It is a half past Biden and almost Trump time!

"As I have reported before, the only glitch I see in the next month are the Republicans in the House. If they go 'Speaker-less' (again), Trump might blow a gasket. We elected Trump to get things done, not wallow in the cesspool of Washington dysfunction." 

For those who have suffered through four years of Joe Biden, your patience will soon be rewarded. The Trump Train is scheduled to leave the station in three weeks, and (hopefully) change everything for evermore in America. Will there we problems? Count on it - hopefully only from the Democrats but never count out the Republicans to also "pee in the punch". Will change come fast and furious? Like a January blizzard.

One thing we learned from Trump's first term is this - the Washinton swamp DOES exist, and it is deeper and wider than Trump expected it would be. Trump fought the swamp, and the swamp fought back. Impeached him twice and accused him of just about everything. When the swamp found out Trump was going to run again, it threw everything at him but the kitchen sink. Even tried to kill him. But Trump prevailed and is much smarter and tougher than he was the first time around.

The first hundred days of Trump's term is going to be one to behold. It might be time to set up the comfy chair and pop some popcorn. He is dead serious about having a blizzard of executive orders ready to go on January 20th and 21st. His new team is primed and at the ready. Chuck Schumer, who never does anything to help, has coronated himself to be the "King of the Resistance". Unfortunate thing to do Chucky Boy, as the Trump Train might just run right over you. As Minority Leader, you will have about as much power as a turtle from Kentucky.

One of Trump's allies was on the news the other day saying that Trump's desire to own Greenland is for real. Now this - is going to be interesting. After all of Biden's pardons, Trump has the green light to fling open the prison doors and release all who are serving time for J6. The only person who should serve time for J6 is Liz Cheney for destroying evidence. Plus - those serving time under Biden's lawfare will also be freed. Enough of this tyranny already!

As I have reported before, the only glitch I see in the next month are the Republicans in the House. If they go "Speaker-less" (again), Trump might blow a gasket. We elected Trump to get things done, not wallow in the cesspool of Washington dysfunction. Needless to say, the MAGA crowd who supports Donald Trump will have little or no patience for circular firing squads or self-inflicted wounds by the Republicans. 

 

It is time to herd the cats

 

"Lots going on this week. New Year's Eve. New Year's Day. Congress called back into session. Senate being sworn in. The House? Unknown. Friday could either be a day of victory, or a day of defeat. The Republican brand is on the line. What is at stake? Everything. Time to herd the cats Mr. Trump. Time to lay down the law."  

This is the week; Friday is the day. Friday is the day the new Congress is sworn in. House and Senate. The Senate should be a slam dunk. The House? Not so much. For example, Thomas Massie from the great state of Kentucky, has already said he will be the "no vote" for Speaker Johnson. If that is the case, the one vote margin that Johnson would need would be gone. All it would take then, is one more "no vote" from a recalcitrant Republican, and we would be back to the confusion and bedlam we have had before. 

Will the Democrats be able to derail the Trump Train from the get-go? Like not certifying the election? Nope. But the Republicans can. If Speaker Johnson gets the boot, we are screwed. Trump is screwed. This will be another dark day for America. It will give the American public reason to NEVER vote for Republicans again. Why? Too immature to govern. 

Trump needs to have some straight talk with his team in the House. We don't have time for this nonsense. Not now. Too much to do. If we can't get the election certified (because a leaderless House cannot go into session), we will be in for a whole bunch of doing nothing. Meanwhile, all the promises that Donald Trump made to America would be put on the bottom shelf. And then the Democrats will be clamoring to have Jeffers sworn in as the new Speaker. Could that happen? With this group of Republicans? Absolutely! Then Trump would have a MAJOR roadblock for the next two years.

This is a self-inflicted wound. One we sure don't need to have. We need to have the troops lined up and ready to go by Friday. Yes, that means even the troublemaker, Thomas Massie. If for some reason Massie does not get in line, and screws things up on Friday, his political career would most likely be over. He could not even get elected as dogcatcher.

Lots going on this week. New Year's Eve. New Year's Day. Congress called back into session. Senate being sworn in. The House? Unknown. Friday could either be a day of victory, or a day of defeat. The Republican brand is on the line. What is at stake? Everything. Time to herd the cats Mr. Trump. Time to lay down the law.  

"Rudderless"

"Part of this post are my words and not Dean Phillip's words. But I think I get his message. Maybe my words and his words are not so different after all..."   

Some sharp words are coming out of the "normal fringe" of the Democrat Party as of late. We all know about Fetterman - the giant from PA who just might jump ship and become a red team guy. But the sharpest criticism of the current state of the Democrat Party is coming from a congressman from Minnesota. Dean Phillips. His parting gift on his way out the door was to really lay it on his party. The party which basically treated him like crap.

Dean just had an article in Politico. It was a "pull no punches" interview. The disgust he has for the Democrat Party right now is palpable. One of the kindest things he had to say was the party was "rudderless". No leadership. Adrift. No message. 

Dean Phillips tried (in his Minnesota nice voice) to tell the people that Joe was too old to run again. The party needed new leadership. Younger. Different ideas. What did the Democrat apparatchik think of this "new think" of Dean Phillips? Not much. The fix was in on how to get rid of this little pest from Minnesota's Third District. What Dean did not realize was simply this - when you try to dethrone the king of the Democrat Party, you better have a good game plan. Otherwise, you will end up in the dustheap of Democrat victims.

The new leadership, if it ever comes about, of the Democrat Party will have to be devoid of ESG, DEI and woke-isms. Sorry Gavin Newsome - that excludes you from any party leadership role. Same with Kathy Hochul. Looking out over the political landscape, the "party of the people" is now looking more like the "party looking for people". How could things have gotten so bad, so fast? Just being out of touch for starters. How bad did it get? On YouTube, is Kamala from a few years back telling people "Don't you DARE say Merry Christmas." What the what is that all about? No matter - just another nail in her political coffin. 

How about Tim Walz? How about him for a national party leader? That is actually pretty funny, to think of Tim in that way. After how he was screwed up Minnesota ("Let it burn, baby!") and peeing away our HUGE tax surplus, Tim would be lucky to get a job as a greeter at Walmart. No, Kamala and Tim are both toast. As are the Squad members.

Here is the long and the short of it. If the party stayed as it was under JFK, it would still be formidable today. Of course, today, JFK could be confused with a non-MAGA Republican. In any event, a JFK led party could have been standing loud and proud today, instead of laying in the gutter as Biden's party is. 

Part of this post are my words and not Dean Phillip's words. But I think I get his message. Maybe my words and his words are not so different after all...   

And why Greenland?

"What we are seeing in this runup to the term of the 47th president is only a sampling of what will happen post January 20th. Where is the real important stuff in our country happening right now? Not the White House. Try Mar-a-Lago."

I have always been fascinated by the country of Greenland. Putting its Cold War strategic location aside, I love the name (even though there is not much green on this huge ice sheet), love how the people live (most fish), and up to recently, love how forgotten this massive island was from the rest of the world. Greenland, whose population on this huge island is less than St. Cloud Minnesota, has become of great interest to Russia and China, only because of what might be contained under their ice cap. Now this very large island with a very small population, might be a major player going forward in world politics. 

There are some odd facts about Greenland for sure. Hard to get to, as most flights need to go to Iceland or Denmark first and then catch a hop over to Nuuk (the capital of Greenland). Technically, it still belongs to Denmark, even though the folks who live in Greenland are ready for independence. It is part of North America, even though it still has strong ties with the Euro Zone. So why, oh, why then, has Donald Trump stirred up such a dust storm wanting to buy Greenland? 

Probably for similar reasons to why Donald Trump wants Canada to be a closer part of the United States. Wait - you mean when he told Justin Trudeau that Canada should be our 51st state? Trump, the negotiator was playing with young Justin. And he is playing with Greenland (sort of). Do we really want to buy both Canada and Greenland? Sure, if they were for sale at the right price. But they are not. There is, however, opportunities to move both Canada and Greenland MUCH closer to the US in trade and military security. Just like how the PI has become closer to the US with the recent adventurism of China, both Canada and Greenland could cuddle up to Uncle Sugar for mutually beneficial reasons.

During his first term, Trump joked about trading Puerto Rico for Greenland. I mean, what good is Puerto Rico to us these days, other than being a great vacation spot? Again, that was just Trump poking some fun back in those days. But the big game is as follows for what he has said about Panama, Canada and Greenland. We need to stiffen up our presence, our military alliances, and our trade posture with all of them. China has been sniffing around Panama, and we need to counter that - like yesterday. If anybody can sweeten the pot for all three countries, Donald Trump can.

What we are seeing in this runup to the term of the 47th president is only a sampling of what will happen post January 20th. Where is the real important stuff in our country happening right now? Not the White House. Try Mar-a-Lago. But is there a fly in the ointment? Sure - there always is. This time around the fly is the Republicans in the House. Even though they barely scratched out a majority this past election, the circular firing squad is at the ready. If Speaker Johnson is ousted, and the Speakership goes vacant for a while, we are screwed. Trump is screwed. What do the Republicans need to do? Grow up for a start. Face reality. To counter the Democrats, they need to stick together like glue - or like the Democrats do.

Once we get non-stop flights going into Greenland, the missus and I might like to visit there. Why? Because we can. And also, to keep Greenland strong economically, Greenland will need more tourism. That is what economic partners do.

 

The New York Exodus

"Some Democrats who have stopped drinking the blue Kool-Aid have gotten the message. They know why Trump won and why the blue team got the whopping and butt kicking they did. But then again - there are the stalwarts. Like Hochul."

The question which has begged to be answered as of late, is why are so many good folks leaving the state of New York. The answer is actually quite simple - the leadership in the state of New York as well as the city of New York - are morons. Idiots. Fools. And they never learn. The latest thing that Kathy Hochul laid on her citizens was nothing less than jaw dropping.

Yesterday, Hochel signed into law the Climate Fund Superfund Act, which will fine oil and gas producers a whopping $75B over the next 25 years. But because Hochul is a fool, she does not realize two very important bits of reality. First, the oil and gas companies will look at this new tax as a cost of doing business in New York. As such, those new costs will be passed onto the consumer. Second, even with the first consideration, some of the energy companies might look at this new bill as being onerous. What does that mean? They might just pull up stakes and go elsewhere. But what about the consumers in New York? Sucks being cold and dark. 

As a Democrat governor or mayor, you can tax the socks off of your people, and guess what? They don't have to take it. Since the voters are too lazy to vote these morons out of office, the next best thing they can do is move to another state. And that is exactly what is happening. The only new people who are moving into New York, are illegals. The tax paying citizens are migrating out of there.

Some Democrats who have stopped drinking the blue Kool-Aid have gotten the message. They know why Trump won and why the blue team got the whopping and butt kicking they did. But then again - there are the stalwarts. Like Hochul. Like Mayor Johnson from Chicago. Like Mayor Wu of Boston. Or Governor Healey of Massachusetts. Or our own "Rocks and Cows" Walz from the not-so-great state of Minnesota. Idiots all, these people are. And yet, the minions keep voting them in. Why? No clue.

The people of New York can wallow in the cesspool of taxes and regulation, while the rest of the country enjoys the "Golden Era" of Trump 47. It is too bad they are going to miss out on the show - it is going to be one for the ages. But as a famous comedian always says, "You can't cure stupid." And with many Democrats, "stupid is as stupid does" (thanks Forrest Gump!)

A whimper and a BANG!

"Change is coming folks, the likes of which we have never seen. Get ready for it, as there will not be much of a lead in to how fast the coming changes will happen. As much of a whimper that 2024 will leave us with, will the BANG be that 2025 will enter with. America is set to lead the world once again. Grab something and hold on tight. It is going to be quite a ride."   

Now that Christmas is over (and it was a blessed Christmas), it is time to start thinking about the new year and what it holds. To me, as well as many of us, 2025 will usher in the "Golden Era" for America. Donald Trump has said it many times, and I believe him. But few are sorry to see 2024 exit, stage left. It was a bland year, with the only high point for many of us, being the national election. Other than that, it is time for our societal malaise to end. As 2024 goes out with a whimper next week, 2025 is poised to come in with a BANG!

Truthfully? I get goosebumps just thinking about the "what if" that could or would happen in 2025. Most of us will see opportunities and riches which we have not seen for a long, long time - maybe ever. There are, however, some who will not look upon 2025 fondly. Who is that? Hamas terrorists who are still holding Israeli and Americans hostage. Donald Trump promised them hell, and he will deliver. Gangs, traffickers, and drug pushers, who have taken advantage of Biden's open-door policy. For many of them, a hard rain is going to fall.

But for the normal citizens in this country, get used to seeing gas prices closer to $2/gal than $3/gal. Get used to seeing your utility bills go down. Food prices - that will be a tougher fix. The inflation that Biden put into our food might be here to stay. Trump can sure slow it down, but the fix is in. Many things though, which were stagnated by the crappy economy, will come zooming back to life. Donald Trump will fix as many broken things in our country as he humanly can. 

2025 will be the start of maybe the fastest five years in our recorded history. What do I mean by fastest? Change. The change in our technology will be, well, dizzying. AI will rule the day, and humanoid robots will go from being an oddity to common. Self-driving cars and trucks will be seen in more and more places. How we educate our young, from first grade to post-secondary will also change - Bigly. And our improved healthcare from what and how we eat to how we live, will have RFK Jr, tattooed all over it.

Change is coming folks, the likes of which we have never seen. Get ready for it, as there will not be much of a lead in to how fast the coming changes will happen. As much of a whimper that 2024 will leave us with, will the BANG be that 2025 will enter with. America is set to lead the world once again. Grab something and hold on tight. It is going to be quite a ride.   

Peace on Earth? Goodwill?

Maybe going forward it all starts with an unkind word left unsaid. Holding the door for someone, a smile at someone you don't yet know. There are a thousand acts of kindness we can do each and every day, most of which are very simple and small. Passion for peace, compassion for others, and love is what our world needs. 

As we get ready to close out this year, a time of reflection is called for. How are we doing? As a community, as a nation, as a species? Someone recently made a good observation - if there are aliens, and they have been spying on us, what do they see? What would they see if they saw the carnage happening in Ukraine? Soldiers on one side, grinding up the soldiers on the other side. No remorse, no sorrow - just carnage. I dare say it would make us look like a sub-species to them. The crown of God's creation? Many times, we don't show it very well.

One of Joe Biden's last bit of business was to give Ukraine more money and lethal weapons. More killing. More carnage. Donald Trump looks over at Ukraine and has only one thing to say - he wants the killing to stop. But what about killing those scoundrel Russians? The ones who invaded Ukraine? Donald Trump does not want young Russian boys to die. He does not want innocent Ukrainians to die. He does not want the infrastructure of Ukraine to be ground into dust. This war is a scourge - not just for Ukraine, but for all of mankind.

I know we live in a broken world. It has been that way since the get-go. But putting that aside, living a warlike existence is not what we were made for. Not even close. Peace on Earth? Goodwill towards men? We can do better - much better. We can treat people like brothers and sisters. Show love. Compassion. Mercy. Rather than giving others the back of our hands, maybe a hand up to others instead. Instead of a shove, a hug. Instead of invective, words of kindness and encouragement. Is that not an important part of the Christmas message?

We have been taught how to overcome our carnal nature. We know what it takes to do better, to be better. Our race is the human race. We are all travelers together on this journey. If a rising tide raises all boats, it is up to all of us to ensure that all boats do rise.

I know it is sometimes an overused expression, but from those who are blessed to have much, much is expected. As we are blessed, let us bless others. Giving becomes more important than getting. Again, is that not an important part of the Christmas message? 

Maybe going forward it all starts with an unkind word left unsaid. Holding the door for someone, a smile at someone you don't yet know. There are a thousand acts of kindness we can do each and every day, most of which are very simple and small. Passion for peace, compassion for others, and love is what our world needs. 

Going forward, bathed in the Christmas message and spirit, may we all remember one important thing - we got this. We can do it. We can be better and do better. Why? Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men. A simple message with a profound impact. 

 

Why is January going to be so long this year?

"All we can do right now is wait and pray. Wait for January 20, 2025, and pray our enemies don't try and take advantage of this lapse of leadership we are experiencing. But we are still in December right now. We still have the glory of Christmas to celebrate."

Ask any native Minnesotan, and he or she might tell you the same thing. January seems to take forever to get through. Christmas decorations have come down, and everything outside has gone back to its unicolor - drab grey. Parties are over, it is back to work for the working class, and blah, blah, blah. If not for playoff football, the entire season of January could be labeled as disaster zone. But this year it will be even different. Even (it seems) - it will be longer. 

Why am I saying this? We had a huge "high" in November with the election of a new crew. New crew being Donald Trump as POTUS, a new friendly Senate, and barely keeping a somewhat friendly House. The new "crew" will not totally take over for another 28 days. The new House and Senate will take over in a scant 11 days.

But here is the gig folks (as the old expression goes) - for the next 28 days, we are a ship without a captain. Donald Trump is doing as much as he can (without being sworn in as POTUS), but technically, we don't really have a president right now. We are a ship without a rudder. Actually, the more we find out, we have not had a fully functioning president for some time now. Wait - what? Was not Joe Biden running for re-election just a short time ago? Yes - scary, isn't it?

The presidency of Joe Biden will be one which will be talked about for some time. Not only will he go down in history as one of the worse (maybe the worst), but he will also be known for his "quietly quitting". Checking out. Taking a pass. Meanwhile, I am somewhat unsettled with all the strangeness going on in our country right now. With no real government right now, these times are unsettling to say the least.

All we can do right now is wait and pray. Wait for January 20, 2025, and pray our enemies don't try and take advantage of this lapse of leadership we are experiencing. But we are still in December right now. We still have the glory of Christmas to celebrate. December is always good. And January? We will deal with January after New Year's Eve. 

   

   

Hail to the Chief(s)!

 

"But what about Kamala? Is she not in the mix? Who? Who is Kamala? I guess she has already faded off into a bad memory. In fact, after how she blew through $1.5B on a horrible campaign, she is toxic. Jill can't stand her, and Biden forgot who she is."

When Bill Clinton ran for office, he referred to his wife Hilary sometimes as his "co-president". "If you elect me, you will get two for the price of one", Clinton joked. Most would get the joke - but Hillary did not. She thought her husband was serious.

Then when Obama ran for office, he would always talk about how smart Michele was, and how she could help him figure out the correct policies. That was a slap in the face to Biden, but even back then, I don't think Obama believed Old Joe was that sharp. So, just like in the days of Clinton, we had a husband and wife being "co-presidents".

But right now, this takes the cake. We once again have "co-presidents". Trump and Biden. Maybe that is not really true. Maybe it is more than just having two presidents right now. Maybe we have a dozen or so, as NOBODY really seems to know who is running the country. Our friends and allies overseas believe it is Trump. He is after all, acting like a president. But who is advising Biden behind closed doors? It could be a gaggle of folks, most of which are progressives and socialists. 

But what about Kamala? Is she not in the mix? Who? Who is Kamala? I guess she has already faded off into a bad memory. In fact, after how she blew through $1.5B on a horrible campaign, she is toxic. Jill can't stand her, and Biden forgot who she is. She might as well go home to California and get ready to run for governor. 

This latest CR is an odd example on how things are working right now. A loaded-up bill was prepared to be voted on and signed. The kind of bill that Biden loves. Then Trump and Musk spoke up. Said the bill was garbage, and any Republican who voted for it deserved to be primaried. Next came a simple and much smaller bill which was acceptable to Trump. It was voted on and passed the House, passed the Senate, and then sent to the other president for signature. Strange times? The strangest.

Some think that Biden is "quite quitting". Others think Biden does not know if it is Tuesday or Thursday. What do the citizens think? 29 days to go until January 20th and we can whittle down to one president again. Now if we can just keep our enemies at bay for those 29 days... 

Digging a hole which can't be filled

"One thing we have learned from watching some of our highly paid pro sports players - no matter how much you make, if you spend more than you have, you will end up broke. Heads up citizens - that is the path we are on."  

It is after all - the money thing. It always is, always has been. Whose money, how much money, blah, blah, blah. The one question which NEVER seems to get asked is "Was it worth it?" Or what is the ROI on that billion plus expenditure we just spent? Most decisions come down to the question of "whose ox is gored". If not my ox, then who cares? But here is the rub - the money being spend in this country (via tax dollars) belongs to ALL of us. If that is the case, this drunken spending spree by Biden and his handlers during their final days should be offensive to all of us. But alas and alack - it is not.

Now before I hear a collective "so what?", let me first put things into perspective. Especially for those who like to keep their debts well managed. Because of our national debt of over $36T, each and every citizen owes $107,000 to pay it off. But because so many don't pay federal taxes, each taxpayer owes a whopping $272,000 to pay it off. Of course, if you throw in our unfunded liabilities into the mix, each citizen will own over $655,000. WOW! 

Money does matter. I think it is great that Trump and company are starting the DOGE initiative. Get rid of some of the fat and manure which has been layered into our national budget. Will that help? For a while. But as we all know, when you spend more than you make, a time of reckoning comes. Your credit score goes down. You cost to borrow goes up. Inflation goes up. Left unchecked, soon you need a wheelbarrow full of cash to buy a loaf of bread. 

Now I have to play Scrooge for a minute. The bill which passed last night, has over $100B for repair and restoration for those decimated by Hurricane Helene. Where is that money coming from? Our savings? Our checking? If you answered, "Just put it on the card", you win the prize. This is why so many Republicans voted against this bill. The "pay as we go" folks thought this was a personal afront. A betrayal. A violation of trust.

If this bill had $100B in federal offsets (like, from much of the manure than Biden has been spreading), 100% of the Republicans would have likely voted for it, and 100% of the Democrats would have voted against it. Then it would have died in the Senate. Even if it had passed the Senate, Biden would have never signed it.

Where does this leave us? Digging a hole which gets larger every year. Do we have needs to fill in 2025? Oh, yes. Don't get me started on some of the gaps we need to fill in our DOD to catch the Chinese and Russians. Our "Ponzi scheme" programs like Social Security and Medicare need to be re-worked for the next generation. If we don't, there won't be much left to re-work.

Donald Trump will have his hands full. Besides inheriting a gargantuan debt, he will need to "herd the cats" in the House and Senate. A daunting task for sure. One thing we have learned from watching some of our highly paid pro sports players - no matter how much you make, if you spend more than you have, you will end up broke. Heads up citizens - that is the path we are on.  

Oh crap! It's that governing thing again!

"How do I think this will end? The fiscal hawks will once again cave, and we will have a PORKULUS bill of some kind. Who will take it in the shorts? The taxpayers of course. They are the ones who will get stuck with the bill."   

Have I seen this movie before! You bettcha! Not only me, but also most of us reading this blog post. What are the Republicans good at? Ideas? For sure! Implementation of those ideas through governing? Not so much. Now here we sit, right before Christmas, with a broken government and a senile president. What else could possibly go wrong?

Here is a simple analogy on why some Republicans feel the way they do. My wife and I want to buy a new vehicle. It is a fancy one, so the payments (and extra insurance) would be about $1,000/month. We can't afford that vehicle unless we cut $1,000 from something else from our budget. Is that rocket science? No - it is kitchen table economics. Most of us do things this way - but not our government. There is no zero-sum budgeting - it is called debt financing, and now we are galloping towards 40T in debt. 

Every year we do this same stork dance. Wait until the end of the year and go into a full-fledged panic. The only way most Democrats and some Republicans will agree to an omnibus bill which will fund the government as well as shrimp on treadmills, is to load it up like Clark Griswald's Christmas tree. But this year, Congressmen like Chip Roy yelled "ENOUGH! What is the matter with Chip? Does he not want to help the struggling people in western North Carolina and Tennessee? Absolutely he does! But he wants offsets in the budget, so this does not end up in MORE DEBT.

Here is the rub. We have many in Congress who say, "Screw it - we will pay for it later" (and later never comes). And we have more and more "kitchen table" budgeters who want to pay as we go. With an evenly divided House and Senate, that leaves the year end funding looking like roadkill, with a broken government (again). 

Now everyone is mad at everyone else. The blame game has started, and Speaker Johnson might be on the verge of "throwing in the towel" or getting removed. I know it is easy to armchair quarterback, but I will do it anyway. It has been months since the storm which brought havoc to the western areas of Tennessee and North Carolina. As soon as we knew the gravity of the cost to repair and rebuild, Congress should have leapt into action. But they didn't. Too many vacations and doing mumbo jumbo to take care of this emergency. Put it off until year's end. So, here we are. The same place we always are at year's end.

How do I think this will end? The fiscal hawks will once again cave, and we will have a PORKULUS bill of some kind. Who will take it in the shorts? The taxpayers of course. They are the ones who will get stuck with the bill.   

The return of PORKULUS!

"Some think the most important thing in our new administration will be DOGE. I am one of those people. DOGE is something whose time has come. Are we too late? Better late than never."  

Old habits are hard to break. Especially the old habits which "stoke the ID" of the Congressional spenders. One would think that after this past election, with the STRONG message the voters sent to Washington, and the establishment of the DOGE to cut wasteful spending, the days of PORKULUS were over. I guess I was wrong. PORKULUS is back, and stronger than ever!

Here we are AGAIN, with the clock ticking down to midnight (on the night before Christmas), and the years' worth of work the Congress was supposed to have done - is not. What is the remedy? Load up a pork filled bill with everything from shrimp on a treadmill to the sleeping habits of the Dodo Bird. Instead of just focusing on emergency items (like helping the flood victims in North Carolina and Tennessee), this small bill grew to 1,500 pages and was a Christmas list for everyone. Goodies, goodies galore!

BUT - there is a new sheriff in town. And there are these two deputies who are in charge of DOGE. I guess many in Congress missed the message that we don't do POTKULUS bills anymore. In fact, Elon put out on X, Republicans who vote for this monster better prepare to get primaried in 2026. And Trump agreed with him. What is the lesson here? You can't cut spending and load up the government with a bunch of crap at the same time.

So now what? Here is what the next President wants to see. Emergency funding only, with a small CR which will take us out to when the new Congress is sworn in. Then by Inauguration Day, President Trump wants to see a final bill for him to sign. No more CR at that time - just a finished bill which is responsible (for a change). 

Oh my! Many in Congress will act like drunks who have taken "the cure" and have a bad case of the shakes. Speaker Johnson has his marching orders. Now to make sure his VERY SLIM Republican majority follows his cue. No more games, no more gambits. This is make or break time to see how well the Republicans can govern in the House. If they continue to look like "Democrat Light" Republicans, heads will roll, and people will be replaced. 

I have said this since I have been politically aware. Both the House and Senate have way too much time off during the year. And then when they are in session, they get bogged down on silly stuff. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT thing that the House needs to do each and every fiscal year, is the twelve pots of funding. Then get it over to the Senate to pass. For some reason, this comes under the way too hard category. But no more - this had got to be done!

Some think the most important thing in our new administration will be DOGE. I am one of those people. DOGE is something whose time has come. Are we too late? Better late than never.  

Maybe they ARE out there!

 

"Maybe when Trump is sworn in, more of the truth will be known. As for now, we will keep one eye on the sky and the other on our government. Both hold secrets which are not being shared."    

When did this all begin? Maybe in 1952, when we had the incursion into Washington DC airspace. When the UAPs did an ariel "dance" over the US Capitol Building. Or was it earlier? Like in southern Missouri or Texas? Or in the now famous "battle of Los Angeles". The bottom line is this - we have seen "things" orbs and lights in our skies for many, many years. But as of late, the proliferation of sightings has been off the chart. Does this have anything to do with the sudden avalanche of "drone" sightings? Unknown at this time.

Sightings have occurred in just about every state and every country in the world. In this country, in recent years, the most famous sighting was in Phoenix in 1997. A monster size "V-shaped" craft, emitting no noise, slowing slipped over the skies in Arizona. All the way to Pheonix and Tuson. It went low and slow, almost like it wanted to be seen. And it was seen by thousands of Arizona residents. What was it? One of ours? Doubtful. Or something from "out there". The mystery still stands today.

One might ask, does our government know about these things? Who controls these craft? Where they came from? Do they present a clear and present danger to the citizens? Good questions all. But as of late, there have been sightings of dozens, maybe hundreds of orbs, just floating in the sky. Or some orbs, acting like they are being controlled. What are they? Who controls them?

I am reminded by that old Navy saying right now - I feel like a mushroom. Why? I am fed crap and kept in the dark. I know the Biden government is especially good at subterfuge, but this is ridiculous. Something is going on in our skies right now, be they drones, orbs, UAPs, lights or whatever. And here is the bottom line - whatever is going on in our skies, IS NOT NORMAL. 

Years ago, I remember talking to a young lady I served with who was on a training session in Florida. She had her mother with her for this TAD, as it was like a vacation for her mom. One evening, my roommate and I invited her and her mother over to our trailer for drinks and snacks after work. As we were talking (it was very dark outside, as our trailer was on the beach close to the water), the subject of UFOs came up. All of a sudden, this lady and her mother got very silent. Why? They had witnessed one up close. Very close. And it still spooked them.

People who have seen a "something" never really come to terms with it. Until it is explained what they saw, it is very disturbing. What do I think? I think the American people are ready to know the truth, no matter what the truth may be. If we are being visited by aliens, demons, time travelers, or (the latest) - interdimensional beings - we want to know the truth. Even if what we are seeing (and photographing) comes from mass hysteria, we need to know. 

Maybe when Trump is sworn in, more of the truth will be known. As for now, we will keep one eye on the sky and the other on our government. Both hold secrets which are not being shared.    

Energy - Our "embarrassment of riches"

"Smart people know our future lies in leading the world in AI. Cold hard fact. What do we know about AI so far? Plenty, including this - to develop AI at the breakneck speed we need to, we need energy, and lots of it to run these AI data centers."

I remember as a young lad reading a story (fictional) about a rich man who wanted to see what life was like as a poor person. With great effort and a shoddy wardrobe, he bought at a discount store, he set out to perform his ruse. It was hard, as he had been wealthy all of his life. Bottom line - he failed. Why? He did not know how to act. All of his life, he had an "embarrassment of riches". It was hard to be something he was not.

Why bring this up? For the past four years, the United States has paraded around the globe as being a nation which is in need of more energy. Oh, we had tons of untapped energy, but we tried to dress up "poor" and beg dictators to supplement our growing energy needs. In just over a month, those days will be over - hopefully for good. We are going to parlay our "liquid gold" (oil and gas) as well as new and exciting energy sources, to be the most energy dominant country in the world.

I remember reading an article about how a civilization can evolve upward to the next step. It has everything to do with energy. For example, right now we are at a "zero" level. To get to the next level, we would need the ability to use every ounce of energy which comes from the closest star (our sun). That means, we would harness every type of energy which is available to us. Oil, gas, coal, nuclear, solar, wind (maybe), tidal, geothermal, and so forth. Guess what? This is what Donald Trump wants to do. Harness every source of energy which makes sense for us to use. Have so much energy, we would be an energy exporter.

One thing Biden and his handlers could not wrap their minds around, is this - with energy comes progress. With energy, comes wealth. With energy, comes growth. With limited energy, comes what we have right now - societal malaise. Donald Trump is going to turn this around on Day One. Just wait...

Smart people know our future lies in leading the world in AI. Cold hard fact. What do we know about AI so far? Plenty, including this - to develop AI at the breakneck speed we need to, we need energy, and lots of it to run these AI data centers. So much energy, people much smarter than I are saying we need to develop "mini nukes", which will do nothing except power that data center. Guess what? We have the technology to build these nukes right now. We just need government and the "greenies" to get the heck out of the way.

But what about the climate Nazis? What will they say? Who cares, is my response. If they could get their heads out of their posteriors, they would know this immutable fact - our energy production is getting cleaner and more carbon free every year. As Donald Trump has told us, we are entering our "golden age". We are ready to live in a period of an "embarrassment of riches". All this, thanks to our abundant resource of energy.      

Drones, droids, whatever!

"Watch out for gaslighting, subterfuge, and out and out lies during the next month. Team Biden are like caged animals who will do anything to vanquish the winning team. Why can't they go quieting into the night? Good question. Maybe you can get a straight answer from the not so straight Biden Press Secretary. Just saying..."  

Drones, droids and planes, oh my! Our government is insistent in telling us to "pay no attention to those droids" - I mean drones. Or planes. Or UAPs. When truth is hiding, that is when the conspiracy theories come out in waves. The one I like is Project Blue Beam. Fake an alien invasion so the current government can do something nefarious. Wait - what! The Biden government? Doing something underhanded in the midst of all this confusion? Oh, yes - and it is happening right now.

Joe Biden, who is no longer running the place, has been relegated to be the puppet on a string for a committee of haters. They want Biden to take the remaining time of his term to "scorch the Earth" before Trump gets sworn in. Things like giving more money to Iran. Make it much harder for Trump to control or neuter Iran once he takes over. Why in the world would Biden give our tax money to our enemy? Because in the eyes of the lefties running our government, the real enemy is Donald Trump.

Are some of Biden's shenanigans making the news cycle? Not many, as everybody seems to be looking skyward these days. Like - what are those things? Some in the government told reporters they are only planes, coming in for a landing. Or they are privately owned drones, just sightseeing. Or are they from another country? Our government says NO. But if they ALL belong to citizens of this country, who are they? Meanwhile, the cabal running our country right now has convinced three lifetime appointed leftie judges, who were retiring - to unretire. Why? Make things harder for the enemy Trump.

My advice to the news reporters is to ignore the drones, droids or planes in our skies. Why? To quote an iconic Star Wars line - "These are not the droids you are looking for". Focus not on Trump's cabinet picks, focus not on the skies - focus on the treachery which is going on in Washington right now.

This churlish and childish behavior of Team Biden reminds me when G.W. Bush was getting ready to take the oath. Team Clinton was busy removing the "W" from all the typewriters, just to make it harder on the incoming team. Why? Team Clinton hated Bush for beating (by a whisker) ALGORE to be our next POTUS.

Watch out for gaslighting, subterfuge, and out and out lies during the next month. Team Biden are like caged animals who will do anything to vanquish the winning team. Why can't they go quietly into the night? Good question. Maybe you can get a straight answer from the not so straight Biden Press Secretary. Just saying...  

Broken Arrow?

"The federal government keeps telling the citizens not to worry - there is no national threat here. Okay, we will bite - then what are they? All of a sudden, there is silence on the line. Nil heard. Nada." 

By this time, most of us have heard them all. All what? All the theories as to what in the world is going on in the skies. I have heard they come from a "mother ship" from Iran, just off the East Coast. I have heard they come from China. Or Russia. Maybe from the Planet Zork. The federal government keeps telling the citizens not to worry - there is no national threat here. Okay, we will bite - then what are they? All of a sudden, there is silence on the line. Nil heard. Nada. 

But yesterday I heard a theory which was much different from the others. Plausible? Maybe. Because these drones seem to be following some kind of grid, maybe there is a purpose. Maybe there are our drones. Maybe they are NEST (Nuclear Emergency Support Team) drones, with NEST "sniffers" on board. Maybe they are up every night because we have a Broken Arrow. (Broken Arrow is the term used for missing nukes). 

Thinking about it, if this were true, the government for sure would want to keep this under wraps. The panic it would cause folks to know the government is looking for a lost nuke which might be in their neighborhoods, would be off the charts. Or, if they are not looking for nukes, maybe it is some other kind of WMD which they can "sniff out". In any event, it might be the reason for all this clandestine behavior by the federal government.

As a side note, on the news this morning there were interviewing some man who sees these drones most every night. He said the other night, he saw one which was huge - bigger than all the rest. When asked how big, he responded like this - "As big as a school bus". Wow! I sure would not want that flying over my house! 

Will there be an answer to this nightly puzzle or will this go on until Christmas. Or the New Year. In any event, it sure has sucked all the oxygen out of the news cycle. Drones, drones, drones - all we hear these days. The drones story even eclipsed the HUGE news of Navy beating Army yesterday - and that was HUGE NEWS! 

The waning days of Patsy Joe

"I, like most of us, have had it with this hapless old fool. He has done NOTHING good for this country. He has weakened us. Allowed wars to happen because of our weakness. The Chinese now have a larger Navy, the Russians have better hypersonic missiles, and the Iranians are on the cusp of having a nuke. Is it time for old Joe to go? Oh yes, it is - long past that time."  

Let's relive some recent history. Joe Biden was inaugurated in January of 2021. Right from the get-go, he opened our borders and shut down some of our fossil fuel industry. Cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline. Stopped the construction on the southern border wall. Stocked his cabinet with oddballs to look more a funny farm rather than skilled professionals.

But the real disaster in Biden's young administration happened on August 26, 2021. That is when the Afghanistan retreat happened. The Abby Gate disaster. That is when the world saw how feckless, weak and inept this new administration was.

From that fateful day forward, the world, as well as America, witnessed this old man, who would alternate between a whisper and a yell, slowly go downhill. And as Biden went downhill, so did the country. So did our military. Recruitment goals went unmet. Morale was low. Instead of teaching our warfighters how to kill people and break things, we taught them DEI and pronouns. It was a mess - a real hot mess.

On February 24, 2022, Russia lined up troops and tanks outside the border of Ukraine and then attacked. Was Biden able to talk Russia down from this audacious move? Nope. Putin just looked at Biden and snickered. After the Afghanistan debacle, Putin was emboldened. He knew that Biden was schooled in the Obama "lead from behind" strategy. All Putin needed to worry about was the Ukrainian people and their much smaller army. 

On October 7, 2023, Hamas violated a cease fire, came over the Israel border, and slaughtered over 1,000 innocent civilians. Thirty of those killed were Americans. Some were taken hostage. What did Joe Biden do? Nada. To date, we have had a handful of Americans still held hostage by Hamas. Donald Trump told Hamas if they were still being held hostage once he was sworn in, "all hell would break loose". Biden? He just took another nap. 

Now flash forward to January 28, 2023. As America foundered, the Chinese seized this opportunity to really test us. Brazenly, they flew a high-altitude spy balloon over our country. Did Biden send fighter jets up to immediately shoot this thing down? Did we tell the Chinese this was an act of war? Na - we just sat and watched it fly over most of the country. Then, once the damage was done - we shot it down. Big deal.

Now we have drones flying over multiple states. Does Biden know who they belong to? Maybe - but he is not saying. Once again, feckless Joe does NOTHING. Trump, on the other hand, said if he were POTUS, he would shoot them down. Maybe that is why whoever is controlling these things are doing it during the lull between administrations. Biden will do nothing, and Trump does not yet have the power to do anything.

Biden is doing something before he leaves. He is trying sell for pennies on the dollar, much of the steel Trump obtained to build the southern wall. Biden thinks he would screw Trump by doing this childish act. Wrong - he is only screwing the American taxpayer, as now Trump will have to procure more steel to replace the stuff Biden almost gave away. What an idiot!

I, like most of us, have had it with this hapless old fool. He has done NOTHING good for this country. He has weakened us. Allowed wars to happen because of our weakness. The Chinese now have a larger Navy, the Russians have better hypersonic missiles, and the Iranians are on the cusp of having a nuke. Is it time for old Joe to go? Oh yes, it is - long past that time.  

 

If or when disclosure comes

 

"All of this sounds good if the aliens are friendly. If they want to be trading partners, mentors, or whatever. But what if they are hostile? What if they are 1,000 years or more ahead of us in technology? What if they look at us as prey rather than friends? Where having us for dinner might mean something completely different than it does now?"

Some are thinking we are on the cusp of the long awaited "disclosure". I read an article not too long ago, where the author thought 2025 would be the year. It seems the later part of 2024, more and more UAPs and lights are being seen all over the globe. Is this the overture? Or just a coincidence? If we are close to meeting the real aliens (not the ones sneaking over our border), some questions have come to mind.

The old line from science fiction movies from long ago comes to mind. The alien gets out of his spaceship, comes across some Earthlings, and says, "Take me to you leader". Who would that be? Biden? Trump? The Pope? Putin? No - definitely not Putin! How about the head of the UN? Maybe not - the only question he might ask the alien is what his or her pronoun is. Or if the spaceship is "carbon neutral".

No, the best person to meet aliens for the first time to represent the human race might be Elon Musk. Why Elon? He probably thinks more like an alien than any of the rest of us. His eyes are on the stars, and how to get there as quickly as possible. And Elon would not be cowed by any alien. He would instead have a million or so questions.

All of this sounds good if the aliens are friendly. If they want to be trading partners, mentors, or whatever. But what if they are hostile? What if they are 1,000 years or more ahead of us in technology? What if they look at us as prey rather than friends? Where having us for dinner might mean something completely different than it does now? All we can do is hope they are friendly. If they are not, we are screwed.

Is the movie "Close Encounters" about to become reality? Putting the mysterious drones aside for a minute, the proliferation of UAP sightings should be a thing of concern. Or anticipation. Whatever it might be, my vote would still be for Elon Musk to be our ambassador. If anyone could communicate with the "others", Elon could. And he would probably sell them a Tesla during his first contact. 

 

The turning of the worm(s)

 

"Under Biden, his tent was only big enough for the circus - and the circus he had in his cabinet. Under Trump, the tent is big enough for anybody who wants to make this country great and greater still. I guess these are some of the byproducts you get once you stare down a sniper's bullet. Redemption. Forgiveness. And greatness."

Wait - what? What is going on here? Did we go to bed and wake up in an alternate universe? How could the most hated man in America (hated only by the socialists and RINOs), all of a sudden become the latest "thing". The man whom many of the big hitters on the left are now flocking down to Mar-a-Lago to visit and shmooze with. And what is up with the current First Lady? With her husband safely ensconced in the White House basement, Jill flew to France and sat by the incoming president. What was that look on her face? The look of "you know I voted for you, because I can't stand Kamala" look.

Oh my - the founder of Google was down visiting the Don this week. Looking for common ground moving forward. Offered to give Trump $1M towards the inauguration. Next week Bezos is going down to Florida to visit Donald Trump. Then Zuckerberg. All bearing gifts and offers of collaboration. Wait - were not these folks the ones who wanted to submarine Donald Trump? His arch enemies? It seems the worm(s) have started to turn. These captains of industry know where the winning team resides. And they know who can help them or hurt them.

Even Gretchen Whitmer has made it known she wants to work with the incoming President. WHAT? She hates Trump! Or should we say, she "hated" Trump. Now she knows that Trump might be more popular in Michigan than she is. And to fight Trump, might be her ticket out of office. So much for that cornerstone of the "Big Blue Wall".

And what in the world has happened to John Fetterman? Is this an aftereffect of his stroke? He is inches away from switching parties (the way he talks now a days) and could be a VERY important vote in getting Hegseth over the finish line. Even before the election, a change was in the air with Fetterman. What do we say about him? Come on over! This new tent is big enough for even you, Johnny!

Some think that DOGE is the thing which is drawing bees to honey these days. That this new initiative is something which is sorely needed. But let's go beyond that one new position in Trump's new cabinet. It is Donald Trump which is drawing the bees to honey. Donald Trump who has learned how to "blur the lines" in order to Make America Greater Again. 

Under Biden, his tent was only big enough for the circus - and the circus he had in his cabinet. Under Trump, the tent is big enough for anybody who wants to make this country great and greater still. I guess these are some of the byproducts you get once you stare down a sniper's bullet. Redemption. Forgiveness. And greatness.

  

Disclosure or distraction?

"I told my wife before we left for a Christmas gathering last night, I cannot remember a time in my life where our government has been more flummoxed. Dazed and confused. Or is this just an act? Does our government really know exactly what is going on, but for reasons which escape me, won't tell?" 

The mystery deepens. Yesterday, as the drones continue to make patsies out of our American government, a couple things of note happened. First, one congressman who serves on some important subcommittees came forward and revealed what is happening. And it is not good. His words - "A mothership from Iran, which was supplied to them by China, is off our coast right now, loaded with intelligence gathering drones. This is where the drones are coming from. I can't reveal my source, but I know this is accurate." As soon as the DOD got wind of this bit of data, they denied it - "Nope. Not happening. We still don't know what they are."

Then, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey called a meeting of the federal government, state and local government. A "let's get it solved meeting." The problem was this - nobody with answers showed up. Murphy did not show up, and this was his meeting. One state representative who drove two hours in the rain to attend this meeting, left the meeting after an hour. His words? The commute to get to and from this meeting, and the one hour he spent in in the meeting, was the biggest waste of five hours in his life. 

Not only do we not know a thing about these drones, but something else is happening in the background. The UAP (UFO) sightings worldwide have exploded. These "things" and lights are being seen all over the world, and they have really got people spooked. Is this the prelude to the long-anticipated disclosure? If so, are we ready for it? 

After the US Navy went through a partial disclosure after the close encounters some of the aviators had with the now famous "Tic Toc" crafts, this is what we were left with. "There is something out there, that are in our skies, but we have no clue as to what they are." Well, they are something. And they might be from the oceans, or the skies. They might be friendly aliens, or unfriendly aliens. Or, as some are suggesting, interdimensional time travelers. But whatever are behind these globes of light and/or craft - are not normal in our sense of the word norm.

Here are the questions I have. First - are the appearance of the nightly incursions of drones related to the proliferation of UAP sightings? Second - Why, between administrations, are these things appearing with amazing regularity? Why now? Third - Since drone technology is not new, why is it taking so long to determine who or what these things are? Why have we not shot one down? And please - no more bs about how we can't shoot one down as it might be an Amazon delivery.

I told my wife before we left for a Christmas gathering last night, I cannot remember a time in my life where our government has been more flummoxed. Dazed and confused. Or is this just an act? Does our government really know exactly what is going on, but for reasons which escape me, won't tell? 

No more secrets, no more games, no more intrigue. We need answers, and we need them now. Is all of this a distraction so we won't notice something else? Or is it the anticipated disclosure? In any event, many citizens are unsettled right now, at a time in the year when they should not be unsettled about anything.    

The mystery continues!

"What are they? Where do they come from? This is a mystery for sure. Meanwhile, there are folks in the Jersey area which have up to 30 drones, flying in formation, buzzing their homes each and every night. My solution? Wait until they are over a clear field and use a Stinger missile on them."

This is not a game anymore. Not that it was a game in the beginning. If you live in the New York City, or the New Jersey area and points south, getting "buzzed" by large drones (and many of them) at night is unsettling at best. But here is the thing which is even more unsettling - every time you complain to someone in local, state or federal government, they are as stumped about these things as the citizens are. Our government does not know if these drones belong to pranksters, truculent nations such as China, or even "out there" creatures, like the greys from Zeta Reticula.

As the saying goes, there is much more going on here than meets the eye. For example, Picatinny Arsenal. Seems to be one of the most favorite visiting places for these drones. A point of clarity about Picatinny - in my younger days, I did some work there. The company I worked for was trying to get under contract to build an indoor gun range. Not for 9mm target practice - rather "big guns", using new types of technologies. Very secret stuff. But today, I have no clue as to what is going on at the arsenal. Whatever it is, it is of no business of anybody who is not cleared to work there. 

Besides military areas, drones have been seen by power plants, water treatment areas, transportation hubs, and so forth. And most always at night. Lit up like Christmas trees. Here is the most commonly ask question - why can't we either shoot one down, or at least send up a copter to get closer to them? For some reason unbeknown to most of us, the government is just fine to be sitting on their hands and do nothing. And why is that? The plot thickens. But the attack of the drones continues, even last night. 

Some have suggested that it is Amazon, getting a "grid" ready for drone shipments. Others think it might be Google Maps, trying to get even more accurate sizing. I think both of those are weak at best. If they did belong to a big tech company, we would have known about it weeks ago. 

One sleuth who has been following these things, believes they are foreign in nature, and are being launched from a ship just off the coast. Their goal is to collect information. Kind of like the weather balloon which we were chicken to shoot down until it traversed the entire country.

What are they? Where do they come from? This is a mystery for sure. Meanwhile, there are folks in the Jersey area which have up to 30 drones, flying in formation, buzzing their homes each and every night. My solution? Wait until they are over a clear field and use a Stinger missile on them. Once we have one (or the wreckage of one) in our possession, this mystery will not be as mysterious.  

A case for a 51st state

"BTW - it is estimated there might be quite a bit of Rare Earth resources under Canada's portion of the Artic. Since China is playing games with us right now on how much of their Rare Earth materials they will sell us and for what price, having an alternate friendly source would really help."

Not to sound like a colonialist or expansionist, I am firmly in Donald Trump's camp when it comes to making Canada our 51st state. The only thing I disagree on is who would be the governor. Trump joked that Justin Trudeau might make a good governor. Sorry President Trump - Justin can go back to Cuba as far as I am concerned. He has run his course in Canada and most of the loyalists up north have had their fill of him. Other than that, I am all in on accepting Canada into our union. 

Some might ask, what in the world does Canada have to offer, other than miles and miles of nothing. To that I respond (to quote Bob Dylan), the times they are a changing. Since the Earth is in a warming period right now, much of the Artic which has been frozen and not accessible to most shipping, is now showing more open water. As such, China is showing more interest in those shipping lanes. But here is the rub - 25% of all the global Artic is owned by Canada. About 40% of Canada's landmass is Artic. And besides the strategic importance of having more northern waterways, there is a whole lot of rich minerals and energy resources under that ice.

We have some ties to the Artic by the fact Alaska is part of our union. Our allies in Europe also own some of the Artic. But to keep the Artic free and open from international bullies, Canada might have a hard time with its meager defense forces. To have the full force and fury of the United States protecting the northern front for Canada, it would help to be a part of us - that is US. Canada is rich in resources, and poor in leadership. And one more thing which is important to note - people in the United States and people in Canada are very hard to tell apart. Other than the somewhat odd way Canadians speak some words; we could be like twins.

From a selfish position, I will admit to this - I love Canada. I have served in an exchange program with some folks from the Canadian Forces while I was in the Navy. As a civilian, I have negotiated two separate contracts with the Canadian Navy. It is a beautiful country, loaded with scenery and resources. But it is a vulnerable country. Without the aegis of the United States, Canada would be low fruit on the tree for an invading country. What am I saying? Canada needs us and we need Canada. Could life be better for both countries if we became one? I think so - but that is only me talking right now.

BTW - it is estimated there might be quite a bit of Rare Earth resources under Canada's portion of the Artic. Since China is playing games with us right now on how much of their Rare Earth materials they will sell us and for what price, having an alternate friendly source would really help. Oh, and there is more of the "liquid gold" up there that President Trump keeps talking about. Just saying...

 

   

When the Bear comes a calling...

"Bottom line? NATO needs to fix and fund itself. Trump will have his hands full just fixing the mess that Biden has left him at the Pentagon. It is great the world has a new sheriff in town - we just need to make sure he has enough bullets in his guns." 

Donald Trump is at it again. Chiding NATO for not paying their agreed to dues. Dues? What dues? The agreed to (at a minimum), 2% of GDP on military expenditures. Some in NATO (like Poland), are way, way over the 2% threshold. Others, like Canada, are woefully short. Why is this important? Just look at Russia right now. Pounding the country of Ukraine into dust. And because Russia is running short on troops, the call for help went out to North Korea. Now we have NORKs fighting in Ukraine. Soon to be many more.

Ukraine would give their eyeteeth to be in NATO right now. It would sure be a different war. Maybe a world war. But they are not. Some of the other countries in NATO have stood up and taken notice. This could also happen to them. Having a strong deterrence is step one in keeping the big bad bear away. But the US (aka "Uncle Sugar") is not in the mood to fund the underfunded countries in the alliance. Not with Donald Trump as president. In fact, Trump is once again saying "pay up, or we might leave NATO". A bluff? I don't think so.

Sweden just joined NATO. They are under the 2% mandate. Finland who also recently joined - is fine. They are over the 2%. Until Russia gets a new government, who really wants to be on the side of civilization, we need to keep one eye on the bear each and every day. Would Putin like to go into Poland? In a heartbeat. He hates Poland, and Poland knows it. But they are ready for Russia - and will be more ready each and every day. Germany is the same way. France, not as much. They are just under the 2% requirement.

Many news feeds have reported on this. Recent intercepts from the CCP have revealed that China will be ready to invade Taiwan in 2027. That is right around the corner. Putin knows if and when that happens, the US will be all tied up in knots in the western Pacific. What a perfect time to make a play on NATO. With the reduction in our military thanks to Obama and Biden, there is no way the US can fight two wars at the same time. And Trump will not have enough time, even with a friendly Congress, to make up our military deficit by 2027. 

Why is the 2% so critical today? Because if push comes to shove with China, the Euro nations will need to stand in the gap ahead of Russia. That is just reality. But here is more reality. Keeping the nuclear genie in its bottle might be next to impossible should war break out between Russia and NATO. And if the nukes start flying around, it will be game over - for everybody. Putin may think a nuclear exchange is winnable for Russia, but it is not. 

Bottom line? NATO needs to fix and fund itself. Trump will have his hands full just fixing the mess that Biden has left him at the Pentagon. It is great the world has a new sheriff in town - we just need to make sure he has enough bullets in his guns.