Month: April 2025

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY- APRIL

Below please find some of the significant historical events that have occurred in the month of April:

April 2, 1513 – Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed at present-day St. Augustine, and claimed FL on behalf of Spain. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the continental US.

April 2, 1982 – Argentinian troops seized the Falkland Islands, a British territory just off the Argentinian coast, thus beginning the Falkland Islands War. Britain recaptured the islands on June 15.

April 3, 1860 – The Pony Express mail service commenced in St. Joseph, MO.

April 3, 1865 – Richmond. the capital of the Confederacy, surrendered.

April 3, 1948 – President Truman signed the Marshall Plan, an economic aid package that is largely credited with halting the spread of communism in post-WWII Europe.

April 3, 1995 – Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female Justice of the Supreme Court.

April 4, 1949 – NATO was created.

April 4, 1968 – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.

April 6, 1896 – The first “modern” Olympics was held in Athens.

April 6, 1917 – The US entered WWI.

April 8, 563 BC – Celebrated as Bhudda’s birthday.

April 8, 1913 – The US ratified the 17th Amendment to the Constitution mandating the election of US senators by direct popular vote instead of appointment by State legislatures as had been the procedure.

April 9, 1865 – General Robert E. Lee formally surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant ending the Civil War.

April 9, 1866 – The US passed the Civil Rights Bill of 1866, which granted AAs the rights and privileges of US citizenship.

April 10, 1942 – The Bataan Death March began.

April 10, 1945 – The Buchenwald concentration camp was liberated by US troops.

April 11, 1968 – The US adopted the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

April 12, 1861 – The Civil War commenced as Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter.

April 12, 1945 – FDR died in Warm Springs, GA of a cerebral hemorrhage.

April 12, 1961 – Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, became the first human in space.

April 14, 1828 – Noah Webster published the first American-style dictionary.

April 14, 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded by assassin John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theatre. He died the next day.

April 15, 2013 – Two bombs made from pressure cookers exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing two women and an 8-year-old boy and injuring more than 260. 

April 15, 1912 – The “unsinkable” Titanic, which had struck an iceberg the previous night, sunk. Some 1,500 of the 2,224 persons on board perished.

April 17, 1961 – The so-called Bay of Pigs invasion, which was intended to precipitate the overthrow of Fidel Castro, failed disastrously.

April 18, 1775 – Paul Revere embarked on his famous “Midnight Ride” to warn the Patriots that “the British [were] coming.”

April 18, 1906 – The infamous San Francisco Earthquake and fire began.

April 18, 1942 – A squadron of airplanes led by General James Doolittle successfully bombed Tokyo, providing a much-needed morale boost to Americans by demonstrating that Japan was not invulnerable.

April 19, 1775 – Patriots fire the “shot heard ’round the world” at Lexington, MA, which marked the commencement of the Revolutionary War.

April 19, 1943 – The Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began an armed insurrection against their Nazi captors.

April 20, 1999 – The “Columbine Massacre” occurred in Littleton, CO, leaving 13 dead and 20 more wounded.

April 21, 1836 – Texans, under the command of Sam Houston, decisively defeated a Mexican force at San Jacinto (near present-day Houston), which led to Texas’ independence from Mexico.

April 21, 1918 – Baron Manfred von Richtofen, the infamous “Red Baron” who was credited with some 80 kills, was shot down over France.

April 21, 753 BCE – According to tradition, the date on which the City of Rome was founded.

April 22, 1509 – King Henry VIII of England began his reign.

April 22, 1889 – The “Oklahoma land rush” began.

April 24, 1800 – The Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, housing some 145 million items, was established.

April 26, 1986 – The nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine, exploded, spreading a radioactive cloud extending over much of Europe.

April 26, 1994 – Apartheid in South Africa officially ended as the country held its first multiracial elections with some 18 million blacks participating. Nelson Mandela was elected President.

April 28, 1789 – Led by Fletcher Christian, the crew of the HMS Bounty mutinied against Captain William Bligh.

April 30, 1789 – George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the US.

April 30, 1948 – Palestinian Jews declared their independence from the British and established the State of Israel.

Birthdays – 4/2/1805 – Hans Christian Anderson (Danish fairytale author); 4/5/1856 – Booker T. Washington (AA educator); 4/10/1847 – Joseph Pulitzer (publisher); 4/13/1743 – Thomas Jefferson (3rd President); 4/16/1867 – Wilbur Wright (aviator pioneer); 4/16/1889 – Charlie Chaplin (silent film comedian); 4/17/1837 – John Pierpont Morgan (financier); 4/18/1857 – Clarence Darrow (renowned attorney); 4/20/1889 – Adolph Hitler; 4/22/1870 – William Shakespeare (writer); 4/23/1791 – James Buchanan (15th US President; 4/25/1874 – Guglielmo Marconi (invented the radio); 4/27/1791 – Samuel F. B. Morse (telegraph inventor); 4/27/1822 – Ulysses S. Grant (civil war commanding general and 18th US President); 4/28/1758 – James Monroe (Founding Father and 5th US President); 4/29/1863 – William Randolph Hearst (publisher).

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HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

“Father time” is undefeated. That is a well-known expression often applied to sports careers, but it is also applicable to other aspects of life, such as Holocaust survivors.

It has been 80 years since the end of WWII and the resultant worldwide revelation of the Holocaust that the Nazis visited upon Jews, Gypsies, and others they deemed to be “enemies of the state, inferior” and even “subhuman,” from the early 1930s through 1945. It is estimated that the Nazis and their often-eager collaborators murdered some six million Jews during this period. (Yes, there are credible records of many who risked their lives to save Jews, but in my opinion, they were in the minority.) The overall total, including, non-Jews, is unknown due to the many mass executions whose victims were buried in hidden and unrecorded mass graves, but according to Wikipedia, research by historians places the number of Holocaust victims murdered at “not less than twelve million and probably more.”

The contrast between the estimated Jewish populations of some European countries prewar versus postwar is shocking but not surprising: Germany – 560,000 vs. 15,000, Poland – 3.3 million vs. 300,000, and Austria – 191,000 vs fewer than 4,000. Jews had been living in those countries for hundreds of years. They had become ingrained into the economic, political, social and cultural life of those countries. They were always welcome, until they were not.

It has often been said that the surviving victims’ best revenge on Hitler and the Nazis was to live a long, productive life. As the Tom Hanks character counseled the Matt Damon character in the iconic WWII movie Saving Private Ryan: “earn it.”

Inevitably, with the passage of time the number of Holocaust survivors has dwindled down to a precious few. According to a recent article published in the Associated Press only some 200,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors are still alive, roughly one-half of whom live in Israel. (By comparison, Israel is home to merely .12% of the world’s total population.)

The Claims Conference, which monitors Holocaust survivors, estimates their median age to be 87 with about 1,500 of them in excess of 100 years old. As one might expect a goodly number of them are in poor general health, not only the result of age but also the physical, mental and emotional abuse and stress of the Holocaust, itself. According to research provided by Vanishing Witnesses sadly, but inevitably, due to normal mortality rates approximately 50% of them will likely pass away in the next six years, and virtually all of them within the next 15.

One survivor who has fulfilled the aforementioned advice to “live long and well” is Albrecht W. As profiled in the aforementioned AP article AW is 100. He survived Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Mittel Brau-Dora and three “death” marches. Virtually his entire extended family was murdered in the Holocaust. To this day, he is still haunted by “horrendous memories” of what he endured. “I sleep with it; I sweat; I have nightmares; that is my [remembrance].” He dedicated his working career to teaching high school students and others about what he and others endured. Nevertheless, he is one of those who worries who will keep the memories alive after he is gone.

Conclusion

The primary takeaway from the foregoing is that very soon there will no longer be any firsthand witnesses to the horrific events that took place. Yes, there are photos, films and secondhand accounts, but they do not have the same impact. “Holocaust deniers” are already asserting that the events of the Holocaust are either exaggerated or never occurred. Ironically, they are simply too horrific and inhuman to be believed. Normal people cannot conceive that a human being could do those things to another human.

As time moves on, these “deniers” will become more numerous and vociferous. They will claim that photos and film records have been photoshopped and “doctored” and any remaining witnesses are unreliable. Eventually, the memories survivors have vowed to ensure people will “never forget” will, in fact, be forgotten, and the world will be inching closer to the next Holocaust. I hope I am wrong about this but based on history I doubt it.

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S CHUTZPAH. DEMS’ CONTINUING SELF-DESTRUCTION

For many years Harvard University has enjoyed a most impressive reputation. Many people have always viewed HU as among the finest and most prestigious educational institutions in the world. Many people still do. According to Wikipedia HU students, alumni, faculty, and researchers include eight US presidents, 24 heads of state, 31 heads of government, 188 living billionaires, ten Academy Award winners, and 110 Olympic medalists, including 46 gold. Additionally, they comprise a plethora of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners and prominent members of government.

Furthermore, the Academic Ranking of World Universities has ranked Harvard first in each of its annual rankings of the world’s colleges and universities; the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings, which was published from 2004 to 2009, ranked Harvard first in the world in each of its annual rankings; it has been ranked first in the world each year since 2011 by its successor, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings; and according to annual polls conducted by The Princeton Review, Harvard is consistently among the top two most commonly named “dream” colleges in the United States for both students and their parents.

However, recent events tell me that HU has been reading its own press clippings, so to speak. In my opinion HU thinks it is above not only the law but also above common decency. Read on, and I will explain.

HU is a private university located in Cambridge, MA. It was founded on October 28, 1636, and it is the oldest university in the US. It was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard. By the latter part of the 19th century, it had become a favorite among the Boston elite. In the opinion of many both it and its students had developed a snobby or bumptious attitude, which exists unfettered to this day.

By the early 1920s the percentage of Jewish students at HU had grown to 20%. The university’s president at the time thought that was excessive. Accordingly, he sought (unsuccessfully) to limit the admission of Jewish students to 15% of the undergraduate population. He also refused to require desegregation of the university’s freshman dorms. He stated that, “we owe to the colored man the same opportunities for education that we do to the white man, but we do not owe to him to force him and the white man into social relations that are not, or may not be, mutually congenial.” A certain antisemitic and anti-Black culture was being established, which has only intensified since then.

For many years this sentiment was mostly covert, but in the last few years it has exploded into the open. In January 2024, Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, was forced to resign in the wake of allegations of antisemitism after having served only six months.  Gay was succeeded by Alan Garber, who has done nothing to rectify the campus culture. In fact, it can be argued that it has deteriorated further during his short tenure.

Now the HU Administration has developed a brazenness that is astounding. It has resisted reining in antisemitic/anti-Israel “protesters.” It has hardened its stance even in the face of losing substantial amounts of federal money and being subjected to other penalties and ridicule.

For instance, HU normally receives some $8 billion per year from the federal government most of which is earmarked for research and affiliated hospitals. The Trump Administration has already frozen $2.2 billion in grants, canceled a $60 million contract for further aid, and threatened to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status, which would be a huge blow. Regardless of these financial penalties, HU is stubbornly adhering to its policies. According to the NY Post it views these protests as a “civil right for the school [and the protesters] instead of a violation of Jewish students’ civil rights. Moreover, the school’s attorneys have reiterated HU “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

Conclusion

This high-profile obstinance only reinforces the public’s perception of elitism and antisemitism as exhibited by HU, Columbia and various other colleges in the Ivy League and elsewhere in recent years. As I said antisemitism has been festering covertly at the nation’s colleges for many years. The Biden Administration’s laissez-faire attitude and the October 7, 2023 terror attacks against Israel have brought it out in the open by giving “cover” to these radicals.

Unlike most schools HU has the financial resources to reject any federal assistance, at least for a time. It possesses an endowment estimated at $53 billion, by far the largest of any university. So, for now it can afford to stand on principle.

In the meantime, this is just another example of the far left being on the wrong side of every issue. Its TDS has forced it to oppose any policy espoused by Trump. This group has taken control of the Dem Party thereby making it the Party that favors open borders, criminals over law-abiding citizens, the rights of illegals over US citizens, government waste fraud and abuse, antisemitism, anti-working man, trans rights, and many other highly unpopular issues.

The latest iteration of this involves Maryland Dem Senator Chris Van Hollen. He ignored the horrific murder of Rachel Morin, a Maryland constituent. He didn’t even bother to make a condolence call to the family. Now, he feels compelled to free the murderer from the El Salvador prison in which he is being incarcerated. He has taken the highly unusual step of traveling to El Salvador to make a personal appeal for his release. This publicity stunt makes him look like a publicity-seeking buffoon and only serves to buttress his and his Party’s negative image. Good luck with that. Keep it up Dems.

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JACKIE ROBINSON

Number 42. Does that have any special meaning for you, or is it just another number? Baseball fans, civil rights advocates, and students of history will recognize it as the uniform number worn by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It should be noted that that uniform number has two other major significances:

1. It is the only number to have been retired by every major league baseball team (in 1997); and
2. as has been customary since 2004, every year on April 15 on what is known as “Jackie Robinson Day,” every player wears that number on his uniform in tribute to Jackie Robinson in recognition of the anniversary of his debut in the major leagues in 1947.  On that historic date Jackie became the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 1880s. Any team not playing a game on April 15 will celebrate on the 16th. In addition, regardless of their team colors all teams’ # 42 jerseys will be in “Dodger Blue” and will feature a commemorative patch.

In order to put this in its proper perspective one must realize the racial situation in 1947. Life was radically different, a reality that few of us who live in the PC era can appreciate.  Much has changed in the intervening 78 years.

For example:

1. Segregation was the law of the land. “Jim Crow” was alive and well.
The “Brown” Supreme Court decision integrating public schools would not come until 1954.
2. Even though many AAs had distinguished themselves during WWII the armed forces would not be integrated until 1948.
3. A disproportionate percentage of MLB players were from the South and espoused all the values, attitudes and experiences of the region regarding AAs.  Most of them had never played ball with an AA.  Many had rarely even associated with one as peers.
4. The prevailing attitude among players, sportswriters, and fans was that AAs were not good enough and did not have the “temperament” to succeed in MLB.

Very few of us lived through that era, and consequently, we cannot imagine the circumstances Jackie had to overcome.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia.  His parents chose his middle name in honor of President Teddy Roosevelt, who had recently died.  He was the youngest of five children.  One of his older brothers, Mack, would later earn some notoriety by winning the silver medal in the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Olympics, (the Games held in Berlin at which Jesse Owens embarrassed Adolph Hitler and the Nazis by winning four gold medals).

Jackie’s parents were sharecroppers and barely scraping by, so in 1920 they moved to Pasadena, California seeking a better life.  In high school and college Jackie excelled in five sports – baseball, basketball, football, track and tennis.  Basically, he was an all-around athlete who excelled in any sport he tried.  At UCLA he became the school’s first athlete to “letter” in four sports (all of the above except tennis).  One of his teammates on the 1939 UCLA football team was the future actor, Woody Strode, who would carve out a respectable career in movies as a “heavy.”  Ironically, statistically, at least, baseball was his worst sport of the four.

In 1941 Jackie left UCLA just shy of graduating to play semi-pro football, but in early 1942 he was drafted and stationed at Fort Riley in Texas.  He applied for admission to OCS. Initially, his application was rejected as few blacks were accepted at the time, but following a personal appeal from Joe Louis, the reigning heavyweight boxing champ, he was accepted.

Jackie’s tenure in the army was marred by one unfortunate incident in which his fiery temperament got him in trouble.  While riding on an Army bus one day the driver told him to move to the back.  Jackie refused.  As a result, he was nearly court-martialed for insubordination and other “trumped up” offenses.  A conviction would have changed the course of his life and, possibly, the country’s as well, but he was acquitted.

In 1945 Jackie signed to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. Unbeknownst to him, Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a Negro to break the major leagues’ “color barrier,” which had been in place since the 1880s.  He had compiled a list of the best players in the Negro leagues and was evaluating them for suitability.  There were many players better than Jackie, notably Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, but due to age, temperament and other factors, they were all eliminated in favor of Jackie.

Rickey knew the first AA player would have to “turn the other cheek” to a great deal of verbal, physical and emotional abuse.  Otherwise, it might be many more years before the next one got a chance.  When he told Jackie this, Jackie was shocked and replied: “Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?” Rickey’s famous reply was that he was seeking a Negro “with guts enough not to fight back.”

To make a long story short, Rickey signed Jackie.  He played for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers AAA minor league affiliate in the International League, in 1946.  He “tore up” the league, winning the MVP award.  The next year he made his debut in the major leagues.

To me, his debut was one of the most significant events not only in baseball history, but also in the country’s history.  There was tremendous resistance not only from other Dodgers, but from players on other teams as well.

Again, it is very hard for us to appreciate the level of abuse to which Jackie was subjected. Breaking into the major leagues is hard enough, physically. The added mental and emotional pressures Jackie and other AAs had to overcome was mind-boggling. Jackie had to endure a tremendous amount of prejudice and abuse both on and off the field (name calling, spiking, “beanings,” separate lodgings and restaurants on the road, etc.  Eventually, other AAs would join him in the majors. They had to overcome many of the same obstacles.  Some were unable to survive, but many more did.

Luckily, Dodger management was behind Jackie 100%.  When some Dodgers players threatened to quit, strike or demand a trade, the team’s manager, Leo Durocher, a fiery, no-nonsense person himself, nipped the rebellion in the bud.  He declared: “I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a f****** zebra.  I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays.”  Players on other teams also threatened to strike, but MLB Commissioner “Happy” Chandler quelled that rebellion quickly as well.

Rickey chose well with Jackie.  In baseball parlance, he “knocked it out of the park.”  Attendance soared and not just in Brooklyn but in every other city as well. Black people came in droves to see their hero, Jackie Robinson, play.  In those days, attendance was the primary source of ball clubs’ revenue, so Jackie made money for everyone.

Not only did Jackie “take” all the abuse without incident, he also starred on the field and became an integral part of one of the most storied teams in baseball history, the “Boys of Summer.”  In a ten-year period from 1947-1956 that team dominated the National League. It won six pennants, lost another in a playoff and lost another by one game.

Among Jackie’s many MLB accomplishments:

1. Rookie of the year in 1947 (the first one).
2. National League MVP in 1949.
3. Appeared in six World Series.
4. World champion in 1955.
5. First ballot hall of famer in 1962.
6. Member of the MLB All-Century team.

Jackie was an extremely versatile ballplayer. Although he came up as a second baseman, he also played first, third and the outfield.  Many times, he was among the league leaders in fielding at his position.  He was one of the best “clutch” players I have ever observed.  He could beat you with the bat, the glove or on the bases.  I have never seen a better baserunner or a tougher competitor.  When on base, he would drive the opposing pitcher crazy with his antics.  He was always a threat to steal a base.  I saw him steal home in the 1955 World Series.  When caught in a rundown he often escaped, which, generally, was a rarity.  His aggressive style of play was unique for the 1940s and 1950s.

As an example of his extremely competitive nature, one story will suffice.  In the decisive third game of the 1951 playoff with the NY Giants, when the Giants’ Bobby Thompson hit the pennant-winning homerun (dubbed: “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”) all the Dodgers left the field immediately with their heads down in defeat.  All except for Jackie.  He watched and made sure that Thompson touched all the bases on his home run trot.  He would not accept defeat until Thompson had completed his circuit.

Jackie retired from baseball after the 1956 season worn down by age and diabetes, but he did not retire from life.  For example, he became very active in the civil rights movement; he became the first black to serve as vp of a major corporation (Chock Full O’Nuts); he went into broadcasting; and he acted in a movie of his own life story.

Conclusion

Ultimately, however, his fierce competitiveness could not overcome ill health.  Jackie died on October 24, 1972 at the relatively young age of 53 from complications of heart disease and diabetes.  I’m sure that all the stress he had to endure on the playing field also contributed to his early demise.

Jackie’s legacy, however, lives on.  There are countless statues, schools, parks and roads named in his honor.  Moreover, every time a black or other minority takes the field in the major leagues, the NFL or the NBA, he owes a debt to the pioneer who made it all possible.

Jackie’s story is recounted in the 2013 movie 42 starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie, Nicole Beharie as Rachel, and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. I have seen it many times, and I recommend it. One can usually find it on tv at this time of the year.

So, today, while watching your favorite team in action take a moment to appreciate the special achievement of one Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

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DO YOU TRUST TRUMP?

Trump’s tariff policy has caused much controversy. His critics have been claiming it will lead to retaliation, increase inflation, cause the financial markets to “crash,” and lead to a recession. In the short run that appears to be a distinct possibility, but I, for one, am not concerned.

Whereas some countries have rolled back their tariffs and/or signaled they will move some manufacturing facilities to the US, others, notably China, have signaled they would retaliate by raising their tariffs on US exports. I am not perturbed by the possibility of a trade war with China or any other country for that matter. The US is the largest and most lucrative market, and they all need access to it to support their economies. In short, they need us more we need them. Deals will be made. There will be no trade wars.

The prices of some goods, such as foreign-made automobiles, have increased; and the financial markets have declined precipitously. On April 2, the day that Trump’s tariff policy commenced, the Dow was valued at $41,736. As I write this it stands at $37,734, a decrease of $4,000 or 9.5 %. We are about halfway to a bear market, which is defined by Wall Street as a 20% or more decrease from a recent high for a sustained period of time. Moreover, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has reiterated that the Fed is not inclined to lower benchmark interest rates at this time. Furthermore, JP Morgan announced that it believes there is a 60% chance that the US will enter into a recession.

On the other hand, in fairness, it is inappropriate and misleading to judge Trump’s tariff policy by these short-term results. Even he has acknowledged that his tariff policy would result in “short-term pain but long-term gain.” Also, much of the inflation is a holdover from the Biden Administration’s excessive spending. I’m preaching patience. Give it a chance.

On the plus side (1) according to Freddie Mac mortgage interest rates have declined from 7% in January to 6.64% currently; (2) the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 228,000 jobs were added in, March, which was a stronger result than anticipated; (3) automakers GM and Nissan announced plans to boost production in the US which, according to UAW chairman Rich Le Tourneau will create “225-250 new jobs.”; and (4) Ford and Stellantis announced that they will be offering discounts to boost sales.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned countries not to overreact. He told reporters “my advice is not to retaliate. If you do there will be [‘further] escalation. If you don’t retaliate this is the high-water mark.”

In my opinion, Trump is right, and America will benefit in the long run, perhaps substantially, for the following reasons:

  1. Our trading partners, both allies and enemies, have been taking advantage of us for decades. Their tariffs on our exports have been substantially higher than ours on theirs. Some tariffs have exceeded 100%. They have been flooding our markets with their cheap goods while we have been inhibited from selling our goods in their markets.
  2. Our manufacturing industries have been hollowed out. Currently, we manufacture virtually nothing; we have to import even the most basic goods, such as steel, aluminum, computer chips, and rare metals. This is an existential threat, because in the event of war or another pandemic or unforeseen disaster we would be vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, quotas or boycotts.
  3. Over the years we have lost tens of thousands of good paying jobs. Our middle class has been impacted especially hard. This policy is yet another instance of Trump’s staunch advocacy for the middle and working classes.
  4. Trump’s goal is to have “reciprocal tariffs” so we can compete on a level playing field.
  5. These tariffs that have been portrayed in the media are not final. They are the basis for further negotiation. The objective is to warn our trading partners that the days of being their “suckers” are over. As we have seen Trump is a master negotiator.
  6. In just one week many countries have negotiated lower tariffs, and many companies have committed to investing money in the US and/or manufacturing their products in the US to avoid tariffs. Fox News has reported that as many as 70 countries are seeking to make agreements to equalize tariffs.
  7. Do not focus on the declines in the financial markets. Remember, investors hate two things most of all – inflation and uncertainty. At the moment we have both. Big investors who engage in short-term trading tend to overreact to conditions, both bad and good. Long-term investors should not panic as some tend to do. I expect that at some point the markets will settle down. If Trump’s policy works, they will come roaring back as they have many times in the past. If you doubt me, you could, as Casey Stengel was fond of saying, “look it up.” Trust in America and trust your history.
  8. Ignore all these demonstrators we all see in the media. These people have been gaslighted by professional agitators. They are ignorant and uninformed. For example, many of them have claimed in interviews that Trump and Musk want to cut social security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. That is patently false. In fact, the opposite is true. Those programs are teetering on bankruptcy due to rampant waste, fraud and abuse. In point of fact, they want to save them.

According to the BBC various countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates will be assessed the “base rate” of 10%. The most egregious offenders, such as Taiwan (32%), the European Union (20%), China (54%) (which includes earlier tariffs), Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), Japan (24%), Cambodia (49%), and South Africa (30%) will be assessed “customized” tariffs (unless they negotiate). Some of the tariffs these countries impose on the US are egregious. My favorite is the 778% tariff Japan imposes on rice imported from the US, which obviates us from selling any rice there. Other countries, most notably China protect their industries from competition from abroad. They impose such stringent restrictions that it is virtually impossible to sell products there.

Conclusion

In my view, it all boils down to whether or not you have faith in Trump. I say, we elected him to institute reforms to put the country on the right track. The purpose of the tariffs is to reverse the trade imbalance that has existed for decades that has wreaked havoc on our manufacturing, farming, electronics and beef industries, among others. It has left us vulnerable in the event of another war, pandemic, or other catastrophe.

Trump is taking the long view. He has acknowledged there will be short-term pain but long-term gain. Trump has been successful in all his endeavors, such as immigration, dealing with terrorists, and crime. Furthermore, he has a well-deserved reputation as a superb negotiator. He has earned the right to the benefit of the doubt. Let’s give his tariff policy a chance.

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DERANGED DOGE DENIERS

You simply cannot make this up. The Trump Derangement Syndrome seemingly knows no bounds. It has been extant for the better part of seven years, and it has exhibited no signs of dissipating. Rather, the TDS sufferers keep expanding their irrational hatred of all things Trump into new areas. Recently, they have focused their wrath on Elon Musk and all things Musk.

Until recently Musk was one of the Dems’ poster boys. Among other things he had developed the Tesla EV, which promised to significantly alter the auto industry. The “GNDers” had been clamoring for such a vehicle, which they hoped would wean Americans off vehicles that relied on fossil fuels. However, since the November election it has all changed. Now, they view Musk as a “turncoat,” a “traitor,” a fascist, and a Nazi. Why? What has he done? What heinous crime has he committed?

The answer is simple. He became part of the Trump Administration. He is the chief architect of DOGE, which is charged with the responsibility to and authority of identifying and eliminating inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. For decades most everyone has agreed that spending is out of control and needs to be reduced significantly. Presently, the federal debt is approaching $37 trillion, which is way past crisis levels. Many people believe that that amount represents an existential threat to the viability of the country. Everyone’s been complaining about it, but no one has done anything about it. Until now.

Trump created DOGE and put Musk in charge of it. According to Fortune Magazine DOGE claims to have saved the federal government $115 billion so far by measures such as canceling contracts, terminating leases and encouraging federal agencies to reduce their workforces chiefly by (generous) buyouts.  The oft-stated goal is to eliminate $1 trillion in federal spending by the end of the fiscal year in September. In my opinion, that the goal is well within its reach since it has barely scratched the surface. It should be denoted that DOGE’s critics, such as NPR and other left-leaning critics, have claimed those accomplishments have been inaccurate and exaggerated. However, their past news analyses have been shown to be inaccurate and unreliable, so I choose to rely on DOGE’s figures. Regardless, in the eyes of the left Musk has gone from hero to villain in record time.

Never mind that he is volunteering his time and expertise to help the country. Never mind that he has provided much needed aid to hurricane victims. Never mind that he has created an EV for which the left has been clamoring to “save the planet.” Never mind that he oversaw the return of two astronauts that had been stranded in space for months. He is a Trump ally; therefore, he is tarred with the same brush The left’s venom toward Musk has been focused Tesla, which has become the lightning rod for their ire.

For example, according to multiple news reports just in the last few days:

  1. Dealerships and charging stations have been firebombed.
  2. Protestors have drawn signs equating Musk with being a fascist and a Nazi.
  3. According to Fox News in Idaho a man drove his vehicle into a pro-Tesla demonstration running over a man who was exiting his car that had pro-Trump flags.
  4. ABC News reported that Boston police were hunting a man who had been vandalizing parked Teslas.
  5. Daily Mail.com reported that in AZ an elderly female Tesla driver was dragged from her car and assaulted.
  6. And my favorite, in NYC various protestors were seen hammering toy Teslas into smithereens on the sidewalk like petulant five-year-old children.

If these maniacs’ goal is to harm Musk in some way it is not working. He was and is the richest man in America. Apparently, what they don’t realize or don’t care is that they are actually hurting the working-class people who build the cars, service the cars, sell the cars and buy the cars. Many of the foregoing are Dem voters. Like I said their derangement knows no bounds.

When interviewed on tv it becomes readily apparent that these protestors are woefully ignorant of the facts and don’t care to learn them. Many of them are frustrated losers who have nothing worthwhile in their lives. They need to “get a life” (or maybe a job). Others are paid agitators who move from venue to venue and issue to issue just to protest. Ask yourself why is it always “lefties” who protest and foment violence?

Many of them are under the mistaken belief that DOGE plans to eliminate or significantly reduce programs such as social security, Medicare and Medicaid. I suppose they believe the lies being spouted by the fake news media, but in point of fact the opposite is true. DOGE is actually trying to save those programs, which have been hemorrhaging money and are heading for bankruptcy. Presently, they are rife with the kind of inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse that I am talking about. For instance, there have been reports of 120-year-old persons receiving SS benefits and people receiving bogus and/or multiple Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Even worse, their insistence on labeling Trump and Musk as “Hitler” and “Nazis” illustrates that they have no conception of who the real Hitler and Nazis were and what they did. This constitutes a blatant ignorance of and disregard for the actual Holocaust victims.

While I am on this rant, I would like to denote that as many of us predicted Trump’s much maligned tariff policy is working. Based upon his threat of implementing “reciprocal tariffs” commencing on April 2 several countries, such as Canada, Mexico, India, Vietnam and the EU countries have announced they have or intend to reduce or eliminate their tariffs on American exports. Moreover, a plethora of large companies have announced they will be relocating their businesses to locations in the US to avoid tariffs. According to Fox News the total relocations will amount to $4 Trillion, that’s trillion with a capital T. That means jobs, lots and lots of jobs.

Conclusion

Where are the moderate Dems? Are there any left? I have posed this question many times before. I believe there are some, but they have chosen to remain silent while the far-left wing of the party destroys its brand. From FDR’s victory in 1932 to the last election the Dems were known as the party of the working man, the poor, the blacks and various ethnic groups. Trump’s victory changed all of that. Now they are perceived as the Party of the coastal elites and the privileged. It’s the Republicans who are favored by those groups of voters. Trump has co-opted the 80% side of all the 80-20 issues. Trump has co-opted a commonsense approach to these issues. The Dems have been forced by their TDS to support the likes of terrorists, criminals, illegal aliens, and men in women’s safe spaces, among others. They are perceived as out of touch with the majority of voters.

The spokespersons for the Party are now “lefties” Bernie Sanders, AOC and Jasmine Crockett. So, I repeat, where are the moderates? In my opinion, they are hiding, particularly those who will be running for re-election in 2026. They have been intimidated by their small but vocal left wing. They are afraid of being “primaried.” Like bears, they are hibernating.

I predict they will resurface prior to the 2026 election and do what Dems always do – espouse Republican values and policies in order to win the election. And then they will renege on their promises and return to hibernation. Voters – do not be gaslighted.

There are three special elections today. One is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The winning Party will hold the balance of power in the court. The other two are for two vacant House seats in Florida, both of which were held by Republicans. Special elections often fly under the radar. Most voters don’t pay attention to them, but they are important and bear watching closely.

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