Far from the madding crowd

"This very inhospitable venue of downtown is where the Border Patrol and ICE agents need to do their work. How they are treated by the populace is beyond embarrassment. It should be an embarrassment to both the mayors of the Twin Cities as well as the faux governor - but it is not. They act as agitators rather than ambassadors."

No, this is not a book report or analysis on the Thomas Hardy book titled Far from the Madding Crowd. This is a thought I had this morning during my morning musings. Again, about the dichotomy of this state in which we live.

First off, most folks I know of (not all, but the vast majority), can't live far enough away from the Twin Cities. Why? To some, or maybe many, the Twin Cities has developed a stench of anarchy and corruption. For a patriot or citizen to venture into downtown these days, it is truly a "stranger in a strange land" experience. Thus, people of my ilk try to stay "far from the madding crowd". 

On the other hand, there are some who are still attracted to the entropy and dysfunction of the downtown experience. Especially those who have a criminal or undocumented (or both) status. There, because of this weird and unlawful thing called "sanctuary", people who don't want to be found can blend in with the woodwork. Plus, with the very large percentage of latter-day hippies who also reside downtown, they can find allies in the struggle. It all works very well until it does not.

This very inhospitable venue of downtown is where the Border Patrol and ICE agents need to do their work. How they are treated by the populace is beyond embarrassment. It should be an embarrassment to both the mayors of the Twin Cities as well as the faux governor - but it is not. They act as agitators rather than ambassadors. They help paint a face on the Twin Cities as being a throwback to the wild, wild west rather than a showboat to the good life. Time and time again, pundits on national TV scratch their heads about this prairie outpost. Like, what in the world happened here? Cities once so vibrant and fun have become "no go zones".

I saw an interesting article on a business channel about how hard it has been for Target Corporation to slowly leave the Twin Cities. Why? This where Target was born. Where it grew up. Target loved the Twin Cities, and the Twin Cities loved Target. But in 2020, the Floyd crowd burned down a cornerstone Target store. The stores that were left have been invaded by organized thieves. It is with great regret that Target realized it cannot live here anymore. Why? The Twin Cities are no longer the Twin Cities of Mary Tyler Moore.

One pundit from a national news station said Minneapolis in particular will never be the same again. It is becoming hollowed out. Given over to the anarchists and latter-day hippie crowd. Some think it will burn again. Why? Who knows.

The exodus from the state continues. The exodus out of the Twin Cities is about over. Those who can leave - have left. Those who want to stay - will stay. Those who like to hide from the law - love the Twin Cities. It offers safe harbor. Enough said. 

Our rudderless ship

"This ship was rudderless in 2020 and remains rudderless today. Electing Amy as our next governor will ensure it stays rudderless well into the future. Welcome to modern day Minneapolis - or as some call it - 'Minnehopeless'."  

Where are we going? What are we doing? Is this our destiny? To hate each other to the point of death? Minneapolis, when you are looking for somebody to blame for all this mayhem, you need do no more than look at in the mirror. Why? Being a sanctuary city. A sanctuary state. Minnesota has become an immovable force because of that reason. But so is the federal government. The immigration laws which were passed by Congress and signed into law, does not recognize sanctuary anything. Thus, in Minnesota right now, specifically in Minneapolis, you have an unstoppable force hitting an unmovable force - head on.

There are two very important things which are missing right now in Minneapolis. Leadership, and more importantly - God. The leadership thing has been a bug-a-boo in Minnesota politics for a couple of decades now. We elect posers and not leaders. People who can be bought and sold. People who for political and PC reasons, turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to theft and graft. What happens when the leadership positions are vacant? Minneapolis, as well as Minnesota in general - become a rudderless ship.

But the absence of God in Minneapolis has been growing for a while now. Spiritual warfare has become the order of the day. Whenever I see pastors participating in the mayhem in Minneapolis, they miss an opportunity to teach an important biblical lesson. Peace. What we see within the riots right now is NOT peace. There is hatred on a grand scale. Love? Maybe - it might be hidden someplace.

Is Minneapolis salvageable? Maybe - with a complete reclama. How so? Clean out city government from the mayor downward. Get rid of the very odd and dysfunctional city council. Start over with people of good moral character. People who know how to lead. People that honor God. People who know how to work WITH (and not against) the federal government. Until that happens, expect more of the same.

On the news this weekend, some of the pundits are saying the only thing which is not turning these riots into Floyd type riots is the January cold. Let that sink in for a minute. The Floyd riots were over five years ago. Have we not learned anything in five years? No - we have not. We have re-elected the same people who broke the state five years ago. The same people who let it burn down. 

This ship was rudderless in 2020 and remains rudderless today. Electing Amy as our next governor will ensure it stays rudderless well into the future. Welcome to modern day Minneapolis - or as some call it - "Minnehopeless".  

  

Protecting the "fearfully and wonderfully made"

 

"I am hoping in my lifetime I can see the end to the scourge of abortion. Besides ending an innocent life, many times the aftermath for the woman who had the abortion is not smooth."

Yesterday was the 53rd annual Right to Life march in Washington, DC. It was cold outside, but not as cold as it was the day before in Minnesota, when we had our Right to Life march. So, why do this? Why be out in the cold just for some unborn babies? As Charlie Kirk had told young people many times over, "Get married and have babies." Oh yes - and go to church. 

But even more important than what Charlie said is what Scripture teaches us. We are "image bearers" of God Almighty. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made". Or - as the bumper sticker said from many years ago, "God don't make junk". No, God does not make junk. Each person, every person, is made in the image of the Almighty, and has VALUE. 

I am hoping in my lifetime I can see the end to the scourge of abortion. Besides ending an innocent life, many times the aftermath for the woman who had the abortion is not smooth. In fact, my wife and I have heard stories from women who had abortions when they were younger. Many of these stories were filled grief and regret. The joy of children were replaced with tears of regret and sadness.

It saddens me that this country cannot come together on the sanctity of life. It saddens me when I hear some Catholic women, who go to Mass every week, still believe that abortion is okay and a woman's choice. Kind of like going to the doctor and getting a tumor removed. But the vast majority of Catholic folks I know are staunch in their defense for the unborn. I wish that all Christians could be as strong in the defense of the unborn. Why? Abortion has never been as much of a legal issue as it is a moral one. Going to church, studying Scripture is a great way to understand just how moral this issue really is. 

To all who marched in the bitter cold the past few days - thank you. You are doing the work of the angels. If you know somebody who had an abortion years ago, be especially kind to that person. She might be harboring an inner pain that many of us cannot understand. 

   

Victory in Greenland! And not even a Pyrrhic one at that!

"Sometimes to get somebodies attention you need to apply the back of the hand instead of a constant hand up. Time to grow up Europe and put on the big boy pants. Try joining Trump's Board of Peace instead of always needed to be put in the time out room because of your constant whining."

I will admit it. I was lost and confused as to what was going on with Greenland. I knew Trump had a plan, and after Donald Trump has been on the scene as long as he has, I thought I could figure it out. I was dead wrong. His plan all along was not to own all of Greenland, but to control parts of it. Why? (And this was the part which escaped me) - the Golden Dome. Control just enough of Greenland, so we can build our Golden Dome, and have access to more of the treasure trove of Rare Earth minerals which are buried under all that ice. And as an added feature - keep Russia and China out of there.

One of the pundits on Fox was asked about the aftermath of this Greenland "dust up" with Europe. He chuckled and had the following statement - "Much of Europe is looking for something which can put out hair fire. Once again, Trump ran circles around everybody." Europe was so nervous that Trump was going to invade Greenland (and take it by force), they actually sent a dozen troops to Greenland to protect it from us. I know, I know - that was a knee slapper.

Any aftermath? Any long-term hurts which need to heal? Not really. Here are the facts. A hypersonic missile launched from Russia could hit Washington in less than a half hour from launch. That same missile would be over Greenland eleven minutes after launch. Having the Golden Dome in place, would really help the US and Canada in the event of a rogue launch. Having a stout missile defense based in Alaska and Greenland would protect our northern exposure. Truthfully? Europe should do something similar. For them, the enemy is truly at the gates.

And now Rare Earth minerals. We cannot be the world's leader in AI, the makers of the best weapons, and march forward into the next decade, unless we have an adequate supply of ALL Rare Earth metals. Greenland has them all. Easy to get to? Not a bit. Some are buried under hundreds of feet of ice. But we have the technology in how to get to them - without making a wreck out of the landscape. Not to take advantage of mining in Greenland and allowing China to take them over - would be a fool's errand.

Some of my friends on the left are concerned that Donald has treated Europe unfairly. "This is not how friends treat friends!". To that I say get over it. We saved Europe twice in two world wars and still supply 60% (or better) of their defense. Sometimes to get somebodies attention you need to apply the back of the hand instead of a constant hand up. Time to grow up Europe and put on the big boy pants. Try joining Trump's Board of Peace instead of always needed to be put in the time out room because of your constant whining. 

Minnesota's monolithic power

 

"Today, the Veep will be visiting this forlorn state. He will be briefed by the very few Republicans who remain here. Will the mutts try and demonstrate against the Veep? For sure. What will they be demonstrating about? Maybe it will be a cry for help. Maybe some of them know we are in deep, deep trouble. Or, maybe demonstrating and rioting is all they know how to do."     

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely - so spoke Lord Acton in 1887. Was Lord Acton just blowing bubbles, or did he speak truth? To look a bit deeper into this, one need only look at the mismanaged State of Minnesota. Minnesota, a young wannabe state who wants to be like even more corrupt larger states like California, New York and Illinois. To get there in a hurry, Minnesota decided the shortest distance to make this list of disreputable notables, was to keep one party in control for years and years and years. But which party? The most corrupt party would be the key. And that key is spelled D-F-L.

Amiee Bock was being interviewed from whatever confines she occupies right now. The interviewer asked if it was possible for this massive fraud to continue without the office of the Governor or the office of the AG knowing about it. (Her words) - "The office of the Governor as well as the office of the Attorney General would have had knowledge of the fraud." Period. No more needs to be said. The rats are now turning on each other. And what are we left with? Fraud of biblical proportions.

As if the spotlight was not bright enough shining on this once great state due to billions in Somali fraud, Minnesota's monolithic government also decided it would be cool (like the big guys) to become a sanctuary state. Thanks to Joe Biden, another member of the corrupt Democrat Party, our national borders were left wide open and millions of undocumented illegals flooded the zone. Many perched in the sanctuary city of Minneapolis. After the Floyd debacle, when every leftwing nut job thought this was a good place to burn down, Minneapolis has no trouble attracting a large and unruly band of rioters. Since the feckless local LEOs are under orders not to hand over illegals to ICE, ICE needs to go into the guts of the city and root them out. Then the mayhem really started. Now the national spotlight shining on Minnesota is as bright as the sun. And that is not good.

Here is the irony of this Little House on the Prairie state - as corrupt and widespread as the fraud is, as riot torn as the streets in the inner city are, we will continue to elect the same corrupt Democrats who landed us here in the first place. Rather than cleaning house and getting rid of every single one of them - the minions in the Twin Cities will keep electing more. Why? Has the cold frozen their brains and warped their common sense? Or are they just that stupid?

Today, the Veep will be visiting this forlorn state. He will be briefed by the very few Republicans who remain here. Will the mutts try and demonstrate against the Veep? For sure. What will they be demonstrating about? Maybe it will be a cry for help. Maybe some of them know we are in deep, deep trouble. Or, maybe demonstrating and rioting is all they know how to do.     

The irony of "ICE Out Friday"

"We will get beyond Friday. It will start to eventually warm up. All the 'working class heroes' who are out in the streets, throwing invectives at our LEOs, will either eventually give up or be in jail. The national news stations will tire of reporting on the mutts of Minnesota day after day after day. Will peace ever return to our shire? Who knows..." 

The clarion call has gone out from the loony left. Those who think ICE is an enemy rather than just a law enforcement agency of the federal government, wants the Twin Cities shut down this coming Friday. No work, no school, no shopping, no fun. However, here is the ironic twist to this story, and I will tell it early in the post. This coming Friday will be (potentially) the coldest day in a decade. As such, the "cold weather rule" might be in effect for all state schools. That will take care of the "no school" part of the Friday plan.

How about the "no shopping" part of the plan? As for my wife and myself, there is NO WAY we are setting one foot outside the house on Friday. With wind chills estimated to be - 40 F degrees or colder, I have already decided I will cuddle up to my fireplace a good part of that most frigid day. However, just so you don't think I have suited up and am playing for the other side, should the weather have been normal for this time of year, my wife and I would have been out and about, spending money on something.

Here is where I would draw the line. If I was still working, there is no way I would waste a day of vacation staying home. I would have put my big boy pants on (only if they had sherpa lining) and made it into the office. Probably would not have gone out to lunch, but I would have made it there and back on Friday.

Now for the tough love part of this post. What a bunch of crap this is! ICE, which has been personified to be something truculent and nasty, is really only a bunch of federal cops taking bad guys off the street. Are people really being terrified? Only if they have cause to be terrified. Is this racist to ask people to carry their ID with them when they are out of the house? If it is racist, then my dad was one. Why? He insisted (for safety reasons), that when I was out of the house, I had my wallet with me. A few bucks and most importantly - my ID. 

We will get beyond Friday. It will start to eventually warm up. All the "working class heroes" who are out in the streets, throwing invectives at our LEOs, will either eventually give up or be in jail. The national news stations will tire of reporting on the mutts of Minnesota day after day after day. Will peace ever return to our shire? Who knows... 

 

Toxic Minnesota

"Just a reminder to those who forgot why ICE is here right now. 1) ICE is a legal LEO organization, which has been around since 2003. 2) Minnesota, under DFL control, decided it would be smart to become a sanctuary state, and defy federal immigration law. 3) Biden/Harris illegally let in up to 20 million undocumented, unfettered illegals during their term in the WH. Mix all of that up, and what do you get? A toxic cocktail." 

I still listen to Bill O'Reilly. Have for years. Now he has a YouTube offering which I watch. Bill, being the dogged reporter he is, tries to follow the hottest news stories. As such, it should come to no surprise to anyone, that he is all over the Minnesota story. And he is not very kind to our NorthStar State. In fact (his words), Bill does not think Minnesota will ever be the same again. Just like we still wear the scars from the aftermath of the Floyd riots, the anti-ICE and fraud issues will run very deep withing this state. Like - maybe forever.

O'Reilly said not too long ago, he would vacation in Minnesota quite often. Up at Rainy Lake by the border. As much as he enjoyed it, he is done coming here. Too toxic. Can't say I blame him. He is probably not the only person who has been scared off by the nonsense which Minnesota seems to attract. Will anybody want to come here? Maybe more troublemakers. This is like a candy store for those who want to harm, disrupt or steal. We might become like the Devil's Island of the upper Midwest.

The AG of Minnesota, himself a Muslim, said yesterday he sees nothing wrong with people barnstorming churches in session. (His words) - "It is a free speech issue to go into any church and protest." See what I mean? This is an example of the current leadership in this failed state. And on Friday, many protesters want to have a "black out day". No work, no shopping, no school, no anything. Who will that hurt? Maybe just the innocent. Just like disrupting a church service also only hurts the innocents.

I can't wait until the Minnesota legislature gets back into session. It should be a melee. Will Minnesota be allowed to investigate its own fraud? I doubt it. It will have to be the US DOJ doing it. What will our local lawmakers do? Not much, except fight and bicker. The toxicity of this state has seeped into every nook and cranny. Even the state capital. ESPECIALLY, the governor's mansion.

Just a reminder to those who forgot why ICE is here right now. 1) ICE is a legal LEO organization, which has been around since 2003. 2) Minnesota, under DFL control, decided it would be smart to become a sanctuary state, and defy federal immigration law. 3) Biden/Harris illegally let in up to 20 million undocumented, unfettered illegals during their term in the WH. Mix all of that up, and what do you get? A toxic cocktail. 

For those responsible for this mayhem and a messy mess, congratulations. Mission accomplished. We have now been called toxic by somebody who at one time loved to vacation here. I think I finally figured out what the DFL stands for - D (emocrat) F (raud) and chaos that cause normal people to L (eave).   

ISO - our better angels

 

"The only thing saving Minneapolis from suffering through another conflagration like it did after the Floyd thing - is the weather. If it were July instead of January, things might be much different right now. And this week will be colder than last week. Could that be our saving grace? Could that bring on better angels to fix the leadership of Minneapolis? I guess we will have to wait and see."   

Minneapolis, Minnesota. The land which time has forgotten. For some reason, the latter-day hippies who live there, still think it is 2020 and George Floyd just died. But it is not 2020. It is time for the good little paid demonstrators and the other useful idiots to get back to work. In fact, it is time for many of them to go to church- not invade a church service like they did yesterday. The latter-day hippies as well as the Soros paid demonstrators might think they are on the side of the angels - but they are not. That being said, they really do need to summon their better angels and get themselves right.

Each day, every day, Minneapolis gets closer to the edge of darkness. And whose fault is that? In the eyes of the latter-day hippies as well as the Soros paid demonstrators, this all lands at the feet of Donald Trump. But for those of us who know better, who are not looking at Minneapolis through rose colored glasses, the fault lies squarely with the DFL. The DFL who gave Minneapolis sanctuary status. The DFL who gave us Tim Walz for governor. The DFL who gave us Jacob Frey for Mayor of Minneapolis. The DFL who gave us Keith Ellison for AG. The DFL who gave us the worst abortion bill in the country. The DFL who allowed the "newcomers" to rob us blind while the people in charge practiced benign neglect. The list could go on and on and on.

Here are the facts on the ground. ICE Agents are patriots, enforcing laws on the books which have been passed by Congress. Period. Not having Minneapolis protect and assist the ICE Agents against the lawless mobs is a crime against any humanity we might have left. Having the lawless mob go into a sanctified church and cuss, swear and disrupt while a service is going on, was just plain vile. But what do expect from the Twin Cities that many now refer to as Sodom and Gomorrah. And that is not a good thing.

Jacob Frey puffed out this chest and declared that if Trump authorizes the Insurrection Act and sends in 1,500 soldiers from Alaska, that he (Frey) will not be intimidated. Note to that little twerp from Virginia - this is not about you, Jacob. This is about restoring law and order. It is sad it has to come to this, but the local folks (like Frey and Walz) can't seem to find the right levers to pull to get their big boy pants on. Thus, it will be up to the feds to fix this mess of a state.

The only thing saving Minneapolis from suffering through another conflagration like it did after the Floyd thing - is the weather. If it were July instead of January, things might be much different right now. And this week will be colder than last week. Could that be our saving grace? Could that bring better angels to fix the leadership of Minneapolis? I guess we will have to wait and see.   

Time for the insurrection act to be called?

"There is some light humor going around on social media right now that much of the state of Minnesota is ready to become part of South Dakota. I'm game. In fact, I would also take Iowa or North Dakota. Not Wisconsin, because Tony Evers is nothing more than a skinny version of Tim Walz. What am I saying? Minnesota is too corrupt, to amateurish to govern itself."

As much as I hate to see our great military folks relegated to police work, I think it might be time for President Trump to enact the Insurrection Act of 1807. Wait - what? Has it been used since 1807? Many times. In fact, ABC reports that 1,500 paratroopers out of Alaska have been advised to get ready to deploy. They might be called upon at a moment's notice to come to Minnesota and try to restore law and order. It will be hard to do however, as both the governor and mayors of the Twin Cities are cheering for mayhem and lawlessness. Why? They are all Democrats and all hate Trump.

Living in this barren wasteland when the temps go below zero and the streets are full of misfits, once again gives me pause to wonder: Why in the world does anybody want to live here? We are a high tax state, where a large portion of those taxes are wasted, squandered, or stolen. We refuse to have voter ID, because the other side likes to cheat. Thus, we end up with a monolithic government, who refuses to reform itself. And now, because a federal law enforcement agency needs to come into town and enforce LEGAL law, our local government has decided this agency is the enemy. As our faux governor has said - "We are at war with the federal government." SMH... 

If I were king of the world, I would clean house in Minnesota. We are so full of crap and corruption right now, it is amazing we can ANYTHING done. The independent senate auditor has been quoted as saying the fraud is so deep and wide (which she has seen), it takes one's breath away (my paraphrase). Shall I put this in more basic terms? We are rotten to the core. Every tax dollar we send to the state of Minnesota is like throwing dollars in the fireplace and light the fire.

There is some light humor going around on social media right now that much of the state of Minnesota is ready to become part of South Dakota. I'm game. In fact, I would also take Iowa or North Dakota. Not Wisconsin, because Tony Evers is nothing more than a skinny version of Tim Walz. What am I saying? Minnesota is too corrupt, to amateurish to govern itself. The Republicans have offered up some very good candidates for state office, but the cabal in Cedar Riverside along with statewide graft has nixed each and every one of them. 

Here we are, stuck in this cold Omaha. Why don't more people leave? I hear this over and over again - "If only we did not have family and grandkids living here." That is my story also. Sad but true.  

What in the world has happened to Europe?

"Gone are the leaders and teachers for us like Lafayette, who helped shape our DOI. They have been replaced with socialists like Starmer, Macron, and Merz. Throw in Carney from Canada, and you end up with a clown car, instead of staunch allies."

There is an old adage - we can all serve as an example; it is just that some serve as a bad example. Europe, the fountainhead, the origin of many of our ancestors, no longer serves as a good example for us. On the contrary, Europe seems to be on the wrong side of many issues right now. It pains me to say this - it really does. I love Europe and its rich history. We have learned quite a bit from Europe, especially when we were a young country. But their greatness has dissolved and devolved. Their worldview has gone from brilliant to banality. In short, they have become more of a pain than a partner to us.

Here is the truth of the matter as I see it. We may be the largest and most powerful superpower in the world, but Russia and China are still in the race. Neither country is to be taken lightly. What about Europe? Where do they rank? If they were forced to tell the unvarnished truth, they constantly hide behind the aegis of the United States. Sure, they have some defenses. And they can say they are part of the European Union (big deal). AND - they can say much of Europe is a part of NATO. But without the backing of the United States, NATO is only a shell. Are they stronger than they were pre-Trump? Yes, but still are weaklings on the world stage.

Demark wants to maintain control over Greenland. They said they can defend Greenland if the bad guys come knocking on the door. Really? How so? To bolster their defense of the island, they bought another dogsled. Here is the truth - during World War II, Demark fell to Germany in just one day. What in the world could Demark do to China and Russia. Nothing. The island would also fall in one day. If, however, the United States had control over Greenland, that would not be the case. 

The United States need Greenland to protect the hemisphere. If Russia ever decided to pull a surprise nuclear attack on the US, most of the missiles would come over Greenland. Just like Alaska is our guardian to the northwest, we need Greenland to be our guardian to the northeast. Everything about having Greenland being a part of the US makes perfect sense.

Then why, oh why, would Europe be balking at it? Because Europe has become weak and feckless. They don't like the US under Trump. They liked it better when the US would lead from behind, be green, and operate like an ATM for the rest of the world. This MAGA thing that Trump ushered in, is none of that. Trump is making us stronger and more resolute. 

Europe has lost the battle with unfettered immigration. In other words, Europe is a mess. Just look at London (a city I love), and what immigration has done to it. They even have a Muslim mayor now. But who cares, some would say. Europe, the cradle of so much of the Christian religion over the last thousand years, still has lots of churches - all empty. As far as a role model, Europe has little to offer.

Gone are the leaders and teachers for us like Lafayette, who helped shape our DOI. They have been replaced with socialists like Starmer, Macron, and Merz. Throw in Carney from Canada, and you end up with a clown car, instead of staunch allies.

Where is Europe right now? Nowhere. They are dazed and confused as the world is passing them by. Like Democrats in this country, they can no longer lead - only obstruct. Sorry to see them go. They helped us when it counted. Now they are just a burden. 

 

Why are Minneapolis cops quitting and joining ICE?

"One final thing about rioters and agitators who put themselves in harm's way to keep ICE agents from doing their jobs. It is a fool's errand. People who do this, can be hurt or even killed. This is not a game. You are not acting on the side of angels when you obstruct. No ICE agent wants harm to come to you, but when you dance on the tip of the spear, that is what can happen. Be smart, stay at home, and let ICE do their law enforcement duty."  

Now that the Floyd riots are over, the dust has settled a down a bit. The remaining stalwarts who remain with the Minneapolis Police Department have settled into place. Well - sort of. With the PC Mayor and his police chief following his lead, it is not like the old days. Cops are not allowed to be cops if it means that they support ICE when ICE is doing its lawful job. Some of the Minneapolis cops might have thought this was BS and turned in their resignation papers. And more than half of them have joined ICE. Why? ICE still practices good old fashioned law enforcement. No PC frills attached, just good old fashioned law enforcement.

Some of the left (including our worthless media) are trying to paint ICE agents as mean and heartless, vigilantes. In reality, ICE agents are cops, LEOs if you would like, who work for the federal government instead of local government. In many cities, conducting ICE operations is more like just being a cop type of policework. Sanctuary cities (like Minneapolis) on the other hand, being an ICE agent is being a cop and then some. Then some? Putting up with revved up paid protesters who do the bidding of the mayor and governor. It is an awful thing to see any LEO get treated this way. But the ICE agents always soldier through the Minneapolis madness to get the job done.

Why can't more Minneapolis cops be allowed to act like cops and help protect and defend the ICE agents? Great question - anybody have any answers? Me? I think it is ironic and karma (if I can use that term) that more than half of the cops who have recently quite have joined ICE. Especially, after seeing day after day, what the ICE agents have to put up with. But these former Minneapolis cops who join ICE, do so with their eyes wide open. They have seen firsthand the total disregard for law enforcement that the ICE agents put up with.

There are unconfirmed reports that as many as 1,000 criminal aliens with rap sheets are being hidden away in Minneapolis jails. Why not hand them over to ICE like other cities do? That is a great question for Walz or Frey. Some who are being protected by the city, have done some pretty bad and dastardly things (allegedly). Why would the city want them? That is a head scratcher for sure.

One final thing about rioters and agitators who put themselves in harm's way to keep ICE agents from doing their jobs. It is a fool's errand. People who do this, can be hurt or even killed. This is not a game. You are not acting on the side of angels when you obstruct. No ICE agent wants harm to come to you, but when you dance on the tip of the spear, that is what can happen. Be smart, stay at home, and let ICE do their law enforcement duty.  

 

Minneapolis under siege?

"Here is the irony. We have failed leadership in this state which is almost 100% Democrat. They should be easy to beat and run out of town. But many will be re-elected. What? Why? How? Because the voters in this state are actually dumber than the people they elect. Hands down. And that my friends - is the real problem."   

One of my favorite sayings about the loony left is if not for double standards, they would have no standards at all. The local fish wrap newspaper, who is loaded with commies, socialists and lefties of all sorts, had an article about Minneapolis being under siege by ICE, and THIS MUST STOP! Really? For ICE needing to come into Minneapolis, go into businesses and neighborhoods, and track down bad guy (illegal) immigrants. Why can't ICE just pick these baddies up at the local jail like they did when Obama, Biden and GW Bush were president? Two reasons - sanctuary cities which let criminals run free, and (more importantly), Donald Trump is president.

All of a sudden, every Democrat in the nation wants ICE dissolved. Gone. They want us to leave every undocumented immigrant alone, no matter how heinous their crimes have been. In other words, to put this as simply as I can, the new national divide in this country is those who enforce our laws and those who break or back those who break our laws. For some odd reason, the Democrats, who have a propensity to come down on the wrong side of every issue, side with the law breakers. Whereas when up is down and down is up, the Republicans who side with the law enforcers - are the bad guys.

Do I think some are "under siege" right now in Minneapolis? Since the "leaders" of our state have a tough time telling the truth, allow me to step in to answer this vexing question. ICE is under siege. Any federal LEO is under siege. By whom you might ask? Every one-off, paid by Soros commie protester in the region. They throw urine on LEOs, they shine lasers in the faces of LEOs, they pound drums and all kinds of noise makers, they try to keep the LEOs awake at night by causing riotous conditions outside their hotels. Oh - and remember, the LEOs are the good guys. The folks with the warrants and authority to uphold our laws. The protesters are the bad guys. The ones who are obstructionists.

Don't look now, but Minnesota is the laughingstock of the country. Why? We elect buffoons and morons. When skilled adults are needed, Minnesota elect's interlopers from elsewhere and "leaders" who are the most unserious folks that you could find anywhere. Meanwhile, Minnesota is on the national news EVERY STINKING NIGHT to talk about our runaway fraud and the lawlessness in our streets. What is Minnesota right now? A joke which is not at all funny.

Here is the irony. We have failed leadership in this state which is almost 100% Democrat. They should be easy to beat and run out of town. But many will be re-elected. What? Why? How? Because the voters in this state are actually dumber than the people they elect. Hands down. And that my friends - is the real problem.   

   

It is claw back time!

 

"One word of caution to the easy Democrats who are running the show in Minnesota. If you cannot show the ability to stop this theft dead in its tracts, if you cannot show genuine outrage that it is happening, if you cannot show a desire to 'claw back' as much of the stolen dollars as possible, the fed might cut us off without a nickel."

One of the national pundits said as of late, "I don't understand why the taxpayers of Minnesota are not madder than hell right now." I am. Have been for quite a while. But here is the irony. It is not just Minnesota tax money which has been stolen - it is federal money which ALL have a stake in. Right now, every taxpayer who gives a hoot should have smoke and fire coming out of their eyes and ears. What has happened by the guilty in Minnesota is not just fraud - it is grand larceny.

Minnesota is going to court (again) to see if they can stop the feds from withholding $2B in Medicaid funding. Why in the world would the feds do that? Because the idiots who we have elected to safeguard our tax dollars have not yet fixed the problem. In fact, some might be in on the theft. As for me, I not only want the problem fixed for all time, I also want most of the stolen money "clawed back". Why not all of it? Because as they say, some of it is gone into the wind.

Our AG might not be dirty in all of this mess, but he sure puts on the appearance that he is. Same with the mayor of the Mill City. And his lawyer wife. If they are clean, then act like it. As the mayor, as the AG, even as the "knucklehead" who is our governor - ACT ENRAGED! Don't just sit back and blame Donald Trump for picking in Minnesota. (This is for you Tim) - Act like as the steward of our valuable tax dollars, you are highly pissed off the bank has been robbed! Otherwise, you act like an "inside man" instead of the cop protecting us.

One word of caution to the easy Democrats who are running the show in Minnesota. If you cannot show the ability to stop this theft dead in its tracts, if you cannot show genuine outrage that it is happening, if you cannot show a desire to "claw back" as much of the stolen dollars as possible, the fed might cut us off without a nickel. And you all can run to every liberal Nambi Pammy judge it town to sue to get the money from the fed, but you might only be whistling past the graveyard. It is just to dam bad that the voters in Minnesota are too STUPID to vote you out!

No wonder Walz chose that foreign flag for this state. If he is an American, he does not act like one. He acts more like a traitor than our treasurer. To quote the paid Democrat protesters - "SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU!"

 

 

Using ICE to hide fraud?

"By the way - this was brought up recently. When Barry Obama was president, he used ICE quite a bit to get rid of illegals. Who protested that? Nada. Nobody. Just thought I would bring up a bit of lefty hypocrisy to close this out." 

What is the best way to make bad guys look less bad? Substitute a new bad guy (or guys) who look even worse. All of a sudden, the narrative leaves the mammoth fraud issue in Minnesota and focuses on ICE trying to do their lawful duty (here). Anybody who is not seeing that right now, better have another cup of coffee. All of a sudden, it is just fine to rape and steal billions from the Minnesota taxpayers (illegally), but it is a crime against humanity to find and deport people (legally) who have come here (illegally). Head scratcher? Then you don't know the DFL.

How bad is it right now? Keith Ellison, himself a subject of interest in the fraud investigation, is suing the federal government (ICE in particular) for the "ICE surge" in Minnesota. Ellison states it is our right to house criminals in our sanctuary city. It is not the feds business that the illegals are breaking federal law. All of a sudden, the entire fraud issue has gone into the back pages of the paper. Somewhere between the obits and marketplace items. 

Not only have the "newcomers" and the elite in MN broken fraud laws, but the latter-day paid hippies who are out protesting and rioting are also breaking obstruction laws. The fact we had a woman killed the other day was all on the elites - the ones who insisted that MN be a sanctuary city. If Minneapolis had never been declared sanctuary, that woman would probably be drawing breath today. 

Truthfully, even though I have emotionally and mentally checked out of this state years ago, I am sick to death of hearing about it EVERY STINKING DAY on the news. If I still cared, I would say all this press about fraud and ICE is giving this very blue and icky state a bad name. This time of year, I am reminded about the old adage that Minneapolis is nothing more than a cold Omaha. 

At least I can take solace in knowing that every bit of fraud they uncover in this state is probably also happening in states which have a large and growing crop of "newcomers". Find the fraud and dig it out. As far as ICE is concerned, let it continue. By the way - this was brought up recently. When Barry Obama was president, he used ICE quite a bit to get rid of illegals. Who protested that? Nada. Nobody. Just thought I would bring up a bit of lefty hypocrisy to close this out. 

Sanctuary cities or states - a very, very bad idea

 

Meanwhile, civil unrest has become the norm of the day. Since the local politicians believe that Minneapolis and Minnesota are immune from federal law, all craziness is breaking out. 

It started in Berkely during the Viet Nam War. A safe haven for those who were dodging the draft. You could live there with impunity and never have to worry about the feds scooping you up and sending you (against your will) - to Viet Nam. That worked so well, that once the war was ended, Berkley decided it would remain a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants who did not want to be scooped up by the feds and sent home. And so, it goes.

Here is the basic problem with sanctuary cities or states. Especially when it comes to immigration issues. The immigration laws we have on the books right now are federal laws. Laws made in Congress, passed in Congress, and signed into law by the President. Meaning what? Meaning that with Article VI, Clause 2 of our Constitution (the Supremacy Clause), that whenever there is a conflict between a state law and a federal law, the federal law rules supreme. Period. It is etched in stone.

Thus, when mayors such as Jacob "small" Frey or governors such as Tim "tampon" Walz try to hide behind our state sanctuary laws or practices and not let ICE come in and do their lawful jobs, Minnesota is not on the side of the angels. In fact, far from it. BTW - just a reminder, we had a civilian killed by a cop before this. Justine Damond was shot and killed by a cop as she called for help. She was white and the cop was Somalian. Protests? Riots in the streets? Not a peep. Crickets.

In a perfect world, rather than one filled with faux outrage, there would be no sanctuary cities or states. They would be illegal. Local LEOs would cooperate with federal LEOs in the enforcement of law, including immigration law. I know, I know - the locals HATE our current president and have decided to tort the system. The irony is that Trump was also president when Justine Damond was killed and there was no aftermath. There must be some other reason for the silence of the minions.

Meanwhile, civil unrest has become the norm of the day. Since the local politicians believe that Minneapolis and Minnesota are immune from federal law, all craziness is breaking out. And now we have a death because of it. Until the good citizens of this state come to their senses and recognize the fact we have a Supremacy Clause in our governing document (Constitution), trouble will be the mainstay in this state. Who do I blame for all this mayhem? The same folks I blamed for the Floyd riots. Walz, Frey and the DFL.   

  

Escape from Iran, or - what is next?

"The world is changing folks. This is the big picture. What is happening in Minneapolis right now is just sound and fury, which signifies nothing. What is happening outside of our little bubble is the real story. The faux empires are starting to fall, and millions are demanding self-rule. The theocracies and dictatorships are being ushered out the door."

Oh, if only Bruce Laingen was alive today to see what is happening in Iran. Bruce, a Minnesota native, was the last head of our embassy in Tehran, Iran. When the revolution came to Iran in the late 1970's, Bruce was one of the group of hostages which was held for 444 days by the student revolutionaries. Thus, was born a new Iran. A country which adopted a sick and twisted theocracy and thus became one of the world's troublemakers.

Because I am an old timer, I remember those days. I was working in the defense industry when the revolution happened. The company I worked for had some Iranians in house training on the equipment we had sold them. When the revolution happened, those deals between the US and Iran vanished. As did the Iranians who were housed at the company. Why? They were now orphans of sort - men without a home to return to.

Iran is falling. Tehran is burning. This could be it. The end of this hellscape called the Islamic Republic of Iran. The people, who are not part of the Revolutionary Guard or other elements of the corrupt regime, are rioting in the streets. Some are being killed. Others don't care about the risk to life and limb - they want their country back. Maybe not back to the days of the Shah, but at least back some sort of self-rule. 

President Trump said if people were protesting in the streets, he would not allow them to be mowed down by gunfire. We would intervene. Not with boots on the ground, but nevertheless, intervene. Based on over 100 protesters killed so far, that time might be approaching.

Now that we have a semi-decapitated Venezuela, what are we going to do with a totally decapitated Iran? The UN? Please, don't make me laugh. How do we ensure a newly reborn Iran with a leadership vacuum, does not become another "Rosemay's Baby" due to evil interlopers? How do we help make sure Iran, like Iraq, now has free and fair elections? As many of us can remember, going into Iraq after the fall of Hussien, was like going into a den of vipers. Very dangerous, very deadly.

The world is changing folks. This is the big picture. What is happening in Minneapolis right now is just sound and fury, which signifies nothing. What is happening outside of our little bubble is the real story. The faux empires are starting to fall, and millions are demanding self-rule. The theocracies and dictatorships are being ushered out the door.

BTW one more thing. Keep one eye on Russia. They might be next. Many Russians have about had it with Putin's war. 

The oil train rolls on...

"With great energy comes great power. For nation(s) to be great, they need affordable and almost unlimited energy. We tried the green thing, and it did not work that way. The Golden Age of America is upon us. The best of it is yet to come."

Anybody watching the presser the president had yesterday with the oil chiefs had to be impressed. Why? There is a plan which is hatching, between the administration and the larger oil companies, which will turn the potential in Venezuela into a wonderful and enriching reality. Anything which has been done in the past in Venezuela, including the present, has barely touched the surface of what is underground there. This is going to be exciting to watch, to say the least.

Before I continue, a word of caution. This article is bound to excite many on the left. Like whom? The folks who are in stage four of TDS, who despises everything this president does or says. And the Greta type greenies, who think motor oil should be recast as "murder oil". They are the ones who will vomit all over this post.

Back to the presser. Trump took a pause in the questions to have all the participants introduce themselves, who they work for, and why they were at this meeting. It was like a who's who in the oil business. Some American, some from other countries. All willing to invest in this liquid gold mine in Venezuela. 

How will this work? That is the plan which is being hatched. How much money is involved? Trillions. Donald Trump has an idea on shared partnership and shared wealth. He wants everyone involved to have "skin in the game", and he wants everyone to partake in the riches. BUT - first and foremost, he wants Venezuela to taste its own riches. In other words, this is not a take and plunder plan - this is a get Venezuela back to wealth again plan. What is left over will take care of itself. Putting it another way, everybody walks away with money in their pockets, including the consumers, who should be paying less for gasoline.

With great energy comes great power. For nation(s) to be great, they need affordable and almost unlimited energy. We tried the green thing, and it did not work that way. The Golden Age of America is upon us. The best of it is yet to come.

As I told a friend yesterday who was lost in the minutia of what is happening in Minneapolis right now - "Big picture. Concentrate on the big picture". What happened yesterday in the White House was only part of the big picture. MAGA!

  

Oh, how the bad do fall

"The bad are going to fall, the good are coming back. The world is being re-shaped and remade. I have said before, Donald Trump may not be the man for all seasons, but he is the perfect man for this season. Now it is time to sit back and enjoy the ride."  

  

The world is going through a re-shaping right now. As much as I would like it give Donald Trump all the credit, some of the re-shaping started before he was sworn in for the second time. We have all seen what has happened in Venezuela recently. The bad guy Maduro is out, and the US is in - at least for a while. We will now get their oil back up and running and sell oil to non-sanctioned buyers all over the world. Venezuela wins, the free world wins, and we win.

Because we can walk and chew gum at the same time, we can continue to "fix" Venezuela and also work on other trouble spots at the same time. Cuba. It is time for the good people of Cuba to leave the 1950's and join the present and get ready for the future. It is time for the old icons of the Castro regime to leave. It is time for Cuba to have good and fair elections, and to have normal relations with the US again. It is time for the US and Cuba to trade together and visit each other. It is time for all expatriated Cubans to either move back home or at least visit there with impunity. 

Hear about Iran? The roof is really starting to fall in on the regime. Even though Iran is not in our hemisphere, we have a high degree of interest in what happens over there. Trump has warned the regime that if they start to murder citizens who are protesting for change, we might get involved. But the regime is on the precipice. No water in Theran, no future, no hope, and Israel and the United States ready to pounce once again. The people want better. They want more of the Shah and less of the Mullahs. They want peace. Time to put Iran back to the way it was in the early 1970's. We can be friends again. Iran can be less of a threat to Isreal.

Mexico and Canada. Is there any hope for their future? Getting drugs out of Mexico and socialism out of Canada? The best thing we can do for Canada is just to keep our hands off. Let them figure it out. Their form of socialism is a non-starter. And Carney is a joke. He is bad for Canada. Mexico - we can't keep our distance so long as the drug trade is as strong as it is down there. If Mexico cannot stop the cartels from moving their poison northward, we might have to.

Can't leave out Greenland. For those who think we will invade Greenland, please stop. That is in the land of never happen. Trump talks bluster and posture. He is getting ready to make the Danish and the good people of Greenland a wonderful deal. Trust me - there is a deal to be made, where everybody walks away happy. Our national security, NATO's security depends on it.

The bad are going to fall, the good are coming back. The world is being re-shaped and remade. I have said before, Donald Trump may not be the man for all seasons, but he is the perfect man for this season. Now it is time to sit back and enjoy the ride.  

  

Our real civil war

"Our balancing act of left and right in this country is now very much out of balance. Can we ever return to equilibrium? Maybe - but I don't know how. The statists in Minnesota's sanctuary enclaves think the President brings chaos with him. The federal government thinks that Minnesota's sanctuary status perpetuates fraud. And life goes on..." 

I have thought about this for some time now. As Rodney King once said, "Can't we all get along?" When the Democrats were in charge of the United States government, the war of the roses was between the authoritarian statists and the patriots. Both sides had a visceral distrust and dislike for each other. But today, the Democrats are no longer in charge of the federal government. Is everything hunky-dory again? Nope - now the socialists in the big blue cities have the same kind of visceral distrust and dislike for the Constitutionalists. In other words, the big blue cities against the federal government. As of right now, in 2026, this is our new civil war.

Growing up in these parts, I don't remember these civil wars popping up depending on who is in charge of what. Of course, there were the sixties and the anti-Viet Nam War protests. But those fizzled away once the war was over. Sure, there have been some one-off groups like WAMM and Code Pink over the years - but they have had no impact like the Weathermen and others had during the 1960's.

Today, we seem to have a horse of a different color. For some reason, certain Democrat Governors and Mayors have declared their states and/or cities to be sanctuary cities or states. What does that mean, sanctuary cities or states? It means if these governors or mayors don't like a federal policy, they can tell the feds to "stick it". That means, if people come here illegally, against United States laws, they can hide out in sanctuary cities or states. As such, these cities or states do not have to cooperate with federal officials. As an aside, I have often wondered if I decided not to pay federal income tax, if one of these sanctuary cities or states would harbor me from the IRS? Just a thought... 

Where do we go from here? Living in the bifurcated states of America? Right now, the division between the sanctuary cities and states and the rest of the country is absolute and stark. We the people, have become as different from each other as the east is from the west. And because of the fiefdoms which have developed in many of these contested areas, fraud has run rampant. Why? Few if any, adults in charge. Don't believe me? Check out Jacob Frey and Tim Walz. They may not be guilty, but they sure smell like they are.

Our balancing act of left and right in this country is now very much out of balance. Can we ever return to equilibrium? Maybe - but I don't know how. The statists in Minnesota's sanctuary enclaves think the President brings chaos with him. The federal government thinks that Minnesota's sanctuary status perpetuates fraud. And life goes on... 

 

Is fraud really as common as sunshine in Florida?

"What could we have done with $650B? For starters, we could have a Navy which matches China right now. Maybe bigger. Here is a better one. If this is what it is year after year, think of how much of our almost $40T national debt would not be there right now. The next time a Democrat tells you we are not taxed enough, tell that person to put a sock in it. With this much fraud, we are way, way overtaxed." 

What is the most alarming thing that Nick Shirley has found so far? Fraud is as common as sunshine in Florida. It is endemic. It is prolific. It is all over the place. Why? Government money, which nobody owns, is low fruit on the tree. Fraud is in, or can be in, federal money, state money, even local money. Everyplace where there are not the checks and balances, like the private p/l sector has, there is a very good chance you will find some degree of cheating. Of fraud. Of out and out stealing.

Think about that just for a minute. In Minnesota, where the fraud might hit as high as $9B, this might just be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the country. Minnesota is a small potatoes state. With a modest state budget, if we can lose $9B, what does that mean for much bigger and bluer states - like California? Has Gavin Newsom, just like Tim Walz, played fast and loose with monies which came into that state also?

None of what has been discovered by Nick Shirley and others has come as no surprise to Elon Musk. After his days at DOGE, he got a bit of a shock just by peaking under the tent for a short while. He KNOWS there is A LOT of fraud, waste and abuse in the federal government. So much so, he thinks 10% of the federal budget might be wasted or stolen. With a federal budget of $6.5T in 2025, and if 10% was lost or stolen, that would be $650B. Let that sink in for a minute.

I think rather than block grants doled out by the federal government, we need to change to a reimbursement upon valid receipt system. Kind of like private business does. The government has proven they are good at "throwing money at things", but now we are also finding out they are very poor at auditing where the money really goes. I think we should take some of those 85,000 new hire IRS agents which Biden foisted upon us, and sig them on the fraudsters. Wait - what? Have the IRS go after bad guys instead of normal citizens? Gasp! What a concept! 

What could we have done with $650B? For starters, we could have a Navy which matches China right now. Maybe bigger. Here is a better one. If this is what it is year after year, think of how much of our almost $40T national debt would not be there right now. The next time a Democrat tells you we are not taxed enough, tell that person to put a sock in it. With this much fraud, we are way, way overtaxed. 

If you don't mind me asking - how us your hemisphere?

"Why is all this important? The underlying reason for cleaning up our hemisphere is not to steal some other country's oil; it is to keep the Commie interlopers out of the neighborhood. The good news? Trump has three more years to make this right. That is - unless the Commie lovers in this country stop him."

If somebody asked that question to Donald Trump, he would probably answer it by saying it needs work. It seems from the top of Greenland and Canada to the bottom of South America; our hemisphere could use a tuneup. Wait - what is wrong with our hemisphere? Looks the same as it has for decades. Somewhat true, but false. Slow changes have happened which have made the Monroe Doctrine look almost obsolete. Many have not noticed, but Donald Trump sure has.

We have some warts and bruises which need tending to. The first wart (Maduro) has been taken out of Venezuela to stand trial in New York. Using some of his drug money, he has "lawyered up", getting some of the finest criminal attorneys money can buy. Now that he and his wife are out of the picture, our job is to help the good people of Venezuela help themselves. In other words, get their oil industry fixed, so the oil revenue can go to the people. This was the first domino to fall.

The next country that needs fixing, and is long, long overdue - is Cuba. It is almost criminal that this large Caribbean island is only 90 miles from us, and it is as if it is 9,000 miles away. The good people of Cuba deserve better - they don't deserve to be stuck in the 1960's, living under a dictator. Like Venezuela, this country needs to be liberated so they too, can enjoy the fruits of their labor. The Castros screwed this place up badly - maybe we can help to make it right.

Columbia. My wife and I have been there. Because I am nosey, I asked a tour guide about the drug trade of old that Columbia was noted for. "Those were bad days", he told me. "Most of that trade has gone to Central America and Mexico." Seems from what I have been hearing as of late, Columbia is suffering a bit of a relapse. Might be dabbling in the narco state stuff once again. If that is true, Columbia better take notice of Venezuela. Strange things can happen in the middle of the night.

Speaking of Mexico, how is it going down there? It seems Ms. Sheinbaum has not done much to clean up the drug trade. And the bottom line is this - we spend a lot of time and money playing the cat and mouse game on our southern border, looking for drugs and trafficked people. This is a big problem for Sheinbaum and consequently - a big problem for us. Is Mexico on Trump's radar? Oh, yes - bigly!

How about Greenland? Is that still in play? Depends on who you ask. The Danish say absolutely not! The Trump team say not so fast. In fact, somebody from the Kingdom of Denmark just said if the United States took Greenland by force, it would be the end of NATO. Probably not. And that is not the way we would gain entry to Greenland. Trump would make both Greenland and Denmark a deal they could not refuse. The "Art of the Deal" could make everybody happy with Uncle Sam as a partner in Greenland.

Why is all this important? The underlying reason for cleaning up our hemisphere is not to steal some other country's oil; it is to keep the Commie interlopers out of the neighborhood. The good news? Trump has three more years to make this right. That is - unless the Commie lovers in this country stop him. 

Do we have a tiger by the tail?

 

"Today, on Capitol Hill, will be some Q+A sessions with returning Congressmen and Senators. Everybody is anxious to know what the plan is. Stay tuned on this one - it should be the most interesting week (and month). In the meanwhile, hold tight to that tiger's tail." 

You have to hand it to those Commies. They take over a well-run, oil rich nation, and turn it into crap. Chavez and Maduro back-to-back really did a number on this once beautiful and wealthy nation. Now, to have peace once again in the shire, to practice the revived Monroe Doctrine, we have gone into Venezuela and removed the illegitimate puppet regime. As reported many times over, the operation to remove Maduro and wife went like clockwork. Total success. Now it is the morning after (so to speak), and we need to figure out what to do with this tiger by the tail.

Here is the good news. Venezuela has high grade oil and lots of it. Enough to allow each citizen to live the good life once again. Here is the bad news. All the equipment which we had installed in Venezuela years ago (before they became Commie), is in such disrepair, it might take ten years to bring it up to standards. Lots of time, lots of effort, lots of money. Will it be worth it? Sure will. But then a question begs to be asked. What is the ten-year plan until the oil infrastructure is restored? 

My biggest fear is that without enough oil revenue in the near term, they will fall back to exporting drugs. Or - another bad idea is that the US "adopts" Venezuela until the oil starts flowing again. That would not be a good look for us, plus the costs would be enormous. What would be ideal would be to find an alternate commodity which could help the people prosper and not be drugs. But how, with such a tattered-up government? The people in charge are Commies, and we need a good old strong dose of capitalism down there.

It is important that the new government in Venezuela be their own. By the same token, it is important that the new government look nothing like the one we just got rid of. My thinking is the unfortunate byproduct of this liberation is a strong influx of administrators, military boots on the ground, equipment and money. The fact we are breathing new life into the idled Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico could be a hint as to which direction we are heading. 

Today, on Capitol Hill, will be some Q+A sessions with returning Congressmen and Senators. Everybody is anxious to know what the plan is. Stay tuned on this one - it should be the most interesting week (and month). In the meanwhile, hold tight to that tiger's tail. 

Please don't be Iraq all over again!

"Here is the bottom line. Venezuela is still a narco-state. Getting rid of Maduro only fixed part of the problem. The bad guys running around the country are legion in number. Plus - foreign influencers from China, Iran, Russia, Cuba and the list goes on and on. For the past almost 30 years, Venezuela was be run by Hugo Chavez and Maduro - both thugs. Now to have a normal government, democratically elected is going to take courage and skill."

Who can forget our invasion of Iraq to relieve the good people of that country from a corrupt and murderous thug like Saddam Hussien? Our invasion to topple his regime went pretty well (NOT as good as last night in Venezuela!), but the aftermath was terrible! Nation building was not as easy as we once thought. Many young brave men and women gave up their lives trying to but this broken vase back together. Once it was over, many in our country said, NEVER AGAIN!

As flawless and textbook last night was, to extract the unelected dictator Maduro (and wife) from his fortified residence, was a masterpiece. However, Trump's presser on the specifics of the raid ended with a gasp from many who watched. Me included. First thing that came to mind was the famous George Santayana quote - "Those who forget the past (history), are condemned (doomed) to repeat it." The second thing which came to mind was the Colin Powell quote about our adventures in Iraq - "You break it, you own it." 

Here is the question in my mind which won't go away. Will Donald Trump be able to make this effort in Venezuela work without pain or death, or will this be a deja vu of Iraq? Our main lesson we learned from Iraq was as good as our military was in getting rid of bad guys, it was not that good at nation building. When the president states we have a team putting together a transition team to run the country, I was really craving to have more meat on the bones. Like what, who, why, and when? 

Here is the bottom line. Venezuela is still a narco-state. Getting rid of Maduro only fixed part of the problem. The bad guys running around the country are legion in number. Plus - foreign influencers from China, Iran, Russia, Cuba could still be there. The list goes on and on. For the past almost 30 years, Venezuela was be run by Hugo Chavez and Maduro - both thugs. Now to have a normal government, democratically elected, (and safe) - is going to take courage and skill. And how to do this without having thousands of American boots on the ground, will be the question de jour.

One of our relatives was over yesterday and asked a very good yet humorous question about what happens next. "Why can't the UN step in and take over?" By definition and charter, they should. But in reality, this bunch of globalists are more concerned about getting rid of Israel and what kind of cars we are driving. My response to this relative was this - it is only us who could have pulled this off. And now we are stuck with making it work. By hook or by crook, we need to make this work.