Friday, it was disclosed that he has issued trial subpoenas to the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign, the DNC, Fusion GPS, and Perkins Coie. What does all this mean? It means the truth, the real, raw, unvarnished truth, is about to come out. Donald Trump may be unlikable to some, but this investigation should show he was a victim.

By the way, if you are looking to find out about this on the media, don't bother unless you watch Fox or read Epoch Times. It is one of those dirty little secrets that the main stream media refuses to acknowledge. But as time goes on, they will have no choice but to report it. People will be convicted and do the perp walk all the way to a federal pen. 

One of the commentators who was on Fox this weekend, had a very good point. These constant faux investigations on Donald Trump, were like millstones around Trump's neck. They kept him from getting as much done as he could have. That being said, Trump still did get a whole lot of important things accomplished. However, if not for the fawning love affair between Hillary and the media, which helped perpetuate all of this nonsense, Trump could have really gone to town. This commentator concluded by wondering where she could get her four years back - the four years that Trump was hamstrung by crap investigations.

When (not if) the Republicans take back the House (and maybe the Senate), the investigations will really start. Hunter - you better run boy! You will be first in line. And with Hunter will come a whole cast of characters, including Daddy-O. Meanwhile, clean up in Aisle 2016 will continue with John Durham. It is frustrating how slow this is going, but he is precise. Besides Durham, the Republicans will investigate the border mess, our energy fiasco, Afghanistan, and of course - Hunter-gate.

So many people wanted to see Trump end up in the pokey. But it will be the other side who will start to look good in stripes. Stay tuned on this one - it is far from over. But like I said - don't look for it on the network channels or MSNBC or CNN. Fox and Epoch Times will continue to be the voice of truth on Deep State scandals.     

Beware Transnistria, here they come!

"Where does the world go from here? Putin, and his Satan II ICBMs, are a threat to those do not comply. Should we cower, and watch Putin become the new Hitler? Or should we make a stand, and risk Armageddon." 

It has taken a few weeks, but the Russian playbook has finally been figured out. Even though the cost to Russia has been huge (some say 30,000 troops dead), and the world's opinion of Putin is somewhere lower than whale dung, this venture will be worth it to the ruling elite. Does it have anything to do with Ukraine? Sure does - especially the southern half. But Russia will not stop at Odessa. One would think those southern port cities would be prize enough for Putin. 

One of Putin's top commanders spilled the beans last week. Russia not only wants to split Ukraine in two, but Russia also wants to continue on into Moldova. Now we get into that kettle of fish, which is similar to the Donbas Region of Ukraine. Breakaway Russian enclaves. Ukraine has Donbas, and Moldova has Transnistria. Both Donbas and Transnistria support Russia, and therefore, both are problems for their host country.

This is naked aggression by a superior state. It is an out and out invasion. Back in the day (1990), when another superior state (Iraq) invaded a smaller country (Kuwait), the United Nations sanctioned a coalition of the willing to expel Iraq out of Kuwait. Today, on the other hand, the United Nations is more concerned if Russia is using electric tanks, to fit in with the "greenies" who now run the UN. Meanwhile, the town of Mariupol is a shooting gallery. A massacre. And the UN could give two whoops and a holler to stop it from happening. SMH... 

Moldova, like Ukraine, are not part of NATO. Shame. Article 5 could come in very handy right about now. This summer, Finland and Sweden will join NATO (about time!), so the northern flank of the Euro Zone will be protected. But down south, that is where the action is. In fact, as of February of this year, 1,000 Russians are stationed in Transnistria. If I were in leadership in Moldova, I would be very, very nervous right now.

Where does the world go from here? Putin, and his Satan II ICBMs, are a threat to those do not comply. Should we cower, and watch Putin become the new Hitler? Or should we make a stand, and risk Armageddon. 

Welcome to 2022. The year after the pandemic. The year we were all going back to "normal". If watching Putin become the new Hitler, with all the horror that goes along with it, I will take the pandemic instead. 

The MN GOP Mantra

 

"Heck in 1984, when Reagan had his historical landslide and took 49 out of the 50 states - Minnesota was the one state who did not vote for Reagan. And therein, we have the problem. All we can do is look at Minnesota in wonder and amazement. How this state, year after year, can have such an ill informed electorate." 

I know. I know. Two things - first Mantra is a Hindu word. But I like it. Second, I have addressed this before. Seems like this happens every time we have a run up to a state wide election. The circular firing squad, which exists in the MN GOP, is already locked and loaded.

We are getting ready to weaken our candidates by having a bruising endorsement process and primary. Kind of reminds me of last go around, when Jeff Johnson was the endorsed candidate. And then Tim Pawlenty showed up. He could have jumped on the Johnson bandwagon and used his fund raising skills to really help Jeff out. Instead, he tried to primary Jeff. And all that money that Tim could have used to help Jeff - stayed home, and Jeff lost.

We have six good candidates running for Minnesota Governor on the MN GOP side. Any one would be a tremendous improvement over what we have now. Already, I can hear the sniping coming in from the bushes. "This candidate said this. That candidate said that. He or she is weak." Blah, blah, blah.

After being a state delegate for three terms, I decided not to run this year. Last time around, when I was on "Team Jeff Johnson", I became disillusioned with the process. Not just because of Tim Pawlenty, it was the entire process. I had an uncomfortable discussion with the Chair of MN GOP about the endorsement process. As much as I believed in it, the Chair gave a very tepid endorsement of the entire nominating process. To me, having an endorsed candidate, and then having a primary, was a fool's errand then, and it is now. Nothing good ever comes out of it.

After the results came in from the 2018 election, I did a post mortem on the results. I looked at the results county by county. Doug Wardlow, who was running against the very flawed Keith Ellison, did very well out state. However, coming in to the very blue counties of Hennepin and Ramsey, along with the North Shore and part of the Rochester area - he did not. That did him in. Same with Jeff Johnson. He did well outstate, but not so well in the Twin Cities. 

Why bring that up? For MN GOP to be successful this year, we need unity. Early unity. Positive campaigns. Creative ideas. And to be blunt - we need ideas which will sell in the inner city. There are a whole bunch of votes in the inner city (many of which are actually legal), which MN GOP needs to put a dent in. We can't keep blowing off the cities and focusing in on out state. It will doom us in 2022, just like it did in prior years.

Minnesota has not had a Republican Governor for 14 years. We have had a Republican US Senator since 2009. We have not had a Republican AG since 1971. And we have not had a Republican Presidential candidate carry Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972. Get the picture? MN GOP has no place to go but up.

Heck in 1984, when Reagan had his historical landslide and took 49 out of the 50 states - Minnesota was the one state who did not vote for Reagan. And therein, we have the problem. All we can do is look at Minnesota in wonder and amazement. How this state, year after year, can have such an ill informed electorate. 

  

And then there was "Satan"

"The world will need to look in the mirror and answer a question - freedom or tyranny? We know what our answer is. What NATO's answer is. What our Pacific allies answer will be. How about you India? What is your answer? Your future depends on you giving the right answer."  

Leave it up to a bloodthirsty, Godless, dictator like Putin, to name his new ICBM, "Satan". In fact, he gave the world a demo yesterday, showing a video how this new instrument of death looks as it is launched. Putin wanted to give the "enemies of Russia" a show yesterday, just to let them know that he has the "unstoppable" MIRV ICBM. Big whoop Vladimir - we have some of those also.

Just so I get this straight Mr. Putin. Do you want the world to sit back and watch you butcher men, women and children in Ukraine without lifting a finger? Do you think you have the United States and NATO that cowed and afraid that we would do that? Well, think again Vlad. We are shipping lethal weapons as fast as a slow Biden Administration can ship them. Soon, your troops will be on the receiving end of some of our 155mm artillery. Not a good place to be.

You should feel lucky Putin, that we have Biden as our President. If I were President, Ukraine would have had the MIGs they wanted, weeks ago. If Trump was still President, the sky would have been the limit. But Joe Biden is slow and timid. And even with that, lethal weaponry is arriving in Ukraine. I hope Biden sends another 1,000 or so, of those "Switchblade" drones to Ukraine.

When this is all said and done, Russia will be no more. The people of Russia will demand a new government, as they don't want to be considered a rogue nation. Putin and his henchmen will be tried and convicted. It should also be the end of the United Nations. I guess we needed a massacre such as the one in Ukraine, to show the world how worthless and feckless this expensive organization is. Putin and the UN can go in the ash heap of history. Time for our world to start acting civilized. 

Will China behave themselves until the Ukraine was is settled? Or will they make a play for Taiwan just to muck things up further. Time will tell. The world will need to look in the mirror and answer a question - freedom or tyranny? We know what our answer is. What NATO's answer is. What our Pacific allies answer will be. How about you India? What is your answer? Your future depends on you giving the right answer.  

The death of downtowns

"Will the downtown ever return to what it once was? Maybe - but if it does, it will not be for a long time. Downtown was a time and a place. It was killed by a pandemic and lawlessness. Am I sorry to see it go? Not a bit. Not even a very little bit."   

Big news yesterday in the media. Target Corp, the Twin Cities largest private employer, announced they are going to a hybrid work environment. Why is that big news and what does that mean? It is big news as many of the empty downtown spaces will remain empty. People will be working from home and occasionally at the office. What this means for downtown is a huge paradigm shift. From restaurants to transportation, everything is going to change. 

It is not just Minneapolis which is changing. New York City, is still less than half occupied. And the subways? Just as they were starting to come back a bit, we had a mass shooting. What are the experts saying about the Big Apple? It will never look as it once did. Because of the pandemic, crime, expense, and so forth - when workers are given the option of working from home or the office, many gladly choose home. 

I have worked downtown Minneapolis. I have worked downtown St. Paul. I spent a good portion of my working life in Washington DC. I did not care for any of them to be honest. But now that Target has made the choice to be hybrid, look for many of the others to follow. Best Buy (who is not located downtown), also made the choice at their HQ to go hybrid.

The other day, my wife and I were in Maple Grove. We drove by the transit station. Empty. Has been for a couple of years. The North Star stations in Coon Rapids, Elk River, and Ramsey. All empty. We now have some train routes which terminate in Minneapolis, which are barely ridden. And will stay that way. Billions of dollars - wasted.

Some say the downtown died because of the George Floyd riots. Remember that summer? When a whole bunch of later day Abby Hoffman's practiced Revolution for the Hell of it? The the City Council got rid of many of the cops. Those who remained, were not supported by the city. The result was the criminals ruled the streets. Car jackings became as common as crossing the street. To venture downtown became a risk rather than a joy. Net result? Anyone who had the opportunity NOT to work downtown - jumped at it. 

Will the downtown ever return to what it once was? Maybe - but if it does, it will not be for a long time. Downtown was a time and a place. It was killed by a pandemic and lawlessness. Am I sorry to see it go? Not a bit. Not even a very little bit.   

The war god from Russia

"What now Vlad? Where are you taking the world? Will you stand down and retreat, or will you take us over the cliff? The choice is yours Vlad - but know this. We are ready and able to respond. And trust me - you don't want to be on the receiving end of that response."

Is Vladimir really that bat s**t crazy to drop a nuke on a neighboring country? When the prevailing wind comes from the west, and blows east? Which could blow nuclear contamination from Ukraine into Russia? Plus - Putin would have crossed the reddest of all red lines. The "ship would hit the sand", big time.

So what is the plan, Vlad? Nuke Ukraine? Nuke one of our allies from NATO? Nuke us? Are you out of your flipping mind? Why is it, that every Russian or Soviet leader prior to you, knew what the concept of MAD was? And you don't? Are you that loaded on Russian Vodka that you don't understand what a nuclear war would do? First off, it would be the end of your Russia. Next, probably the end of our species as we know it. And for what purpose? One of our "Boomers" could put an end to most of your major cities. And then what is your future?

What the normal and civilized people in the world are asking of the Russian people right now is this - Is this what you want? Is this what you want a leader of your country to do? Trust me, we hate putting sanctions on your people. We don't want your country to suffer. But your leadership, leads us no choice. We cannot stand another Hitler. Europe cannot stand another Hitler. Russia, if you believe the history books, also cannot stand another Hitler. 

Russian people. Look at the bodies which are being dug up from mass graves in Ukraine. Stone cold dead. Many executed by being shot in the head. Some starved. These are civilians. Men women and children. They did not want this war. The Ukraine military did not want this war. But it is here. And now the Russian juggernaut, might continue to roll into countries beyond Ukraine. They might poison or nuke part of the world. And for what?

These are dangerous times. Perilous times. We have a madman with his finger on the trigger of the biggest gun mankind has ever known. Ukraine is now handing out radiation pills to its citizens. That is how serious they are taking this danger. 

What now Vlad? Where are you taking the world? Will you stand down and retreat, or will you take us over the cliff? The choice is yours Vlad - but know this. We are ready and able to respond. And trust me - you don't want to be on the receiving end of that response.

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars..."

The President of Russia thinks he is in charge. This is his world. But it is not. This world does now, as it always has, belongs to God. Vladimir Putin cannot destroy this world, unless it is God's will. Period.

War. During this season of Easter and Passover. Jesus told us over two thousand years ago, there would be "wars and rumors of wars". Amen to that. Just look at what is happening in Ukraine. One survivor of Bucha (which was devastated), said it was like hell. How in the world could this happen? In this day of age? Man's inhumanity towards his fellow man? It is because our world is broken. It has been broken for a long, long time. But Easter "unbreaks" our broken world for those who seek Jesus. Jesus turns darkness into light, hopelessness into hope, death into life. 

Our main battle on this Earth is spiritual. Cold hard fact. How deep does it go? For example, today's op/ed in the NYT was something like "During this season, it is time to Passover God." What??? It was written by a former Orthodox Jew, who has strayed from his faith. I did not read it, but heard about it on this news this morning. On this day of hope, of the news of the resurrected Jesus, an American newspaper prints an op/ed telling us to forget God. You have got to be kidding me.

Yesterday we took our daughter and grandies to attend a church service. Over Easter, there are so many who come to our church, the church has to flex into Saturday to ensure there are enough services. That is very good news. But here is the not so good news. In the large city in which our church is located, it is estimated that 85% of the population is unchurched. Even though many on a census might claim to be Christian, many might not be following the faith.

Wars and rumors of wars. This past week, Russia gave a veiled threat to use nukes against Finland, Sweden and the United States. Why? Because the President of Russia thinks he is in charge. This is his world. But it is not. This world does now, as it always has, does belong to God. Vladimir Putin cannot destroy this world, unless it is God's will. Period.

Our job is to be peacemakers. To help Russia "pound their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks." (Isaiah 2:4). To mollify the suffering in Ukraine. To feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Minister to the hurting - and to spread the Word. Which Word? The Good News for modern man. The story of Jesus - the greatest story ever told.

This morning, the sun is coming up and the sky is a "Robin's egg" blue. The stone has been rolled back, and the tomb is empty. Jesus, as prophesized, has risen. Have a blessed and happy Easter.    

  

Where is our energy czar when you need one?

"Our energy policy should be very simple. Everything. Renewable and fossil fuels. America is rich is talent and resources. Why a President would want to tamp that down, is beyond me. If someone has an answer to this, please let me know - before the lights go out."

Sometimes I think I am dreaming. Or should I say a nightmare. How in the world could we get ourselves into such a mucking fess with our energy? Please, someone tell me! Back in the 70's, we were so messed up, we needed to have a pro just to ferret out our energy mess. How messed up were we? Rationing. Gas lines. High prices. Fireside chats with Carter sitting by a fireplace wearing a cardigan sweater. What do we have today? Not an energy czar, but a "climate czar". And that position is held by John Kerry. Oh Scotty, please beam me up!

We need help from someone who knows what he or she is doing, and we need it now. Since it is the Easter/Passover season, I will try to say this as kindly as possible. Kerry as our Climate Czar, Granholm as our Energy Secretary, Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary, Harris as Vice President, and Biden as President - their collective knowledge on an energy policy is non-existent. Nada. Void. 

As Russia continues to use their energy as a weapon over in Europe, the free world is begging for our natural gas and oil. We have a lot of energy. And someday, we will have a lot of renewable energy to go with our fossil fuels. But right now, at this point in time, underperforming our energy policy, with every drop of oil we could harvest in our own country - is madness. We really can't wait until next January when our next Congress is sworn in. The battle for energy is right here, right now - and Russia is winning. 

History is not going to be kind to our 46th President. Not a bit. But it is not too late for him to do some things right. With his approval ratings continue to slip lower than whale dung, he has nowhere to go, but up. Why do I say that? This week, he did something which might help just a smidge by allowing the sale of E85 year round. Better known as letting the farmers burn our food program. In any event, just this token gesture, sent oil futures down. Gas dropped about a dime overnight. Just think what would happen to oil futures if Biden reversed his wrong headed policy of shutting down a million barrels of oil a day. Opened everything back up, including the Keystone Pipeline. Futures (and our energy prices) would fall like a rock.

By the way, Germany who tried to get out in front of this whole green energy movement, is in a real pickle right now. Their green energy is not yet ready for prime time, so they are stuck buying dirty oil and dirty gas from Russia. Under normal circumstances, with a normal President - we could help Germany - a lot. We could help all our Euro allies. But all we can do right now is give them lip service. The once great energy producer, the United States, has been relegated to being a fellow energy beggar. 

When the red wave comes, rather when the red tsunami comes, it is going to be a bloodbath for the Democrats. All this misery with our energy policy is going to rest at their feet. It will tattooed all over them. Indelible ink. The border, the crime, energy, taxes, debt, Afghanistan, everything - will be tattooed all over them. And they will have Joe Biden to thank for it. 

Our energy policy should be very simple. Everything. Renewable and not. America is rich is talent and resources. Why a President would want to tamp that down, is beyond me. If someone has an answer to this, please let me know - before the lights go out.

No man (except Putin), is an island...

 No man is an island, entire of itself;

 Everyman is a piece of the continent, 

A part of the main. 

Many of us learned this famous poem by John Donne when we were in high school. How we are all connected to each other. Our former pastor would often talk about how we are relational beings. We need each other. We are connected to each other. This applies to most all of us. Well, except for Vladimir Putin. For reasons few if any understand, Putin has decided to be a "one off" in humanity. A mass murderer. A practitioner of genocide. A monster.

Now he has his new general, all pumped up and ready to go. His armor has been replenished, and he has some fresh troops. Putin can already count the bodies stacking up in Mariupol. He has almost drawn the line in the sand, daring NATO to interfere. He has been uttering some nebulous threats about how Russia will retaliate, if he thinks NATO becomes too involved. He is particularly interested in teaching the United States a lesson. Why? He still considers us to be the "good guys", and in his current world view, "good guys" stand in his way. 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the home team is not just standing still. They have further stiffened their spines, got more weaponry, and dug in further. They know the fighting in the near future will be even tougher. Putin tried to best the Ukrainian Army with his "B" team, and that did not work well. Now with a general straight out of Syrian war crimes, leading an army whose orders are to win at all costs, things will probably get very ugly prior to the magic date of May 9th. 

In an alternate universe, where Donald Trump is still President, I often wonder how the Ukraine would look today. Would Putin have even attacked, if Trump was President? Many, including myself, don't think he would have dared. And even if he had, would he have threatened Trump? I would have loved to see how that would have worked out!

Last night, I saw an interesting article on Poland. They are convinced that once Russia is done with the Ukraine, Poland will be next. As such, they too have stiffened their spines. But Poland is like the Ukraine when it comes to being resolute. If Russia thinks Poland will be patsies, they better think again. Also, there is that pesky Article 5 thing. Like, if Russia invades Poland, all hell will break loose. But maybe that is what this "outsider to humanity" wants. All out war. A total blood letting. 

How are things going to play out, at least for the rest of April? I am afraid, not well. Most of us, myself included, hate war. Any war. Any war, anyplace. But this world does not belong to Putin. It belongs to God Almighty. Is that the fight that Putin wants? 

  

A new general, a new war...

"New general, new war. Things might start getting really ugly right now. Putin has shown himself to be the new Hitler. Actually, maybe worse than Hitler. And that is the world we live in right now."    

Putin wants to wipe the slate clean. The war he started, has not gone the way he has wanted it to go. In fact, he might even lose to this rag tag army in the Ukraine. He has really been steamed about how some of his conscripts have performed. I mean, come on guys! We are Russia, and we are going up against a much inferior army! Putin has become so miffed, he has resorted to hitting below the belt, like most blood thirsty dictators do. Go after the innocent women and children. But still - Putin needed a reclama. 

Putin has decided to do a bit of a pause, get regrouped, and change management. He has called in his "Dirty Harry" general. The one who was accused of war crimes in Syria. The one who has been accused of killing innocent women and children. With that kind of a resume, what is the difference in this new general, and the current war? Maybe this new general is better at war crimes. 

Who is he? General Alexander Dvornikov. Probably Putin's fixer. A blood and guts type of guy, who can whip the conscripts and retirees Putin's army is stuck with, into shape. And now that Putin has tipped his hand on what he wants to do with Ukraine, stand by for Bloodbath, 2.0. In other words, forget the western part of the country, and go for the land bridge to Odessa. Take the Donbas area, and then along with the land Putin stole in Crimea, get that land bridge to the Black Sea ports. And word has it, that Putin would like to have this all taken care of prior to his Victory Day, on May 9th. 

Here is my take, as well as the take on many who are following this war. Before the SHTF, it would be great to grant President Zelenskyy everything he has been asking for. And do it like yesterday. MIGs, more anti-air assets, more Stingers, more Javelins, more ammo, more everything. It is time for the west to stiffen their spines, and show Putin this is NOT alright! What Russia has done, and is doing - is wrong. It is a crime against humanity.

This summer, both Sweden and Finland are poised to join NATO. Russia is not happy about that  - not a bit. Well guess what Mr. Putin? What you have done to a country who is not aligned with NATO, has been witnessed by all. Consider this collateral damage for all the death and damage you have caused in the Ukraine. Also Mr. Putin, you and your generals will be forever hunted by the International Court in the Hague. War crimes have no statue of limitations.

New general, new war. Things might start getting really ugly right now. Putin has shown himself to be the new Hitler. Actually, maybe worse than Hitler. And that is the world we live in right now.    

The coming season of Holy

"But the Holy Spirit did come. He brought gifts, needed gifts, for the disciples to practice the Great Commission. Besides being a Comforter, an Advocate, the Holy Spirit is God living within us."

Tomorrow starts Holy Week. It is a big, big week in the Christian Church. Actually, it is a big, big week for every person on Planet Earth. With tomorrow being Palm Sunday, Holy Week starts in earnest. The more my wife and I study about this week, the more amazed we are with the number of very significant events that were packed into this seven day period. But it is the week, which changed the world. It changed everything, for every one, for ever more. Whether people realize it or not - it did. 

One of our former pastors had an interesting take on the entire Easter experience. With so many important things which let up to Easter, everything had a purpose. But his take, was what happened directly after Easter. The Risen Christ appeared. Not just to a few, but to over 500. That was the proof. From having Thomas putting his fingers in the holes in the Savior's hands, to people just hearing Jesus speak. 

Last night, we watched a show about the Pentecost event from Acts, Chapter 2. I am very interested in learning more about that period of time. It is after Christ ascended into Heaven, until the Holy Spirit descended, and anointed Christ's disciples. I think Jesus knew his disciples would be scared and lonely once He left. After all, the Romans were still hunting them. That is why Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Comforter". But in that period of time between the ascension of Jesus, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit, times were dangerous and scary.

But the Holy Spirit did come. He brought gifts, needed gifts, for the disciples to practice the Great Commission. Besides being a Comforter, an Advocate, the Holy Spirit is God living within us. 

Easter is such a wonderful time of the year. It is a great time to stay in the Word, and to gain discernment. The Passion, and then Pentecost. And now, 2,000 years later, we are to continue to spread the Word - the Good News.

What a gift. What a message. With all the evil in the world, God sends us good. Then and now, God sends us good. And as we know, God is good, all the time.  

Caught by an old elephant cage

"Will the Russians still try and deny it? Of course they will. They will say the tape was 'doctored'. But the tape was not doctored. This tape will only be known as "corroborating evidence", to the mountain of photographic evidence that has already been gathered by the Ukraine Army and international press who have been on the Bucha site."

A what? An elephant cage? Caught who? Why is this so cryptic? Sorry. Did not mean to be. But this bit of news which happened this week, almost escaped the kind of publicity it deserves. It has to do with a "smoking gun", the Russians cannot lie their way out of. And that smoking gun, came from a relic from the past. The Cold War past.

The old Wullenweber antenna complex. A relic from the Cold War. One sits idle in Germany, unused and rusting. No longer needed. But some astute young Germans, decided to fire this "Elephant Cage" up, and see if they could hear anything interesting - especially from Ukraine. 

The Russians, who are masterful liars, have already blamed the Ukrainian Army for the carnage which was left from Bucha. All the bodies found strewn in the streets, the mass graves, the tales of rape and torture - all fabricated (according to the Russians). After all - it is the Russian's word against Ukraine's word. 

But then there is those pesky Germans, who were just screwing around with an ancient Cold War listening station. It seems some of those Germans, stumbled upon some interesting intercept. The old saying, "loose lips sink ships", also holds true when committing war crimes. Some of the Russians were bragging about killing innocent civilians in Bucha. Oh oh - busted. As the saying goes, the truth is now on tape.

Will the Russians still try and deny it? Of course they will. They will say the tape was "doctored". But the tape was not doctored. This tape will only be known as "corroborating evidence", to the mountain of photographic evidence that has already been gathered by the Ukraine Army and international press who have been on the Bucha site.

With this information, it will be up to the United Nations to take more action. Not just "suspending" Russia from being on the UN Human Rights Commission, but also giving them the boot off the Security Council, and maybe even the General Assembly. Russia is now a rogue nations, and should be treated as such. 

To our German friends, gut gemacht! It is just possible, that old Cold War antenna array has done more good in its retired state, than it did while on active duty. A note to Russia - how do you like karma? This venture into Ukraine, might end up being the dumbest thing you have ever done. But it has exposed you for who you are.  

   

What a town with(out) pity can't do...

"What is the lesson I have learned from this invasion? If you have nukes, and can threaten people with using them, congratulations - you are now a global bully. The world is scared to death of Putin right now." 

Meanwhile, as we go on with our day to day lives, something beyond horrible is happening in our world right now. And it is happening, and could be stopped immediately. But it won't be. I am talking about the city of Mariupol in the Ukraine. This once busy town of almost a half a million citizens, has now turned into a death camp. The 100,000 or so who still are trying to survive there, are given a stark choice. Either stay, and probably starve to death, or surrender to the occupiers and be shipped to some kind of Russian concentration camp.

The Mayor of Mariupol has been very blunt and direct. With 5,000 of its citizens already murdered by the occupiers, and some of those being children, the Mayor has called Mariupol, "the new Auschwitz". What the Russians are doing to this town right now, is Exhibit "A" to what a war crime looks like. It is soon to be an Exhibit "A" to what genocide looks like. 

Even after President Zelenskyy poured out his heart and soul to the United Nations (as well as addressing other counties one on one), the world continues to sit back and watch the slow death of Mariupol. Will Mariupol become the new Bucha? Where the butchery of the citizens was so horrible, news crews could not even show them without blurring them out? Where bodies were left strewn in the street. Many bodies in mass graves. One had the Nazi symbol carved into him. 

Here is where I sit right now. Any country, who does not condemn Russia for this invasion of a sovereign country - is dead to me. Silence is guilt. If every nation condemned this naked aggression the same way the United States did, but having words backed up with sanctions on Russia, and help to Ukraine, this war would be over tomorrow. But so long as other countries keep buying Russian oil, keep silent with any outrage, trading with Russia with ANYTHING - they are part of the problem. 

Some day, we will have to explain this to our grandchildren. How this happened. How we let it go on. How innocents were raped, shot, tortured, starved, enslaved, and so forth. Do we need to scrap the United Nations the same way we scrapped the League of Nations after we found out it was feckless? That has my vote.

What is the lesson I have learned from this invasion? If you have nukes, and can threaten people with using them, congratulations - you are now a global bully. The world is scared to death of Putin right now. So much so, we can have examples like Bucha and Mariupol, and we do nothing to stop it.

Everyday when I turn on the news, it is the same stuff, different day. Most of the world goes on with its business. Millions are getting ready for Easter. And yet, in Ukraine, the suffering continues. The death continues. It is a town that deserves more than pity. It deserves so much more...  

When the truth comes out...

 

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

For some reason, the truth always seems to win out. The old saying which Mark Twain used frequently was, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." Forget the statistics - let's focus on the "lies and damn lies". And as we have been taught in church, the "Father of Lies" is Satan. However, Putin might be a close second.

Also, how dumb does Putin think we are? His troops have committed unspeakable acts of mass murder in the Ukraine, maybe even genocide and/or war crimes. And yet, even though there is photographic evidence which shows the carnage, Putin is telling the world it was caused by the Ukrainian Army. Huh? Ukrainians killing their own people? Really Putin? 

No - Putin and his bloodthirsty generals did it. Period. Their fingerprints are all over it. People with their hands tied behind their backs, executed. Families killed together. Women raped. Tortured. In one month, Vladimir Putin has gone from a thug, to a mass murderer and war criminal. His reputation will never recover. His country is now considered a rogue nation. His army is as bad as the Nazis were. The truth about Ukraine, will come out sooner rather than later. 

However, we have our own kettle of fish to deal with in this country. There is a whole bunch of truth which is about to surface on the Bidens. It has been suspected for some time now. Known to some, but hidden by the media and the Deep State. Hunter Biden, his father (aka the "Big Guy"), maybe Joe's brother James, and now Chief of Staff Ron Klain. There is a lot of garbage which has been going on behind the curtain.

Joe Biden now wants to go after Putin to have him charged as a war criminal. I would feel a lot better about that effort, if Biden's hands were not soiled. Is the truth going to come out about how soiled Biden's hands are? Very probably true - especially when the Republicans take back the House and Senate. When that happens, a hard rain is going to fall. Many sins which have been committed against this country, are going to see the light of day. It might be the biggest governmental "house cleaning" since Watergate. 

For that reason alone, it might be better to have the Europeans handle the Putin issue. As we clean up our domestic mess, the Euro Zone can take care of bringing the Russians to justice. And one more thing about the truth finally coming out. So far, Putin has done a good job in keeping his population in the dark as to what is really happening in the Ukraine. But that will change. Way too many ways to get the truth inside the former "Iron Curtain". 

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely". This 19th century mottos is still as true today as it was then. What defeats power which corrupts? TRUTH! Be it Russia, be it Washington, or be it local politics, power can corrupt. We do all of us, need to be truth seekers. Since the media is also corrupted, seeking truth is our charge. There is nobody else which can do it.  

Genocide in Ukraine; Entropy in America

"I have always been a proud American. I really have. But living in Biden's America has given me pause. We are just a shell of what we once were. Once fearless, now fearful."

Have to give the Russians credit for one thing. When they set out to "out Nazi", Nazi atrocities in World War II, few believed they could do it. But - they have proved the historians wrong. They are just as blood thirsty, just as ruthless, just as cold as the Nazis were, on their worst days. And again, the civilized world has been left sitting in the spectator's section, just watching. Meanwhile, what happened when the Russians withdrew from the outer suburbs of Kyiv, defies description. It was butchery.

If nothing changes, we will see this scene over and over and over again in Ukraine. There is only one country right now which can stop this, and that would be China. The United States can't, as our President is scared stiff of Putin. The Allies can't, unless the United States joins them. Meanwhile, we are seeing carnage in Ukraine, actually genocide, that the civilized world thought had been relegated to the ash heap of history. I guess we still have some primitive carnage in our DNA. 

Meanwhile, back in the homeland, we have a different problem. Entropy. Or, as some call it, our current POTUS having the reverse Midas touch. There have been legions of experts on media as of late, explaining how easy it would be to get part of our inflation under control. How to get our gas prices down. How to have more energy security. But this empty suit, who somehow got into the White House to undo everything good that Donald Trump did - refuses to budge. He would rather kiss up to dictators, so we can buy their dirty oil, than use our much cleaner oil from Texas. So the Union suffers, while Biden goes up to Delaware and naps.

Title 42 is going away next month. EVERYBODY is forecasting total mayhem (yes, even worse than it is right now), on the southern border. And why would Biden do such a bone headed, anti-American thing such as this? Besides undoing what Trump had working on the southern border, Biden is owned by the socialists. So much so, by the time his four year terms is up, we could have tens of millions of illegals, along with record amounts of deadly drugs in our country. Who is happy about this mess? The socialist and the cartels. As the Union suffers, Biden goes to Delaware to nap.

Back to the genocide in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is pleading - begging - for America to be the America it once was. One pundit was on the news this weekend, and was asked about America's response to the cries for help from Ukraine. His response - not enough, and what they do get has to go through the Biden sausage machine in slow motion. The "leading from behind" lessons Biden learned from Obama, still seem to work well. Meanwhile, children are being executed, women are being raped, and innocent civilians are getting tortured. But, as long as Biden can have his naps, life is good for him.

I have always been a proud American. I really have. But living in Biden's America has given me pause. We are just a shell of what we once were. Once fearless, now fearful. A President steeped in corruption, bathed in entropy, and surrounded by idiots. I am sorry Ukraine. This is the America you are depending on for help. You deserve so much better.  

A world of two economies?

"Russia is NOT our friend. China is NOT our friend. Saudi Arabia and India? The jury is still out on those two. But I will say this. If they were smart, they would align with our team and not the commies. Just saying..."    

Saw something very interesting on the news yesterday. It was how much hurt we were putting on the Russians with all of our sanctions. Especially the sanction on their petrol products. Short answer (and a surprising one at that) - we are not putting ANY hurt on the Russians. The power elite that is. The oil revenues for 2022 in Russia are scheduled to be much higher than than 2021. Over $300B in oil revenue, is one forecast I saw. Why is that?

What we are starting to see, is the economic bifurcation of the globe. One one side, is the United States and their western allies. On the other side, is Russia, China, and India. China and India are helping Russia right now, by purchasing as much oil as they want. And paying for it in any denomination other than US dollars. Meanwhile, what are we doing? Tapping into our emergency stockpile of oil - the Strategic Reserve.

If we had normal people, who understood normal economics, in charge of our country right now, they would be fighting fire with fire. We could take the legs out from these high petrol prices by simply "drilling baby, drilling". But we won't. Somehow, in those dusty cobwebs that reside in the mind of Joe Biden, he thinks if we buy dirtier oil from countries run by dictators, it will be better for global warming. I know, I know. I don't understand it either. As one meme said, "Tapping into our Strategic Reserve, is like tapping into your 401K instead of working." This is what happens when we put people in charge who have never worked a day in their lives.

I am not surprised when China became Russia's patsy, but India? What the what? Why in the world would India shed its neutral status to side with the world's biggest butthole? Some of our Indian leaders in this country should have a heart to heart talk with leaders in their homeland. Siding with Russia is a dead end street. India and the United States have usually always been on good terms. This is a head scratcher for sure.

If we wanted to, I mean the US, as well as our NATO allies, Japan, South Korea, and Australia - we could smoke these commies when it comes to commerce. But we have to want it. We have to scrap this globalization crapola, and focus on ourselves and our friends. Together, we are an economic powerhouse.

Russia is NOT our friend. China is NOT our friend. Saudi Arabia and India? The jury is still out on those two. But I will say this. If they were smart, they would align with our team and not the commies. The day of reckoning is coming. Just saying...    

Hunter? Or hunted?

                                        

Here is the lessons learned from our last election. If the Deep State wants you in, you will be in. If the Deep State wants you out, pack your bags. Don't believe it? Just ask Donald Trump.   

Yes, the long awaited decision on the infamous Hunter Biden laptop, might be close to fruition. The laptop, if made public and bona fide before November of 2021, might have made a sea change in a Presidential election. But alas and alack - the Deep State had its way, and kept this very damning laptop out of sight, out of mind, until the dust settled. Then we ended up with Slo Joe as our President.

What exactly does this laptop have in it, which is so very terrible? Besides Hunter's salacious lifestyle? Influence peddling. With Russia, Ukraine, and China. Even though Daddy Joe (aka, the "Big Guy") thinks Hunter is the smartest man on the planet, most others who know him, think of him as a dim witted crack head. Certainly not the kind of intellect which would command the salaries Hunter was getting from all these questionable ventures.

The question that many conservative pundits have asked recently, is this - "OM Goodness! What if Hunter's last name was Trump, and Donald was still President?" This would have been the biggest scandal since DB Cooper. But Hunter's name is not Trump. It is Biden. And good old Uncle Joe was anointed by the high command of the Deep State to be our next President. And how is that working out for us? Never mind - this is about Hunter, not Joe. Joe's turn is coming up shortly.

Will Ms. Nancy have the guts or brain power to open up a Congressional investigation on this grifter? Seems to me, from what I have heard, the evidence contained in this laptop is fairly certain. And - if not now, then when the next Congress is sworn in - let's find out how Veep Biden used his "Big Guy" influence to get the ball rolling on many of these contaminated business dealings. And maybe even (Gasp!) - what did President Obama know, and when did he know it?

If Putin does not blow everyone up first, there will be books written about this entire cover up. It will be a non-fiction book, but it is so incredible, so hard to believe, it might have to be sold as fiction.

Here is the lessons learned from our last election. If the Deep State wants you in, you will be in. If the Deep State wants you out, pack your bags. Don't believe it? Just ask Donald Trump.   

Not worth spit...

"I feel bad for many of these young Russian soldiers. They are no more than kids. They know not why they are in Ukraine, what they are fighting for. Their commanders are monsters, who are taking orders from bigger monsters in the Kremlin." 

We do all of us - have value. Our brave service men and women have lots of value. They are looked at by their commanding officers, lead NCOs, as well as the citizenry, as being one of our finest resources. But that is not the way it is in other countries. Like where? Like Russia. Putin's generals treat their troops like expendables. Garbage. Like they are not worth spit.

Putin and his bloodthirsty generals deserve no quarter. They are evil. Heartless. Murderers. What they have done to the innocent citizens of Ukraine, is light years beyond the pale. However, what they are doing to their own soldiers, especially the conscripts, is just about as bad.

Some of what has been reported needs to be taken with a grain of salt. There is after all, the "fog of war" that might be tainting some reporting. But some of our retired generals, who are consultants on cable, all seem to be in agreement. Russia's logistics for this war were terrible from the get-go. Part of that, was assuming the Ukrainian Army would roll over and play dead once the invasion started. That Russian tanks would drive victoriously into Kyiv, to cheering civilians. Zelenskyy would be removed, and a "puppet" government would be installed.

Instead, the Russians found just the opposite. A tough, entrenched, hardened Ukraine Army. Cold weather, low food, empty gas tanks, ammo running low. Plus, if we can believe what some of the captured Russian soldiers have told their captures, this was only to be a training exercise. Not the extermination of a country. 

Self inflicted wounds, desertions, malingering illnesses - anything to get out of this mess. To top it all off, recent reporting is the Russians have turned control over the Chernobyl nuke plant to Ukraine. Again, take this for what it is worth - it is reported that many Russian soldiers received radiation poisoning from digging trenches in contaminated soil. Hundreds needed to be sent home because of it. 

One of our retired generals summed it up this way. The United States goes out of its way to avoid civilian casualties in a war. The Russians target civilians. If the United States needs to go to war, we try to make it as quick as possible. Actually, we try to win, and do it with the minimum number of enemy dead or wounded. Russia on the other hand, sees its troops as fodder. They have already put the call out for more conscripts to fill the void left by the first month's fighting. 

I feel bad for many of these young Russian soldiers. They are no more than kids. They know not why they are in Ukraine, what they are fighting for. Their commanders are monsters, who are taking orders from bigger monsters in the Kremlin. 

History will judge Russia harshly for this misstep. The civilized people of the world, already have.