Operation: New York City

"It is now time to sit back and enjoy the show. Joe Biden continues to make gaffe after gaffe on the campaign trail. Many think that Biden will not even make it to the convention. And then what? Stay tuned. This summer could get very, very interesting." 

This is so Donald Trump. Tie him up in an ice-cold court room in Lower Manhattan, huh. Well guess what? Donald Trump is going to try and make lemonade out of these lemons. For the first time in just about forever, Donald Trump is going to campaign in the Bronx. He is going to have a monster size rally there tonight. Why? In his words (with some paraphrase), "I was born in New York. I have spent most of my life in in New York. It is time to turn this once fine city red again".

What makes Donald Trump think he has a snowball's chance of making a dent in this sky-blue Democrat monolith called New York? Joe Biden is the answer. Biden has this city so turned upside down with runaway crime, inflation, illegal immigration, and so forth - the good people of Gotham are sick to death of this garbage. They want their city back! They want their state back! They want their country back.

This morning on the news, they were talking to one native New Yorker about how he feels about Doanld Trump coming to his town and having a rally. He was pretty darn excited. Plus, he was also pretty darn upset. Why? This court case. This Democrat judge may not know it, but he and Alvin Bragg have really lionized Donald Trump. The ordinary people are looking at how he is being treated and it makes their blood boil. This is not right. This is America, and we are supposed to have a fair standard of justice. 

This will be interesting to see how this rally turns out tonight. If in fact they have thousands of fans as well as people just wanting to learn more about what and how Donald Trump can fix things. Even if Donald Trump is not successful in winning New York, he very well could make a huge dent in this monolith. So big that in 2028, the Republican candidate will turn New York red. But the longest journey always starts with the first step. And that is what Donald Trump will do tonight. Take that first step.

It is now time to sit back and enjoy the show. Joe Biden continues to make gaffe after gaffe on the campaign trail. Many think that Biden will not even make it to the convention. And then what? Stay tuned. This summer could get very, very interesting. 

     

Less strategic reserve; more student loan forgiveness

"A hundred years from now, ... historians will be reading about the period of 2020 to 2024 in total disbelief. How could America, a first world country, the best nation on Earth, elect two dolts like Joe and Kamala to run (ruin) this country? HOW? But we did, and now we need to hire our builder and fixer once again to Make America Great Again."  

The world's greatest panderer in chief is at it again. Nobody in the history of time, is better at the "art of the pander" than Joe Biden is. Donald Trump may have written the book, "The Art of the Deal", but Biden could also write a similar book on pandering. What brings this up this morning? Let's investigate...

Fresh off the campaign trail of groveling at the commencement address at Morehouse College (the one where he told black graduates they have "no chance in modern day America"), Uncle Joe is at it again. After being told by the Supreme Court in no uncertain terms that forgiving student loans is not within his purview or authority, Biden gave the court his middle finger and did it again. This time for just under ten billion dollars of loan forgiveness. Again, who pays?  We do - via our ever-increasing national debt.

Yesterday, before the big rains came, I was out doing errands. I was shocked to see the price at the pump go from $3.08 up to $3.44 in just a day or two. What is our panderer going to do to help bring these prices back down before the busy summer schedule starts? Drill more? NEVER! He will take another million or so barrels of oil out of our strategic reserves. You know, the reserve we keep only for national emergencies. I guess Biden thinks his re-election is one of those national emergencies.

The "adult in the room", as Joe Biden likes to refer to himself as, is acting like a spoiled rich kid. His demolition of this great country continues. Why? It is all for him (and Dr. Jill). But what about his Veep? She is busy being on talk shows telling the uninformed masses that people should "kick the f***ing door down if they need to". Atta girl Kamala! Do you eat with that potty mouth? Set the right example for today's youth! Just like you did with Willie Brown back in good old California.

A hundred years from now, if Vladimir Putin does not blow up the world first, historians will be reading about the period of 2020 to 2024 in total disbelief. How could America, a first world country, the best nation on Earth, elect two dolts like Joe and Kamala to run (ruin) this country? HOW? But we did, and now we need to hire our builder and fixer once again to Make America Great Again.  

 

Why does he say what he says?

"Sorry to say this Joe, but your schtick has about worn out. People are no longer buying what you are selling. Sure, you will have some Yellow Dogs still vote for you, but the Trump Blue Dog Democrats are growing in number. November cannot come soon enough. We need a change and need it now."  

If I live to be 1,000 years old, I will never be able to figure this guy out. After giving the commencement address at Morehouse College (all black college), the Wall Street Journal could only say one thing about Biden's speech in a headline - "Message to Morehouse College - America hates you". Of course that is false. But according to Joe Biden, if you are black and living in America, the deck is stacked against you. And Joe Biden, the white guy who is a lifelong member of the NAACP, is their only hope. What absolute hogwash! 

Here are the facts of life as I see them. Black folk, just like brown folk or white folk, have all been suffering under the weight of inflationary pricing for the past 3+ years. This is not a cabal against any race or creed of people - inflation hits everyone the same way. But here is a news flash for the president - many of the students at Morehouse know this fact. They can feel the inflationary pressures, every day. And they know whose policies are to blame for this inflation. Look in the mirror Joe, and you too, can see the culprit.

When Joe Biden ran for President back in 2020, he had a central theme. Donald Trump was ruining the country and was a huge divider. Joe Biden on the other hand, was the adult in the room. He had decades of Washington experience and knew how to "reach across the aisle" to get things done. Most importantly, Joe Biden sold himself as a uniter. One who could bridge the gap. So, millions of sheeple, as well as countless suburban housewives who were fed up with mean tweets, pulled the voting level for Biden. Even though the country was doing wonderful on many of the important economic metrics, and we were at peace - the country chose Biden over Trump. It turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes this country has ever made.

Since the civil rights movement, the black vote has been on the most monolithic voting blocks in American history. Over 90% of black folks always vote Democratic. But this year it is different. Yes, the majority of black folk will still vote for Biden. But Trump is getting over 20% of the black vote. And even a bigger percentage of the brown vote. Plus, thanks to the Democrats turning their backs on Israel, maybe more Jewish votes. 

With this erosion in his base, Joe Biden can see the writing on the wall. And that writing spells - loser. To try and turn this ship around, Joe is resorting to what he does best - lie to people. Tell the black folk that white supremacists are out to get them. That blacks have no chance in our society under a Republican president. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Lie like a rug, and yell while you are doing it.

Sorry to say this Joe, but your schtick has about worn out. People are no longer buying what you are selling. Sure, you will have some Yellow Dogs still vote for you, but the Trump Blue Dog Democrats are growing in number. November cannot come soon enough. We need a change and need it now.  

 

Death in Iran

"In any event, the beat goes on. The war in Gaza continues. The protests by the soon to be unemployed on many of our campuses continue. The Democrats stabbing Israel in the back continues. In other words, life in Mr. Rogers neighborhood is very messy indeed. Now with an unexpected leadership change in Iran, who knows what is next."

Just when you thought the Middle East could not get more convoluted, last night a helicopter carrying the head of Iran along with a dozen or so other high rollers, crashed into a mountain in dense fog. All were killed. What does that mean for the ongoing proxy war between Iran and Israel (and US)? Unknown at this time. Let's deal with the bad stuff first - Ebrahim Raisi was not a good man. He earned the nickname the "Butcher of Tehran" for the thousands of people he killed in 1988. He was the brains behind the drone attack on Israel. He also was in charge of Iran's nuclear program.

Now the world holds its collective breath. Israel immediately announced it had nothing to do with this crash. After seeing the crash site with the thick fog present, they should be easy to believe. What is hard to believe however is this - when the copter went missing, Iran had trouble locating it. In Iran! Turkey had to come in and assist. For a country who is trying to become a high-tech nuclear power, now being able to find a missing leader's copter is a head scratcher.

Meanwhile, as this turmoil was going on in Iran, Jake Sullivan was over visiting the Saudis. Purpose of the visit? The old "two state solution", which will never fly, and (ready for it?) - a nuclear program for the Saudis. The United States will help the Saudis build a reactor to be used only for electricity. Wait - I thought the Saudis had oodles of oil left. Is this not the same thing the Iranians said when they wanted to build a reactor? They too, had lots of oil. For electricity only? Now the Iranians are inches away from a bomb. 

I think I remember reading something a while ago, where the Saudis said if the Iranians ever got the bomb, the Saudis might need a nuclear program also. That caused a fuss, as who needs another nuclear neighborhood in the world right now? Reading that Sullivan is over in Saudi Arabia discussing getting a nuclear reactor for electricity only, gave me pause to wonder.

In any event, the beat goes on. The war in Gaza continues. The protests by the soon to be unemployed on many of our campuses continue. The Democrats stabbing Israel in the back continues. In other words, life in Mr. Rogers neighborhood is very messy indeed. Now with an unexpected leadership change in Iran, who knows what is next. All we can do is pray for peace, prepare for war.   

  

What about Armed Forces Day?

"To sum it up, on Armed Forces Day, we celebrate our military. On Veteran's Day, we honor our veterans. Finally, on Memorial Day, we remember our fallen. Three important days, two in May and one coming in November. All-important days, as together they define our freedom."     

Yesterday was the third Saturday in May. Did you know this was a special day in America? It was to celebrate our Armed Forces. Did you see all the hoop-la, the flags flying, the banners? Neither did I. But it yesterday had been Pride Day - oh, my goodness! It would have been covered on every news channel, parties and picnics in Loring Park, and so forth. But Armed Forces Day? Whatever... 

A bit of history. We did not always have an Armed Forces Day. It all started with the National Security Act of 1947. That act brought the armed services under one department in our government - the Defense Department. A couple of years later, the Secretary of Defense thought it would be a great idea for the nation to celebrate its military. So, instead of having a separate day during the year to recognize each service, one day was picked to celebrate all services. And that day is the third Saturday in May.

It is a different day than Veterans Day or Memorial Day. This is the day we recognize what our armed forces have done for this country. In 1949 when this day was hatched, World War II was still fresh in many minds. Korea was on the horizon. It was easy to be very patriotic back then. Today - not so much. 

I am proud to have served in the Navy. Fellow sailors I know, mostly feel the same way. Now that I am a veteran, I still follow what is going on in the Navy. I guess I am somewhat of a Navy aficionado. I have interest in all the services, but my real interest lies in what is going on with the Navy. 

Next weekend we will recognize Memorial Day. It is a day only for the fallen. I think back when fighting in some ugly and bloody pitched battles, many young men, barely old enough to shave, gave it all. It is different day than Armed Forces Day. Similar in some respects, yet very different.

Then in November we have Veteran's Day. It is the day to remember all who served. To sum it up, on Armed Forces Day, we celebrate our military. On Veteran's Day, we honor our veterans. Finally, on Memorial Day, we remember our fallen. Three important days, two in May and one coming in November. All-important days, as together they define our freedom.     

Washington - we have a big, big problem!

"Come on Navy! We can do better! We have known about this issue since the get-go. We need a solution to this problem and need it yesterday. Until then, we can only hope we don't get into a fight with Russia or China."

Point of personal history. In my career as a defense contractor, I was on a team which sold the Vertical Launching System (VLS) to the Navy. Of all the things I did as a defense contractor, this was my high point for sure. In the early days of the VLS, one of the slots in the VLS was reserved for a crane. Why? Because after the cannisters are expended (all shots fired), the crane could load new canisters from a supply ship onto the cruiser or destroyer. One minor problem however - the cranes did not work for underway replenishment. So, they were discontinued. 

The Navy has known for a while now, if we get into a fight, a real fight, not being able to reload the canisters at sea is a huge problem. Even in the Red Sea, once the canisters were exhausted, the ship needed to head to a friendly port to get replenished. In a fight with China in their back yard (East or South China Sea), getting back to a friendly port to get more missiles is really a non-starter. It could take weeks. Plus (my opinion only), a cruiser or destroyer headed back to port with empty canisters, would be a sitting duck.

The Navy would LOVE to have an at sea solution to fill these canisters. But truthfully, right now a ship-to-ship transfer of canisters would almost take a "sea state" of zero to make it work. What else could the Navy do? One idea which has tossed around for a while was a "missile barge". Have it bristling with missiles, tow it to the fight, and when it was finally expended, that would be it. That is no longer being considered. Now it is back to the Sea Lift Command to come up with an "at sea" solution.

The VLS, with the number of missile variants that is can fire with deadly accuracy, is one of the best weapons our military has. However, in a fight with a superpower, and not a bunch of sand farmers from Yemen, having this problem without a solution is tragic. Do we think the bad guys are aware of this problem? We would be fools to think otherwise. 

Here is the real problem. The cruisers and destroyers are the "shield" for the strike group. And the heart of course, of the strike group is the carrier. To have empty cannisters in any of these escort ships not only puts the cruisers and destroyers undefended, but also the other ships in the strike group - including the carrier.

Come on Navy! We can do better! We have known about this issue since the get-go. We need a solution to this problem and need it yesterday. Until then, we can only hope we don't get into a fight with Russia or China.

The bad news boys

"My bet is the freedom loving countries in the world would want to stay free. And please Biden and Blinken - no more lectures and finger wagging about climate and government to our new friends. With the new alliance between China and Russia, we have bigger fish to fry."  

Did you see that despicable example of a "bromance" between Russia and China? Just like in a tough neighborhood, the bullies have decided to band together. I have said this before - the bad guys are starting to align in a tighter circle. Kind of like a modern "Axis of Evil". But what about the good guys? Besides NATO, are we starting to align? That is where the good news starts.

NATO, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippine Islands - are all on the same side. But - as strong as the free countries of the world are right now, we need to get stronger. What do I mean? We need to court India. India, is the most populus country in the world right now, barely edging out China. But India's military is the eye opener. 1.5M troops on active duty, and another 1.5M in reserve. Plus - India has some beefs and concerns about China. That being said, India is still somewhat siding with a non-western organization like BRICS. 

Our trade has gotten better with India, but for the past few years, India has become fed up with the finger wagging the Biden administration has done to them. "Be more democratic", or "be more climate conscious". I am surprised that Blinken has not schooled them on the proper pronouns to use.

But all this is for naught. What should we be doing with India? How about treating them with respect. Make them a most favored trading partner. Sell them our crude oil at a cheaper price than Russia is selling oil to them. China has treated India poorly, and India does not like it. But India won't criticize Russia on the Ukraine invasion. Why? Because India needs cheap energy. India is ripe for a better friendship with the west - especially us. If push comes to shove in the Indo-Pacific, we will need India to be not only our partner, but also our strategic military ally.

And one more thing - Viet Nam. Much has changed over the past 50 years. We have an excellent trading agreement with View Nam right now, and dare I call the two countries friends? I think so. They are also fearful of what China could do in the East and South China Seas. I say we help Viet Nam upgrade their military (especially their Navy) and draw up a defense agreement with them.

The United States has many friends during peacetime. Now it is time to get more partners should that peace become war. If China and Russia want to form a new day "Legion of Doom" - let them. My bet is the freedom loving countries in the world would want to stay free. And please Biden and Blinken - no more lectures and finger wagging about climate and government to our new friends. With the new alliance between China and Russia, we have bigger fish to fry.