Our national sacrifice of paying for high gas prices

Here is the bottom line. We need to finish the job. Rather than blow the rest of Iran into kingdom come, Trump decided to allow simple economics to run its course. Even if Iran capitulates, it will take a long, long time for things to return to normal in Iran. For us? Normal will come in a few weeks or a couple of months.

Ever play a game of chicken when you were younger? The who is going to blink first game. Yes, I know. Many times, it was a foolish game in which somebody could have gotten hurt - maybe hurt bad. But that was then and this is now. We don't play chicken anymore - or do we?

Don't look now, but our war with Iran has turned into a global war of chicken. In other words, who is going to squeal first. Iran, who is about to lose their entire oil industry, or the western world (including us) who are getting smacked with Biden style high gas prices. All because Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and the US has led a blockade of Iranian ports. But here is the rub - Iran's wells are still pumping and the ability to store that oil is running short. When everything in Iran is filled up, the Iranian wells will stop pumping. And that could ruin them for future production.

BTW - Iran knows that. They know they are gambling with their future. Their hope is that the price of oil will blow past $120/barrel, and race towards $200/barrel. Then the west (particularly the Americans) will squeal like stuck pigs and demand that we stop this war and accept Iran's terms for peace. That would mean allowing Iran to continue on with their nuclear research. That would mean, maybe Iran gets a nuclear bomb sooner rather than later. That would mean, another North Korea type of nuclear power in the world. Not good.

Also, it goes without too much saying, that Iran's entire economy is on the robes. Not just in one metric, but in all of them. On the other hand, in America, the land of "first world" problems, many are starting to squeal like pigs over gas prices being in the $4/gal and up region. Even knowing that in a couple of weeks Iran might bend to the pressure of losing their oil production and give up their enriched uranium. But we are pansies. We are not like the sacrificial Americans from World War II. We want our low gas prices back to we can play with our jet skis and pull our RVs.

Here is the bottom line. We need to finish the job. Rather than blow the rest of Iran into kingdom come, Trump decided to allow simple economics to run its course. Even if Iran capitulates, it will take a long, long time for things to return to normal in Iran. For us? Normal will come in a few weeks or a couple of months. Then our gas prices will be back where we want them, and Iran will have ridded themselves of the menace of the IRGC. If we can just tough it out for a bit longer, it will be a happy ending for all.   

  

The Minneapolis flag

 

"It is amazing on how much Minneapolis has changed in the past two decades. It really went into hyper-change during the Floyd debacle. That is when lawlessness replaced the lawful as the new group norm. Their battle flag? The new blue goo flag, of course."

One of the Minneapolis minions wrote an editorial in the local fish wrap paper this morning. About the "clueless" rural types who are dragging this state into a "two flag" environment. This liberal was very huffy about this issue. (In his words) - "This is settled law, so get used to it!" Actually, it is not settled law, as I did not vote for it. My vote was nullified. Since I have been told at least 100,000 times that we now live in a democracy, I get to vote on every issue, every time. That is after all, what a democracy is.

Anyhow, enough about this squabbling about why we now have this Somali flag. I have a better idea. Since the out-state folks hate it, and the minions in Minneapolis love it, just make it the Minneapolis flag. The folks who live in Minneapolis have no time for the liberty loving patriots who live out-state, so they can just ignore us. Let us keep the former "racist" flag. I always have been fine with our former real flag, and the new one (called the blue goo flag) is good for only fish wrap (or worse).

I have said this before, flags are symbols. When I see our former flag, it reminds me of how Minnesota used to be before the minions in the Twin Cities drank the progressive and socialist Kool aide. When I look at the new blue goo flag, all I can see is the theft and graft the "newcomers" have visited upon our land - as well as Tim Walz and Jacob Frey who let them. Truthfully, this new flag makes me feel like I am going to wretch. As much as I love our national flag, is exactly how much I detest this blue goo flag which now flies over the city of Minneapolis.

It is amazing on how much Minneapolis has changed in the past two decades. It really went into hyper-change during the Floyd debacle. That is when lawlessness replaced the lawful as the new group norm. Their battle flag? The new blue goo flag, of course. Every time there is a riot in the streets of Minneapolis over the federal government trying (without a speck of help from the local LEOs), to get rid of lawbreakers, out come the rioters, hoisting their new blue goo battle flags. Makes me sick.

Some in Minneapolis are not satisfied with having a bifurcated state. Nope - not good enough. They want their own country. Wait - what? Yep - the country of Minneapolis. There Walz can rule as a dictator for years on end. And the rule of law in this new country? Nada. There will be none. Soon, no more businesses either. Just a bunch of lawless progressives. Ta-ta kiddos. Have fun in your new country!

   

Eye (on the) Robot

 

"Starting in July, it will either be I Robot (like the movie), or eye (on the) robot, as Optimus comes off the assembly line one after another. Wondering about the future? It is now here. Get ready to start seeing robots all over the place. As soon as I find out they can either make an omelette or clean toilets, I am buying one for the house!"  

Earlier this year, Tesla finished stripping down and repurposing two Tesla automobile assembly lines. In other words, the models of Tesla cars made on these lines will no longer be made. Instead, starting in July of this year, full production will start of the Optimus, Generation III robot. No more talking about it - no more second guessing - it will happen. This will be the "launch" year, and in 2027, it will be full out production, all year long.

Tesla and Elon have been betting the farm on many things as of late, and Optimus is only one of them. His goal always has been to make a humanoid robot with state-of-the-art mobility and dexterity, yet affordable. He wants them ready to go for companies who want cheap and reliable labor, as well as households who would like somebody (or something) who could help with inside and outside chores.

How much does Elon think robots will find a niche in America as well as other places in the world? Enough so that this year, he is planning on building 10,000 of them by the end of the year. But next year - hold on to your hats. Elon is planning on making 10,000,000 Optimus Gen III robots! And by the way, Telsa will not be the only company joining the fray next year. Boston Dynamics as well as some other American companies will be in the chase. Oh - and don't forget China. They are also in the hunt.

My question when I heard the 10,000,000 number for Optimus units in 2027, was simply this - is there enough demand? Or will there soon be a fire sale on robots as so many are stacked up in inventory. Actually, knowing how much technology has been incorporated into these robots, I am amazed you can buy one for under $50,000. They have batteries which will go for 12 hours, tons of AI, and hands which almost mimic the dexterity of human hands.

I think I might have told this story before. While at FMC, I worked in the technology group for a while. One project I was on was to build a robotic hand which imitated human dexterity. FMC was teamed up with General Atomics, a company in Utah and Stanford. The complexity of this hand which was under development was awe inspiring. That was back in the early 1990's. The fact we are now building the entire robot, is not surprising at all to me. 

Starting in July, it will either be I Robot (like the movie), or "eye (on the) robot", as Optimus comes off the assembly line one after another. Wondering about the future? It is now here. Get ready to start seeing robots all over the place. As soon as I find out they can either make an omelette or clean toilets, I am buying one for the house!  

Water from nowhere, needs to go everywhere

 

"It seems a shame that living on a water planet such as ours, we should still suffer droughts. We have the expertise, we have the resources, we have the will to fix this. But we are still living in yesterday." 

Don't look now, but slightly over half of the country is in some kind of water shortage. How could that happen? Welcome to the age where potable water is becoming more valuable than oil or gold. Wait - we have plenty of water here. Just look at the Great Lakes. Yes, we can look at the Great Lakes, who have enormous amounts of water remaining. But that water is finite. Just like the water in our great aquifers. Finite and going down. Between industry and personal use, we use a whole lot of water. Too much, actually.

But hold on - are we not considered to be the water planet? Sure, we are. But most of the water on this big, blue marble is non-potable. There are major metro cities in the desert southwest who are living in the brink. The Colorado River, which has been our lifeline to the desert southwest for just about forever - is dying. And as it dies, do does Lake Powell. So does Lake Meade. And there is no "plan B" - when the water runs out from Lake Meade, right now there is no other place for Las Vegas, Pheonix and Tucson to get water. And Lake Meade is just feet away from "dead pool".

But there is hope. Not right now, but in the near future if we chase it. For example, Israel who has arid and desert land has decided to try and do something good with their Negev Desert. In the desert, they drilled deep, very deep, until they hit some prehistoric water. Because it was so deep, the water was warm to hot due to its geothermal nature. It also was salty. Too warm and salty to be potable - too warm and salty to use on vegetation. But they did find out it was perfect for raising certain types of tropical fish. Thus, Israel is now raising and harvesting tropical fish to eat and to sell to Europe.

But we need water for our crops. We need water to drink. Our ground water is shrinking, and our rivers and streams are iffy at best these days. Currently, scientists at MIT have come up with screens and filters which even in very dry climates, can harvest some water just by using air. Not much - maybe a gallon a day for a small set up. But it is a start.

We also need to capture more rain runoff, rather than just let it go. We have the technology to capture it, and we should. It is fresh water, so it would not need to be desalinated like ocean water. And speaking of which, we are way behind the curve in getting more desalination plants built. We have thousands of miles of coastline in which to build them.

It seems a shame that living on a water planet such as ours, we should still suffer droughts. We have the expertise, we have the resources, we have the will to fix this. Rainfall is only one way to get needed moisture. But we need to stop living in yesterday. Rather than farmers using drip irrigation, we are still using massive sprinkling systems in the heat of the day. Not smart. We can do better. We need to do better. We are running out of time.  

And they teach our children...

 

"Remember this when you vote for your local school board. This is the genesis. It is where it all starts. We need to be careful of not only what is taught, but also who is being hired to teach it." 

As most all of us know by now, assassination attempt number three happened last night. And of all places, the WH correspondent dinner. And who was the perp this time? A 31-year-old teacher from California, who still lives at home. Was he a registered Democrat? That is what is being reported. And to make matters ever worse about this guy, he recently won a "teacher of the year" award in California.

Over the recent years, we have seen some simply awful examples of government schoolteachers teaching the wrong things. Setting the wrong example. In fact, what I have heard over and over again, is critical thinking is out the window. Education has been replaced with indoctrination. Many things which are aberrant or un-American are taught as fact. Kids graduate dazed and confused, as some have been taught it is right to hate on America. Then if or when they get to college, the indoctrination goes into hyper speed.

It is only by the grace of God and the acumen of law enforcement and Trump's security detail that this awful plan was thwarted. What could have been a bad, bad night, turned into just another close call. But already, some of the sharper minds are asking, "why". Like what would inspire a young man with a profession to hop on a plan, fly across country, check into the hotel where the WHCD was being held, and then attempt to kill. How about the rhetoric coming from elected representatives on Capitol Hill? Trump bad, Trump nazi, Trump this or that. After a while, some of the softer minds and gullible minions take that as truth. Kind of like brainwashing.

Have we set the bar at a new low with this president? Will the next president, regardless of party, be nothing but a sitting duck for some deranged person? Are we becoming like a Banana Republic, where if we don't like the outcome of an election, we just shoot the joint up? And why is it mostly Democrats who are the perps? I thought they were the anti-gun crowd.

Remember this when you vote for your local school board. This is the genesis. It is where it all starts. We need to be careful of not only what is taught, but also who is being hired to teach it. Many of our schools today are nothing more than cesspools. Kids get a social graduation, instead of an earned one. Bottom line? At many schools, the kids who graduate don't know a Dit from a DUH.

And most importantly, keep an eye on activist teachers. They may look harmless to many, but they are far from that. In fact, many are toxic to our youth. And that is our tax dollars at work.

  

What side of the storm are we on?

"Those in the faith, those who pray, continue to pray for peace. Regardless of what happens this year and beyond, we must first seek peace yet prepare for the coming wars and rumors of wars. The trumpets might be sounding soon. We must be ready. Spiritually ready."   

What side of the storm are we on? First off, let me define this storm to be world peace or world war. Currently, are we peace makers or war mongers? Basically, it depends on whom you ask. But we need to look much deeper for the answer to that question. Jesus is quoted as saying the following in Matthew 24:6 when asked when the end of the age will be - "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."

My gosh, does that not ring true for today? As much as Donald Trump has tried to broker peace throughout the world, even if it means having armed conflict in Iran, wars and rumors of wars still prevail. Many still wonder why we must we kill our fellow man over land or ideas. Why is that? Because we are carnal. We have all been born that way. Why are so many people shot to death in Chicago each weekend? Carnality. War, murder, torture, trafficking - these are all products of living in a broken world. And if Jesus said that the end of the age will be recognized by wars and rumors of wars - count on that to happen.

Which side of the storm will we be on? Is it worth chasing peace when in the final days wars and rumors of wars might just be a certainty? When I look to the west to see how close China and Taiwan are to engaging in a huge war, I cringe. If war does break out in the Indo-Pacific, it will be much, much bigger than what recently happened in Venezuela or currently in Iran. A war by (or over) Taiwan could involve, China, Japan, the PI, Australia, India and maybe the US and Russia. That could easily hit the trip wire into WW III. 

But if that did happen, and many analysts who study China think it could happen in 2027, what should our posture be? Peacemakers? Or are we going to be one of the superpowers who fight it out? This storm will be massive, and it could herald the beginning of the end of this age.

Those in the faith, those who pray, continue to pray for peace. Regardless of what happens this year and beyond, we must first seek peace, yet prepare for any coming wars and rumors of wars. The trumpets might be sounding soon. We must be ready. Spiritually ready.   

 

Bad Math

"Hopefully Pete Hegseth and his new Navy Secretary can get this thing going. We need ships and need them now. History is not going to wait for us. We need to restock our ammo supply and build more ships. And no more fuzzy math please! From now on, we need math which makes sense."   

Okay - it is time this morning to do some math. The United States, with the best Navy in the world, is slipping. Why? It needs ships and needs them fast. China is galloping way ahead of us right now in navy shipbuilding. Okay - many of their ships are crap, but numbers do count. What are we doing to catch up? Peddling as fast as we can. Currently, this once great shipbuilding country, can only produce five to ten ships a year - and that is both military and commercial. Sad!

Here is where the fuzzy math comes in. As I said, we can produce less than a dozen ships per year. Why? Two reasons really - first, we seem to have lost the recipe on how to build good ships fast. Second, due to outsourcing and globalization, we have given up much of our skills and facilities to build ships. But South Korea? Different story. That country is the king of shipbuilding these days. How so? They build 155 ships per year (military and commercial). Little South Korea, a country which is much smaller than the US, a country which is still technically at war with North Korea, leaves us in the dust when it comes to building good quality ships - and lots of them.

Why not have South Korea build ships for us? We have a fly in the ointment with that solution. For reasons which totally escape me, Congress has passed a law (10 USA 8679) which prohibits a foreign country from manufacturing Navy ships outside of CONUS. Huh? What sense does that make, when we can only manufacture five to ten a year? No sense whatsoever. Currently, we are working to have that law nullified or amended so South Korea can set up shop in this country, or have ships built in South Korea.

Meanwhile, the shipbuilding blitz continues on in China. Now here is the good news. There is actually a world power who is in deeper weeds than we are for building new ships. Russia. In fact, their Black Sea fleet has taken quite a beating from Ukraine during this needless Russian war. So much so, that ships which have been damaged or sunk are now almost irreplaceable. Why? Many were built during the Soviet era, when shipbuilding in Russia flourished. Now - not so much.

Hopefully Pete Hegseth and his new Navy Secretary can get this thing going. We need ships and need them now. History is not going to wait for us. We need to restock our ammo supply and build more ships. And no more fuzzy math please! From now on, we need math which makes sense.   

    

The stench of hate

 

"Welcome to our new world. The Untied States of America. The United has become the untied thanks to the enemies within. Those who like socialism, will love what is on our horizon. Those who hate socialism and communism better buckle up. The smooth part of the ride is about over."    

Have you heard about Senator Chris Murphy? He hates Donald Trump. How much? So much, he is cheering for Iran in the current war. By his speech, he is against the country he represents and is for the country of blood thirsty terrorists. Wait - Murphy took an oath, right? Sure did. But he does not care. His visceral and unfettered hatred towards Donald Trump and all Republicans is so deep and wide, he will throw his own country under the bus just to score political points. He is a piece of work.

How is it possible to have this much hate in your heart? Some of the things Democrats say are jaw dropping awful. I remember when Rush Limbaugh died years ago, he was so despised by the left, that many posted on Twitter, "Rest in piss Rush". Do any of these Democrats go to church? Have they ever learned about forgiveness? About compassion? Where at one time there was just a stench of hate in the air, now everything is vile and odoriferous. But that is what hatred does. It takes what was pure and good and turns it into decaying garbage.

Some on the left will say there is hatred on our side also. True, there is. But here is the difference - we hate what Democrats do to the country, and Democrats hate Republicans for who they are. For example, Alan Dershowitz just announced he was changing parties to become a Republican. This lifelong Democrat was for years, a darling of the left. But he could not take the anti-Israel posture the left has adopted. Now that he has switched parties, the hate will come pouring in. Rather than trying to fix what might have caused Dershowitz to switch parties, they will show hate to Dershowitz instead. 

This country will never heal until the secularists on the left learn how to soften their hearts. As the decay of hate continues to rot our country, all the good things will be eclipsed by the stench and specter of hatred. What does that mean for going forward? After the redistricting vote of Virginia which happened yesterday, it is almost looking like a slam dunk that the Democrats will retake the House. What does that mean for the country? Impeachment votes, log jams, nothing getting done. You know - we have all seen this movie before. 

Welcome to our new world. The Untied States of America. The United has become the untied thanks to the enemies within. Those who like socialism, will love what is on our horizon. Those who hate socialism and communism better buckle up. The smooth part of the ride is about over.    

The saga/mystery of our missing or dead scientists

"In any event, this issue seems to have legs right now, and the news cycle is not even close to giving up on it. It might be like the Nancy Guthrie case where it seems like it would never be solved. Or it could be a blockbuster. Whatever, this is a good one to stay tuned in on."

We have a real "who done it" on our hands. Some of our best and brightest scientists, many of whom have NASA or (dare I say it) UAP connections have gone missing or are dead. And because of those UAP connections, when this issue first came up, there was a lack of seriousness about it. Almost frivolity. But as time went on, the seriousness came back into the picture. Why? Because many of the eleven who are dead or missing were working on some real cutting-edge stuff. And now it has the attention of the FBI and President Trump himself.

This got my attention when I heard what one of the scientists was working on when she died or went missing. It was straight out of science fiction. She was working on something to manipulate gravity. I will bet that had Issac Newton turning over in his grave! I mean, how in the world can you manipulate gravity? That is one of those absolute laws of physics (so I was taught). Is this something other scientists are working on? If it is, that is a big WOW!

In all seriousness, if you want to dissuade some young folks from going into advanced research on the sciences, knowing that you could die or be disappeared would lead you to do something else with your life. However, to stay competitive and cutting edge, we need to have as many of our sharp young folks as possible be in the game. Doing research. Leading the pack. 

Some have speculated that since we started to bomb Iran and killed many of their nuclear scientists, this might be retribution by the same. If that is the case, I am sure Kash Patel and his FBI agents will get to the bottom of this. Knowing that under Joe Biden we had four years of unfettered entry by anyone and everyone from wherever, we could have some very bad apples in our mix. Like, sleeper cells from Iran. 

In any event, this issue seems to have legs right now, and the news cycle is not even close to giving up on it. It might be like the Nancy Guthrie case where it seems like it would never be solved. Or it could be a blockbuster. Whatever, this is a good one to stay tuned in on.

 

Buy American, be American, love America

"I thought one of Donald Trump's better ideas was to practice reciprocal tariffs. That would make so, so very much sense. Nobody gets ripped off. Fair and square. The way we have done trading in the past has not worked out well for us. Globalism. We save money but end up losing jobs and national security." 

So many things which plague our society today are really not that hard to fix. Many people have accused Donald Trump of searching for simple solutions to complex problems, but in reality, President Trump might practice Occam's Razor type of thinking. I get it. Years ago, this type of thinking used to be called the KISS method - Keep It Simple Stupid (or Silly).

Long before Donald Trump came on the scene, I thought MAGA type thoughts. I have bought American whenever I could. I support Americans making stuff for Americans - even though the differential in wages might make the product(s) cost more. I have loved this country ever since I can remember. Served it in the United States Navy for 21 years. I was proud to do it. 

Regardless of what SCOTUS has ruled, I am with the president on his tariff policy to balance out our imbalanced trade issue. Trump was right - we have been getting ripped off for years. It is sad to note that some of the countries which have ripped us off the most have been fellow NATO countries. Canada has been particularly bad at it. But neither Trudeau nor Carney have been fair traders with us. And Starmer from the UK? Please - don't get me started.

I thought one of Donald Trump's better ideas was to practice reciprocal tariffs. That would make so, so very much sense. Nobody gets ripped off. Fair and square. The way we have done trading in the past has not worked out well for us. Globalism. We save money but end up losing jobs and national security. No, Americans making stuff for America. Reciprocal tariffs. If a foreign country wants to make product in America - no tariffs of that product. Every American who loves this country should support these commonsense ideas. But many have not.

One other idea which (as an American) I really like. Denaturization. For people who come here from different places, get naturalized, and then do bad things. They should lose their citizenship and be deported. Be gone. Out of here. Living in this country is a privilege, not a right. It really is as simple as that.

  

How to skin a snake

 

"Here is the bottom line - Iran is a defeated country. They have no military, and no money. The play they are making right now is doing nothing but angering the US. As bad as we have whipped these guys already, we have more bullets left in our guns."

Those who have been around government for a while, and have not been drinking their bathwater, know all about Iran. They are snakes - not the people, but the IRGC goons who are running the joint. Not to be trusted needs to be repeated a hundred times or so in this post. Why do I say that? They lie like rugs - Persian rugs. This is why Donald Trump has chosen to keep the blockade of Iran going until they PTSOP (put this s**t on paper). It is fine and all that, that some of the "dealmakers" having their heads going north and south in agreement talks. But until those agreements are memorialized in legal documents, it is just all talk.

One of the things that Iran agreed to do was to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, NEVER to close it again. That empty promise lasted a day or two. Now it is closed again, and Europe is in a panic as they are running out of jet fuel. Why did Iran close the Strait? Because we still have the ports in Iran closed down. We could open them tomorrow, if Iran would sign an agreement listing all of our demands. Short of that, instead of taking two steps forward. we have taken one step backwards instead.

These guys in Iran really are snakes. Almost impossible to get nailed down. They talk out of both sides of their mouths and lie constantly. Here is a piece of unsolicited advice I would like to offer up to them. Donald Trump is not one to screw with. Nor is Rubo, Hegseth, or "Raising" Cain. If Iran keeps up with the FAFO, we will take out Kharg Island and do it before dinner. No regrets, no hesitation. Right now, the future of Iran going forward is in the hands of these snakes. The smart money would be to pay attention, and get the work done. Failure to do so will usher in some very, very bad days.

This entire episode has been interesting to watch. I am always fascinated to see where the chips are on the table in any confrontation. Here is the bottom line - Iran is a defeated country. They have no military, and no money. The play they are making right now is doing nothing but angering the US. As bad as we have whipped these guys already, we have more bullets left in our guns. Keep screwing around and they will see more shock and awe.

One of my political fantasies...

"Liberals will continue to trip through life, unhappy, uneducated, and sometimes, uncivilized. I remember years ago, somebody I worked with giving me this nugget - 'Conservatives are mostly happy, joyful and usually content, whereas liberals are most always unhappy and never content.'"

Sometimes I might have too much time on my hands. I have fantasies - political fantasies. One of my favorites goes as follows: Democrats have taken over the Congress and White House in 2028 (okay, now it is a nightmare). A very unpopular (with normal people) bill was passed and signed into law. Some liberal Karen came up to me and said, "See! It is our turn now! What do you think about that?" My response was simple - "I don't understand. I did not vote for that bill." The Karen then about blows a gasket, "You (blank), (blank) idiot! You could not vote for it as you are not in Congress!" My response was calm and measured. "Sure, I could vote for it. You have told me many times we live in a democracy. And in a democracy, everybody votes for everything." With that, the Karen screamed at me, pulled out some of her pink hair, and called me a flurry of unmentionable names. 

Why is that a fantasy? Why not money, trips, or anything else? Because this is Exhibit "A" on why this country is so divided. Even though most were educated in the same manner, using the same textbooks, for some reason, progressives think we live in a democracy. Not just a few of them - most all of them. When I remind folks on the left, we do not live in a democracy, but rather a federal constitutional republic, their eyes glaze over, and they either walk away or change the subject.

Once in a while, somebody will ask me to prove it. That in itself, is a weird question. We are federal, as we have a separation of powers between the federal government and the states. We are constitutional as we have a constitution which defines who has what powers and the limitations thereof. And we are a republic, as we elect people to vote on issues as they represent the folks who voted them into office. In other words, our form of government looks NOTHING like a democracy. 

Then I had this odd and disturbing thought - do we even teach civics in schools anymore? And if it is taught, is it taught by a Karen with pink hair who has his or her own opinion on how things should be instead of how they are? Every time I hear a younger person talk about our democracy, it is like nails on the chalkboard. I gave up trying to correct them years ago, as it was like pouring water into a pail full of holes. I think of that old saying - "Stupid is as stupid does." Or that old Ron White adage - "You can't cure stupid."

Liberals will continue to trip through life, unhappy, uneducated, and sometimes, uncivilized. I remember years ago, somebody I worked with giving me this nugget - "Conservatives are mostly happy, joyful and usually content, whereas liberals are most always unhappy and never content." My impression over the years, is that statement is more truth than fiction. If some unhappy liberal would like to take umbrage with what I just penned, the floor is yours. 

  

   

Is Europe playing with fire?

"We can only hope and pray that cooler heads prevail in Russia. This war was a huge mistake as Russia underestimated the tenacity and ingenuity of the Ukrainian people. But they did, and this war is going nowhere. But so long as Russia has nukes and the will to use them, the world is in danger. How much danger? Ten thousand times worse than an asteroid."  

I know, I know. Right now, it is all eyes on Iran. But what about the Ukraine War? Some think that war was so yesterday. And by the way, this war over the country of Ukraine, which was supposed to only take a few weeks with very few casualties, has turned out to be anything but. For some reason, that few can understand, Putin has decided to "pour good money after bad" by throwing everything possible at the war in order to pull out some kind of victory. But Putin does have his limits. He has said so much in the past. He has vowed not to use his nuclear weapons - unless Russia is losing the war.

Some countries in Europe have decided to poke the bear. In other words, they are supplying some state-of-the-art weaponry to Ukraine which is tilting the war even more in Ukraine's favor. Rather than just calling it a day and withdrawing his troops out of Ukraine, Putin is still sacrificing tens of thousands of young men into this meat grinder in eastern Ukraine. Now Europe is supplying weapons which can strike deep into Russia - so deep, they can take out Russia's air defenses.

Even though Russia is getting "their butts handed to them" by staunch Ukrainian fighters, we all need to remember one immutable fact. There is no country in the world which has more nukes than Russia. Here is the problem - Putin knows if he stops the war and withdraws, he is cooked. The powers that be in Russia will "disappear him". But if he keeps on going, he further degrades his once powerful army. Right now, this is an unwinnable war for Russia. Will Putin lash out with tactical nukes in Ukraine, and maybe some more powerful nukes towards offending countries in Europe? We all hope not. What about us? Could we be a target also?

I have zero concern over the war in Iran. It will turn out fine for us as well as the innocent folks who live under this brutal theocracy. But this war over Ukraine could still be the match which lights the world on fire. Putin is like a cornered animal right now, and this cornered animal has teeth and fangs. One nuke, going off anywhere in the Euro zone, changes everything. 

We can only hope and pray that cooler heads prevail in Russia. This war was a huge mistake as Russia underestimated the tenacity and ingenuity of the Ukrainian people. But they did, and this war is going nowhere. But so long as Russia has nukes and the will to use them, the world is in danger. How much danger? Ten thousand times worse than an asteroid.  

A better solution about Iran

"A better solution for Iran? Only one in my book - they can unconditionally surrender. Short of that, I like what the president is doing. If you have something better, I am all ears."

Okay. That was a teaser for this article. I have no better solution for fixing Iran. But neither does anyone else. Am I wrong on that? Please, if I am wrong, enlighten me. Tell me what the better solution is for Iran. Where Iran would no longer enrich uranium to make nuclear weapons. Where Iran would no longer try and destroy Israel. Where Iran would no longer recruit and fund proxies in the Middle East and surrounding area.

Under Barack Obama, John Kerry, and Joe Biden, we did nothing about Iran - other than signed a JCPOA and send them pallets full of cash. The motto from Mr. "Lead from Behind" Obama, was simply this - ignore the problem and it will go away. Well, it did not. Biden thought maybe we should double down on that faux agreement and send them more money. Same result. Nada for peace, glory for Iran's proxy wars.

We have let Iran box us around the ears for decades now. It was now or never to keep them from getting the bomb. Israel could not do it by themselves, but the team of USA and Israel could. So, we did it. Now the lefties are calling this "Trump's War". Us poor Americans (who are not getting bombed like Israel and the Arab countries are) are suffering from temporarily higher gas prices. Wah, Wah, Wah - cry me a river! We are so spoiled sometimes, it is embarrassing.

Our military, who has been called on to do a very tough assignment, has once again shown its true colors. And those colors are excellence. Even though up to 40,000 innocent Iranians have been slaughtered in the streets of Iran by their own government, help is on the way. Israel and the US are doing whatever they can to rid Iran from this bloodthirsty and brutal regime. All without killing innocent Iranians. But the regime has also shown its true colors. When Trump threatened to attack Iran's power stations, the regime made women and children act as human shields around each plant. That is a war crime. A page taken from Hamas during the Gaza war.

This Iran war will come to an end. Iran is just about finished militarily. They only have hidden missiles and drones left to use. The other day Pete Hegseth was asked by a reporter about the status of the Iranian Navy. Hegseth quipped, "We decided to share the Persian Gulf with the Iranian Navy. They get the bottom half, and we get the top half." Great response Pete! And very true!

A better solution for Iran? Only one in my book - they can unconditionally surrender. Short of that, I like what the president is doing. If you have something better, I am all ears.

    

Unsettled land; unsettled issues

"What is my point this morning? To fix our land, to fix our culture, to settle the unsettled, we first need to fix ourselves. We do all of us, have a moral compass. We know right from wrong. We must listen to our better angels and ignore the dark voices. We know how to be a better people. We know how to live better. Godlier." 

Good morning. Today I am reporting from the dystopian state of Minnesota. But wait - Minnesota is not the only dystopian state I could be in right now. But while doing some deep think, this one haunting thought kept coming to mind. We are an unsettled people, living in unsettled land, having many unsettled issues. We have gone from being tribal and insular to united in purpose, and now back to tribal and insular once again. Why? As the old saying goes, that is the $64,000 question.

In our church right now, we are in a study about the enemy behind the enemy. What does that mean? Spiritual warfare. Plain and simple. The unseen, yet real force who tempts good people to do evil things. And when the Father of Lies shows us lies, he will shine those lies up so they look like truth. And if we don't have our spiritual bearing down pat, we will fall for those lies just about every time.

Yesterday, it was announced that Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales would resign from Congress. Both accused of conduct unbecoming. I have always thought that Swalwell was a bit slimy, and maybe strayed way beyond where he should have, but Tony Gonzales is a different story to me. Why? Representative Gonzales came out of the same group that I did. 

Let me explain. Tony Gonzales is (was) a very high achiever. He served in the United States Navy for 20 years, as a CTI (Cryptologic Technician Interpretive). First off, that is a very tough rate to do well in. Very difficult. But Tony Gonzales not only did well, but he also went all the way up the ranks to retire as CRICM - the highest you can go in the enlisted world. Just a whisper that he was acting unbecoming while in the Navy, and his career would have been over. In other words, Tony looked rock solid to me. A great choice to serve Texas in the Congress. But then Tony fell and fell hard.

What is my point this morning? To fix our land, to fix our culture, to settle the unsettled, we first need to fix ourselves. We do all of us, have a moral compass. We know right from wrong. We must listen to our better angels and ignore the dark voices. We know how to be a better people. We know how to live better. Godlier. 

Or - we can continue to spin out of control. Satisfy our carnal urges. Hate on each other. If we can't turn this around, America may make its 250th, but not a chance to make 300. Ben Franklin said we have a republic if we can keep it. Maybe we can't. Maybe we no longer deserve it.

 

Playing the odds with NASA

 

Will this be Elon to the rescue? Maybe - if it is, we should be getting used to it. Elon Musk is a national treasure and should be used as such. He can see what others don't see. And he can innovate where others dare not tread. Now that the cat is really out of the bag about the heat shield on Artemis, it will be all eyes on NASA. Time to fix this issue NASA - we don't need another national tragedy.   

Last week, the long (and I mean long) awaited re-entry of Artemis II safely splashed down off the coast of San Diego. Okay - I used the word "safely". Maybe not the correct word to use. Wait - this is NASA. The most cautious and careful organization in the world. That is, up until the Artemis II flight. Few know this right now, but it will become more well known in the near future. The decision was made to launch Artemis II, even though it had a sketchy heat shield. But why then, take the chance? China. We have to beat China to the Moon. Even though we already landed there fifty years ago.

When the uncrewed Artemis I came back to Earth in late 2022, we saw there was a huge problem. The heat shield had deep cracks and some chunks missing. It was by a wing and a prayer that Artemis I did not burn up on re-entry. The brainy ones at NASA set out to fix this near catastrophic event by doing some fixes on the heat shield before Artemis II launched. One minor problem - the fixes did not work well. For the second time in the Artemis program, we sent a mission towards Mars by a wing and a prayer. Only this time, it had four humans on board.

Why is this different from the re-entries we have had since Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and numerous space shuttle missions? They all had heat shields. Did we lose the recipe? Is it that Artemis is coming in so much faster (Mach 30+)? Whatever the reason, we better button this thing up before Artemis III. The fact we got Artemis II back safely, might have been more providence than luck or good planning.

Elon Musk and his SpaceX team have also been working on the heat shield issue. Elon might have a better solution than the lemon we have used in the first two Artemis flights. Instead of using some super ablative, Musk is experimenting with using a specially manufactured metal heat shield. Will it be better than what Artemis is currently using? It sure can't be much worse. 

As a citizen, as a fan of space exploration, I want NASA to succeed. This heat shield issue should be the last of our worries instead of the first of our concerns. Putting the heat shield aside, I was hoping that NASA could be focusing on better shielding of the capsule was when it leaves low Earth orbit, it is bombarded with harsh solar radiation. That problem needs to be fixed long before we attempt a flight to Mars or lengthy visits to the Moon's surface.

Will this be Elon to the rescue? Maybe - if it is, we should be getting used to it. Elon Musk is a national treasure and should be used as such. He can see what others don't see. And he can innovate where others dare not tread. Now that the cat is really out of the bag about the heat shield on Artemis, it will be all eyes on NASA. Time to fix this issue NASA - we don't need another national tragedy.   

Why so many hate this flag

 

"This flag was just one of the bitter items which came out of the cauldron of evil during the legislative session of 2023. That is the final thing I think of when I see this flag. It is endemic of what happened during that most evil and vile session."

Why is it, so many normal people detest this new Minnesota flag? I am one of them. Now to set the record straight, I love our national flag. I have been a fan of the stars and bars since I was a kid. As a sailor, I had it stitched on the shoulder of my working jacket. As a homeowner, I had it flying from our flagpole for years. I still have it proudly displayed on my truck. Why do I love our national flag? Because of what it stands for. Why do I hate this new state flag? Because of what it stands for.

First off, nobody asked me if I wanted a new flag. A bunch of PC minded legislatures thought our real state flag was racist. Huh? I never once thought that. So, without the voter's consent, this new rag called a flag was imposed upon us. But the thing which really sticks in my craw, is it looks like another nation's flag. The other nation whose people have been robbing us blind. When I look at that flag (and I try not to), that is all I can see. Fraud, graft and theft.

The next thing I see when I look at this new flag, is Tim Walz. I am reminded of the man who allowed half of Minneapolis to burn down in the summer of 2020. I am reminded of his wife who wanted her windows down, so she could enjoy the smell of a burning city. I am reminded of the goofball who for some reason, was selected to be Kamala's Veep choice. And how he (and the state he represented) soon became the laughingstock of the nation. And I am reminded of how Tim Walz, called "tampon Timmy" by many in the national media, became the poster child Minnesota fraud. Walz and his "learing center", became one in the same. 

Many of the Republicans running to be the next governor have vowed to replace this rage with our real state flag. Get rid of this faux flag for once and for all. Many of the cities and towns in outstate Minnesota refuse to fly this fake flag. Seems it does not represent their values. Good on them. 

This flag was just one of the bitter items which came out of the cauldron of evil during the legislative session of 2023. That is the final thing I think of when I see this flag. It is endemic of what happened during that most evil and vile session. On the other hand, once the real flag is restored to us, maybe we should keep this faux flag locked away in a drawer someplace. Why? So, we can remember just want the Democrats did to us during the session of evil in 2023. 

Living in the land of make believe

 

"What has happened to us? Where is our national concern for what is right? We have gone from e pluribus unum to being bifurcated and tribal. Visceral hatred has replaced love and compassion. Wrong has replace right. Godlessness has replaced Godly."

I have said this many times before. As much as I miss my folks and my wife's folks, I am very glad they are not with us right now, to see what a mockery we have made of the country they loved and help build. The word I keep hearing to describe many of our current lawmakers, is "unserious". As are the people who elected these lawmakers. Fits things to a tee. Do I think that things will get better? Back to normal? Or is this our new normal?

Our President, Donald Trump, is hated by the left. Has been for years, will be until he is no longer with us. He is fighting to free Iran from its brutal theocracy. Trying to keep Iran from trying to destroy the land of God's chosen people (read you Bible it you don't believe me). Iran is trying to not only build nuclear missiles, which could poison many lands if used, but also control world commerce by controlling an INTERNATIONAL passage called the Strait of Hormuz. For trying to right this wrong, Donald Trump is vilified.

In this country right now, we honor law breakers. Sometimes lionize them. And the victims of those lawbreakers? Tough toenails. Never used to be this way. The national concern was with the victims of any crime. Not today - it is politics over compassion. After Joe Biden let in millions of unvetted illegal aliens, the federal government is now trying to get them out of the country. Why? Law breakers. And yet, the left honors them. Lionizes them. The law enforcement agencies who are trying to follow the law? They are despised. Hated. Not too many years ago, it would have been just the opposite.

The City of Minneapolis is considering opening up gay bathhouses once again for recreational sex. Wait - what? Is that not how the AIDS epidemic got started in the 1980's? Why would we do such a foolish thing? Because for those who are paying attention, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have become modern day sin cities - like Sodom and Gomorrah. This issue just typifies what has happened to these once beautiful cities. Once a source of great pride for this state. Now they are sewers.

What has happened to us? Where is our national concern for what is right? We have gone from e pluribus unum to being bifurcated and tribal. Visceral hatred has replaced love and compassion. Wrong has replace right. Godlessness has replaced Godly. Is this just us having it too good for too long, or is it something else? Like spiritual warfare? For those in the faith, spiritual warfare is the answer which keep popping up. The remedy? Prayer, and lots of it.      

Spaced Out

 

I suppose if the Chinese beat us and try to claim the Moon as theirs, we could pull out our trump card. Sorry China - we have been on the Moon since July of 1969, and the Moon is ours. BTW China - you are now trespassing. Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it~ 

Color me shocked. I was certainly not a believer in NASA and their Artemis II Moon fly-by. SpaceX on the other hand, I am all in for. Why? The tales of success are long and impressive with Elon Musk's rocket company. The tales of success for NASA recently? Not good. However, this new guy running the joint, Jared Isaacman, is a real go-getter. A former astronaut himself, he knows his way around the block (so to speak). As far as reaching the Moon for a landing (again), beating the Chinese is the be all, end all. Second place is no good. 

Tonight, the Good Lord willing, Artemis II will splash down right off the coast of San Diego. Hopefully, all four of the astronauts pop out of that capsule hale and hearty. How good has this mission been so far? Way beyond expectations. The pics which have been taken and transmitted back to Earth have been jaw dropping good. More to come once they land.

Has Artemis II pushed SpaceX out of the space race? Knocked them out of the Moon landing? Not a chance. Elon still wants to put a base on the Moon. Knowing how Elon works - he will. But Elon (as most know), is the champion of walking and chewing gum at the same time. His gaze is still fixed on Mars, but the Moon might come first. Plus - Elon's Tesla Giga-plant is about to get a whole lot bigger. Not to worry - Elon can do it all. He has in the past, and he will in the future.

In any event, I have confidence in young Mr. Isaacson. Due to his pedigree, many of the astronauts feel very comfortable with him. But, as the old saying goes, success breeds success. After safe landing, and if it is very close to the bullseye, we can chalk this one up as a win. Now it is on to the bigger and better Artemis III. This one will be for all the marbles - a crewed landing on the Moon. We want to land this thing on a stretch of land we have not been to before - the South Pole area. But what if China gets to the Moon before we do? Then things will get interesting.

I suppose if the Chinese beat us and try to claim the Moon as theirs, we could pull out our trump card. Sorry China - we have been on the Moon since July of 1969, and the Moon is ours. BTW China - you are now trespassing. Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it~ 

Tyrant, TACO, or Trumpeter?

"Tyrant, TACO or trumpeter? I would pick trumpeter every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Why? Trumpeter means someone who praises or advocates. Nobody praises or advocates for America like Donald Trump does." 

What a week for our POTUS! He has been called just about every name in the book by the left. In fact, in one day, the day of the cease fire, Donald Trump went from unhinged tyrant to a TACO in about fifteen minutes. How so? A while back I penned an article about what could have happened in an alternate reality. Where Donald Trump did nothing about Iran. And then, when the next president took the oath, and he was confronted with a nuclear Iran with long range ballistic missiles. Everybody blamed Donald Trump for not taking care if Iran when he was president. And so, it goes.

The folks on the left (including 90% of our so-called media) that refer to Donald Trump a "TACO" puzzle me. For those who don't know, "TACO" stands for "Trump always chickens out". Guess what? He doesn't. His strong preference is for peace through some kind of deal. But when dealing with zealots in Iran, sometimes Trump needs to use stronger language to get their attention. Sometimes hyperbolic language. 

If the two-week hiatus for a cease fire fails in any way, then this "TACO" will act anything but chicken. He will not leave our troops in harm's way much longer. In other words, all hell will rain down on the IRGC, and it will not be pretty. Trump will protect the citizens of Iran as much as possible, but this blood thirsty regime has to go! And we need to get our hands on their uranium. 

The metrics of this conflict have stayed pretty much the same. Destroy their military and their missiles, get their uranium, and "unclog the drain" in the Strait. Why is it our business to do so? Trust me, Donald Trump would have loved it if the Arab states and NATO had done it instead. But they did not, and every day, Iran was inching closed to having a viable nuclear tipped missile. And it Iran did launch a nuclear missile towards Israel, Europe, or even Diego Garca - just like that we would be in World War III.

Meanwhile, back home, did you know that we have between 10 and 15 trillion dollars of new infrastructure building going on right now? That is all thanks to Donald Trump. THIS is the kind of stuff he would rather be focusing on right now - not another Middle Eastern war. But it is what it is. Iran is a constant threat which needs to be dealt with. Iran has been an issue for 47 years, so it is up to POTUS 47 to end it. 

Tyrant, TACO or trumpeter? I would pick trumpeter every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Why? Trumpeter means someone who praises or advocates. Nobody praises or advocates for America like Donald Trump does. As far as the left goes, especially those dying from stage four TDS, they should open up their eyes. We have a once in a generation president, and he is doing some very good things for America, and the world. 

A two-week nothing burger

"By the way, our enemy within (the Democrats), are so upset that Trump is winning this war, they want him impeached or removed from office via Article 25. Huh? The Democrats don't like Trump's 'tone'. Or his threats (which are just hyperbole). And they sure don't like Trump committing war crimes (which he has not done - only Iran has committed war crimes to date). Sometimes I really do wonder if the Democrats are really sleeper cells instead of Americans. Just wondering..."

Well - it happened again. Just when it looked like the team of Israel and the US were going to finish the job in Iran, something stopped it. This time it was Pakistan. They think the pump is now primed to get a meaningful cease fire in the hostilities. Really? What has changed? Iran promises to reopen the Strait if the US and Israel stop bombing them. Plus, during this two-week hiatus, "peace talks", between the warring factions, will continue.

By the way, this morning the missiles continue to fly out of Iran. This morning, the targets were friendly Gulf States. And Israel's war with Hezbollah continues in Lebanon. I guess that will be a subject for another day. 

Where this really gets interesting is looking at the growing list of demands that Iran has to stop the war. Somebody should whisper in their ears that they are losing and losing badly. Therefore, their demands are meaningless. Nevertheless, one of the demands (I love this one), is for Iran to control the Strait, and have the authority to charge $2M per ship to transit. That $2M will be split with Oman. I guess somebody close to Iran needs to remind them that the Strait has been determined to be an international passageway and is controlled by nobody. But who cares about the facts? 

Iran also wants to retain the ability to enrich uranium for "peaceful" purposes. That one was enough to clog my BS filter. Also, neither the US nor Israel will EVER agree to that one. Iran also want reparations from the US from the bombing damage. Is Iran going to pay for the damages they caused to Israel and the Gulf States? No? I didn't think so.

What will be settled during this two-week break in the action? If anything, more than 2% of the disagreements are agreed to, you could color me shocked and amazed. But I think even that 2% might be a stretch. Until Iran hands over its uranium to the United States, until the IRGC gives up control of Iran and agrees to free and fair elections, until the Strait is fully open and free, the war will continue.

By the way, our enemy within (the Democrats), are so upset that Trump is winning this war, they want him impeached or removed from office via Article 25. Huh? The Democrats don't like Trump's "tone". Or his threats (which are just hyperbole). And they sure don't like Trump committing war crimes (which he has not done - only Iran has committed war crimes to date). Sometimes I really do wonder if the Democrats are really sleeper cells instead of Americans. Just wondering...

 

 

It is "D Day" - (again)

"What will happen tonight in Iran? I shudder to think. War is a terrible business, and tonight it might get a whole lot worse. Could this spin out of control so much it would result in a world war? Maybe. Biblical? Also, maybe. Stay tuned and buckle up - the worst of this conflict might be just ahead."

Today is the 6th time that Donald Trump has given Iran the "open the f*****g Strait, or else" message. Odds are it will not happen. And if this is the time, that Trump makes good on his threat, "D Day", which could stand for "Destroy Day", could happen this evening. According to President Trump, he will take out every bridge and ever power plant in Iran. And, according to the baddies who are now in control of Iran, if we do that, Iran will hit us where it hurts. Israel's power plants and United States interests in Saudi and the UAE.

I will agree with President Trump on this issue - the "leaders" in Iran right now are bat poop crazy. They will sacrifice a good part of the infrastructure in Iran in lieu of getting rid of their enriched uranium, missiles, and having legal and normal elections. The Strait of Hormuz is yet another issue. That SHOULD be a thorn in the side for most of the civilized world. But somehow, keeping the Strait open falls on our plate. Why? I have no idea.

This war with Iran reminds me a bit of Israel's war on Gaza (Hamas). Because Hamas would not cooperate or capitulate, each day, every day, the IDF ground more and more of Gaza into dust. Today, Gaza looks like a no-man's land. Nothing like a livable city. And guess what? Hamas is still around. Reduced for sure, but still here. I can see the IRGC acting the same way. They will hide in their bunkers as the United States and Israel lays waste to their country. And for what? Like I said - this people are bat poop crazy.

Having the Strait of Hormuz corked up by Iran should set off a five-alarm fire with the nations who depend on a free and open Strait to get their goods on time. The tepid response that most of the world has had on this issue puzzles and perplexes me. Also, this has not made much news but is still important. It will take many months, maybe years, to repair the damage to oil and gas facilities that Iran has caused with their missiles and drones. Because of that, the price of gas (worldwide) could remain high for quite a while. 

BTW - has there been any kind of uproar over the 30,000 to 45,000 innocent civilians who have been murdered in the streets of Iran by their own government? It has been very silent. Crickets. I don't even know if the Pope mentioned it in his Easter address. Those thousands of innocent Iranians have become like the thousands of innocent Christians murdered and martyred in Nigeria. If nobody talks about it, maybe the awfulness of each travesty will just go away.

What will happen tonight in Iran? I shudder to think. War is a terrible business, and tonight it might get a whole lot worse. Could this spin out of control so much it would result in a world war? Maybe. Biblical? Also, maybe. Stay tuned and buckle up - the worst of this conflict might be just ahead.

 

Our new and true friends going forward

"That is it. The world is changing, and America is growing stronger all the time. As such, we need strong and loyal friends. We have them - Poland in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. We are happy to share the Golden Age of America with loyal friends. Those who are not loyal will not get to take part in our Golden Age - they will only get the tarnish." 

Is NATO dead? Or just of life support? For many in this country right now, we are feeling like a jilted lover. NATO, whose bacon we have saved more than once, has been treating us like a former mother-in-law whom they hate. Why is that? Because Donald Trump has called some of the NATO countries out on their nonsense? Their non-payments or short payments of NATO dues? Or is it the Muslim thing? That out-of-control immigration has led to huge Muslim populations in Europe. Whatever it is, our friends from yesteryear might not be our friends tomorrow. They certainly are not our friends today.

Our best friend right now in Europe, a part of NATO, is Poland. They are strong, they have paid their dues, and they stand ready to kick Russia in the groin whenever needed. They are like the NATO of yesterday. Rough and tough, anything but Namby-Pamby's like much of NATO is today. President Trump and former President Duda forged a strong friendship which is still present today. If push ever came to shove in Europe, and if Poland asked for help, we would come running. Besides all of which, we share four bases in Poland with Polish forces. It is a marriage made in Heaven (so to speak).

What about the rest of NATO? The UK? Canada? France? Germany? Spain? The Nordic countries? As far as common defense is concerned, those good old days are over. Today, for common defense, much of NATO is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Either NATO needs to find their big boy pants once again, or it might just be time to part ways. Do we hate those weak sisters of NATO? No - but we don't love them like we used to. Their lack of support in this Iranian war was telling and shameful. That will not be forgotten.

The Western Pacific is a different story. I wish we could have ten more countries just like Japan to have our back. This new Prime Minister of Japan (Sanae Takaishi) is a force to be reckoned with. She has zero fear of either Russia or China and has proudly put her growing and fearsome military in harm's way. This island nation whom we fought so hard almost 90 years ago, is now a staunch ally. We have other close friends in the Pacific arena, but none right now as close as Japan. 

That is it. The world is changing, and America is growing stronger all the time. As such, we need strong and loyal friends. We have them - Poland in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. We are happy to share the Golden Age of America with loyal friends. Those who are not loyal will not get to take part in our Golden Age - they will only get the tarnish.