Tag: trump

TRUMP SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND OTHER ECONOMIC MATTERS

President Trump has been responsible for a myriad of accomplishments in his short tenure, for example, closing the border, deporting illegal immigrants, reducing crime in cities that welcomed his assistance, passing the “Big Beautiful Bill (the effects of which will kick in commencing in 2026), reducing inflation, and eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, among others.

To be sure, those accomplishments are laudable, however, a large portion of the electorate is still dissatisfied with the state of the economy, particularly the rate of inflation, the price of gas, the cost of healthcare and the unaffordability of buying a first home. Home ownership is and always has been an endemic part of the “American Dream.” Since Trump is the president, rightly or wrongly, most of them are blaming him.

According to the latest Economist/YouGov survey despite all of the above positives President Trump’s approval rating has been in a steady decline for the last seven weeks. His latest approval rating was 38%, and his disapproval rating was 57%. The latest Reuters/Ipsos survey yielded similar results. Even more ominous the same polls disclosed that 55% of the respondents were more likely to vote for the Democrat candidate in their district, compared to 41% who said they would vote for the Republican candidate. This does not augur well for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. If they lose control of the legislature Trump’s ambitious agenda is likely to be thwarted.

Also, history is not on his side. Normally, the party in power loses a goodly number of House and Senate seats in the off-year elections.

Of course, Trump is cognizant of all that. Consequently, he is beginning to focus more on the economy. Historically, absent a monumental catastrophe, such as a world war or a 9-11 style terror attack, the most important issue to voters is always the economy. Yes, people care about other issues such as crime, healthcare, security and immigration, but they care more about a good job, the cost of food, being able to afford a nice place to live, supporting their family, the cost of gas, the cost of healthcare, their retirement, and their children’s and grandchildren’s future. Hence, the well-worn expression: “It’s the economy, stupid!”

Below please find some of the recent Trump initiatives regarding the aforementioned, which are designed to lower the cost of living and enhance the quality of life for all Americans. Some of these are already in process; others are just proposals, some of which may require the approval of Congress.

  1. Ramping up drilling for oil and gas, which, due to the fundamental law of supply and demand, should lower the prices of fuel both in the home and at the pump. Lower energy prices lead to lower prices on all goods and services, most notably food. According to AAA the national average of a gallon of regular gas at the pump is $2.999.  Of course, this will vary from state to state depending on state and local taxes and other factors. By comparison, according to the US Energy Information Administration the cost in 2022 and 2023, the last two years of the Biden Administration, was $3.52 and $3.95, respectively. In my view, Biden’s woke, green energy policies drove prices up, whereas Trump’s “drill baby drill” policy is driving them down. Therefore, it is unfair to blame the current cost of energy on Trump.  According to the more recent data available (“blue woke”) California has the highest average gas price at around $4.65 per gallon for regular, while (“red”) Oklahoma has the lowest at approximately $2.53 per gallon.  Make of that what you will.
  2. For most social security recipients one of the provisions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” will enable them to offset their federal income tax liability with a special federal income tax deduction.
  3. The BBB also authorizes the creation of the so-called “Trump Accounts,” which essentially are a tax-deferred investment account for qualifying newborns into which the Treasury Department of the federal government will deposit $1,000. The account will grow tax-deferred until the newborn turns 18. Then, the account will function as a traditional IRA. Briefly, to qualify babies must have been born to American citizens from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028 and have a valid social security number. In addition, the Dell family has pledged to utilize the “Trump Accounts” infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 11. These initiatives are designed to encourage American citizen families to have babies by easing the financial burden of raising a family and helping to provide for them as they grow into adulthood. (For various reasons many families are postponing having children or deciding not to at all.)
  4. The BBB extended the 2017 “Trump Tax Cuts,” which will provide massive federal tax cuts for most taxpayers.
  5.  The so-called “Trump Tariffs” have been very controversial. The question is are they currently and will they prospectively have a positive or negative effect on the economy? Recent studies indicate that generally the impact of tariffs is to raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services for US businesses and consumers in the short run. According to the Tax Foundation the Trump tariffs will equate to an average tax increase of $1,100 per US household in 2025. On the other hand, the Trump tariffs, both threatened and imposed, have forced other countries who had been taking advantage of us in international trade for many years to lower their own tariffs substantially. Furthermore, the tariffs have been raising tens of billions, some claim trillions, of dollars for the federal government. Perhaps, more significantly, many foreign companies have invested or pledged to invest trillions of dollars to build or expand their businesses and/or build new factories in the US in order to avoid these tariffs. This will translate into good, high-paying permanent jobs and reduce the unemployment rate, which is currently slightly up at 4.4%. In summary, are these tariffs good or bad? In my opinion, it is still too early to tell. It may take years to determine. At the of risk oversimplifying matters I believe the answer is probably predicated on whether one is pro-Trump or anti-Trump.

Conclusion

As I said above, Trump is cognizant of the voters’ concerns regarding the economy. Accordingly, he has and will continue to develop policies to improve it. Many, if not most, of the problems with respect to the economy are holdovers from the Biden Administration and his woke/green policies. Data shows the economy is improving. Inflation is down. Gas is down. The positive impact of the BBB should be effective starting in 2026. The question is will the voters give Trump’s policies time to work or not.

The cost of healthcare remains a thorny, complicated and highly politicized problem that Trump and the Congress will have to address together. One can only hope that they resolve it expeditiously.

White House: Trump




by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

WILL TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN HOLD TOGETHER?

The following is based on multiple media reports supplemented by my opinion as indicated.

Phase One of Trump’s Middle East Plan (the “Plan”) the exchange of 20 surviving hostages and the remains of four deceased hostages being held by Hamas for some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners that had been held by Israel is just the first step of Trump’s 20-point Plan. (It is thought that there are 24 additional deceased hostages whose remains were not returned, and as reported by NBC NEWS it is unclear when they will be.)

This was widely hailed as a great success and rightly so. The man whose enemies have characterized him as “unstable,” “power-hungry,” and a “warmonger” managed to arrange a miraculous peace agreement that few thought was possible. The euphoric and poignant sight of hostages being greeted by members of the Knesset in Jerusalem and then being reunited with their families was something to see. Of course, Trump haters such as Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and AOC could not manage to say anything positive. As I write this, they have remained silent. Other Dem politicians tempered their praise and/or did not mention Trump by name. Also silent are the protesters who had been claiming Israeli genocide.

So, how did Trump pull this off? How did he manage to accomplish in just nine months what a host of past presidents could not? (1) Through a plethora of past actions, he established his bona fides as a tough, decisive person who means what he says and says what he means. (2) He convinced Netanyahu that America was a staunch ally in its fight against Hamas and would support it unwaveringly. (3) He demonstrated to the various Arab heads of state that he could eliminate the threat of a nuclear Iran. Everyone knew Iran was within months of attaining nuclear capability, and regardless of politics everyone was terrified what the unstable mullahs would do with it. He gave Iran a deadline to dismantle its nuclear program. Unlike prior US presidents he followed through. When Iran failed to comply, he bombed the s**t out of its reactors, thus destroying its nuclear capability. This was done precisely and decisively remotely from the US. The Arab world took notice. It was awed and cowed by America’s power and its president’s willingness to employ it. (4) He assembled a consortium of 27 nations who wanted peace and were willing to support his efforts to attain it.

(5) Along the way the US succeeded in eliminating several key senior terrorists, again precisely and decisively. (6) It decimated Hezbollah and the Houthis and convinced Qatar to cut off its support to Hamas. (7) Hamas was now weakened and isolated; its allies had been neutralized; and it knew Israel was poised to “finish the job.” Essentially, that was how the “dealmaker” brokered the peace deal.

As I said, Trump has assembled a consortium of some 27 world leaders to support his Plan. It appears that they all want this chance of peace in the ME to succeed. Trump hailed the Plan as “not only the end of a war, [but] the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. It’s the start of a grand concord of lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a magnificent region.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he is “committed to this peace [Plan]. Many other world leaders and US politicians expressed similar views. Even former President Barack Obama and former VP Kamala Harris managed to express tepid praise for the Plan and for Trump’s role in its success. However, Harris refused to mention Trump by name, citing “the president.”

In accordance with the first phase of Trump’s plan, Israeli forces have moved to an initial withdrawal line within Gaza (the “yellow line”). However, as miraculous as Phase One was, it was the easy part. Now comes the hard part, securing the agreement of all parties to the rest of the Plan and then maintaining the peace. As I delineated in my previous blog on this subject the Plan contains several contentious points, each of which is a potential dealbreaker, that need to be ironed out or else the Plan will fall apart. As the expression goes, “the devil is in the details.”

Hamas is moving quickly and decisively to fill the power vacuum that currently exists in Gaza. Some 300 miles of its vast tunnel system remain intact. They are purported to contain considerable amounts of weapons, food, and medical supplies that could easily support further fighting.

In addition, there have been multiple reports of Hamas soldiers indiscriminately and arbitrarily murdering persons of rival clans that they perceive as opponents. It claims that these clans collaborated with Israel, which is unlikely. This bloodletting is a danger to the Plan’s success. It is essential that the powers that be establish a central governing body in Gaza to stabilize and administer it. More on this later.

According to NBC News many Palestinians fear the resumption of Israel’s offensive in Gaza. They are cognizant of the fact that Netanyahu and other members of his right-wing government have said that the struggle isn’t over yet. Indeed, Netanyahu has maintained that Israel’s “campaign is not over” until Hamas’ fighting capacity has been totally destroyed. Recently, as Israeli planes carried out strikes in Lebanon, he asserted that “some of our enemies are trying to recover in order to attack us again.” Many people have interpreted those comments as a disquieting indication that the halt to the fighting in Gaza did not mean an end to the wider conflict in the region.

The NY Times correctly denoted that persuading Hamas to disarm will be difficult (an understatement in my view). Hamas has steadfastly refused to disarm, and many (including me) doubt that it will. Israel has estimated that there are as many as 18,000 Hamas fighters still at large and armed. Indeed, Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has declared that “the proposed weapons turnover is out of the question and not negotiable.” Conversely, Netanyahu has asserted that “if Hamas does not disarm there will be no further compromises,” and Trump has asserted that Hamas will disarm or “we will disarm them.”

According to the NY Post the Plan is unlikely to reduce the deep and bitter enmity between Israel and the Gazans. On the contrary the Post opines that it will exacerbate as the Israelis ascertain more details of the inhumane treatment of the hostages and as the Gazans return to their homes only to find a pile of rubble. The war has killed close to 70,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, and most of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Moreover, most of the population is still living without adequate access to food, shelter, care and other vital needs. These abhorrent conditions are not sustainable.

As I explained in my previous blog on this topic perhaps, the most problematic bone of contention is the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Support for this two-state solution has been growing internationally. Conversely, the idea is deeply unpopular among Israelis. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll only 21% of Israelis believe their country and a Palestinian state could coexist. This is the smallest percentage ever recorded since the survey commenced in 2013. Recently, when asked to opine on this issue Trump was noncommittal. He said “a lot of people like the one-state solution; some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see.” There is still a plethora of Muslim countries that do not recognize Israel as a country.

The rebuilding of Gaza will be an enormous task. For what it’s worth the UN has estimated that the area is covered with some 50 tons of rubble and debris that would take 30 years to remove completely. Additionally, the area is strewn with live ordnance, which must be removed for obvious reasons. It estimated the cost would be $50 billion, which will probably prove to be an understatement. Trump is expecting the various neighboring Arab nations to pony up the money, but as of yet there have been no volunteers. Furthermore, the area has suffered “brain drain” as many of the skilled and professional people have fled and are unlikely to return.

The issue of who will govern Gaza is another contentious point. The Plan calls for it to be governed initially by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” overseen by a “Board of Peace” led by Trump and others such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Some of the Arab states have suggested the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu has declared he would “never” agree to that.

The situation is fluid and fraught with uncertainty and contradictions. For instance, according to the NY Post Iran has expressed support for terminating the “genocidal war” in Gaza but asserted it will continue to support Hamas “if Israel continues its expansionist and racial plans.” There have already been indications that the Plan is fragile and may not hold together.

Conclusion

As I said, Phase One of the Plan was a rousing success, but there is still much work to be done in order to achieve a lasting peace. For the Plan to succeed will require a considerable amount of time, money and fortitude. It will probably fall to the US to hold the current coalition together. It will be important to prevent the rise of new terrorist groups and to keep guard against outsiders who will seek to take advantage of what they perceive to be a power vacuum.

Finally, once again, one must be mindful of the lessons of history. Often, ill-advised decisions made after a war have sown the seeds for the next one. For example, during WWI the ill-conceived Balfour Declaration was intended to secure Jewish support for the Allied war effort. The declaration boosted the legitimacy of the Zionist movement and influenced the British Mandate for Palestine, leading to increased Jewish immigration and the eventual establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Unfortunately, it was made without the consent of the majority Arab population in Palestine and came after Britain had made conflicting promises of independence to Arab leaders.  This double-dealing, which many historians believe was intentional (since Britain needed both sides’ support to win the war) laid the groundwork for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian wars that have plagued the Middle East ever since.

Also, the Allies’ harsh peace terms foisted upon Germany after WWI planted the seeds for the rise of Hitler and Nazi Party, which led to WWII.

On the positive side we should seek to emulate the success of the Marshall Plan following WWII by which the US propped up the war-torn countries of Europe which, in turn, prevented the spread of communism to those areas.

by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN

First, my standard disclaimer. The following blog constitutes my personal opinion, except where otherwise noted. Feel free to disagree, but to paraphrase the late Leslye Gore, “it’s my blog, and I’ll write what I want to.”

President Trump, whom some detractors unfairly and inaccurately, have labeled a “warmonger,” among many other unsavory characterizations, deserves much praise for attempting to accomplish what many, if not most, observers including me have long opined to be impossible, that is broker a lasting peace in the Middle East. He has proposed a comprehensive 20-point peace plan (the “Plan”), which, as I write this, is being negotiated between the combatants. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister said on Saturday that he hoped to announce the release of the hostages still being held by Hamas, actually an exchange with Palestinian prisoners currently being held by Israel, “in the coming days.” According to the BBC Hamas has said it agrees to the peace plan proposals in part but has not responded to several key demands, including its disarmament and not having any future role in the governance of Gaza.

A senior Israeli security source said that initially the negotiations would focus only on the release of hostages and would give Hamas a few days to complete that phase. The 20-point plan, which has been agreed upon by Trump, Netanyahu and a plethora of other countries worldwide, proposes an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas, only 20 of whom are thought to still be alive, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans and Palestinians.

According to multiple media outlets the Plan is essentially just a framework for a potential deal. It states that within 72 hours of an agreement all remaining hostages would be released. Recently, Trump optimistically told reporters – “We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it’ll be a lasting deal.” He added that the hostages could be released “very soon,” perhaps within one week. I hope he is right, but I remain skeptical. It should be noted that Hamas is not fully onboard yet.

The Plan further stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip.” It also states that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.

The BBC has cautioned that Hamas’ agreement is contingent upon certain “field conditions” being met. What does that mean? Who knows? I view that response as too vague to be meaningful. Don’t forget, the hostages are Hamas’ only bargaining chip. I want to see them freed as much as anyone, but I don’t see why Hamas would willing to release them until a deal has been signed.

More on that below.

All of the above optimism should be taken with a huge grain of salt. After the Plan was announced publicly a week ago, Netanyahu reiterated his longstanding opposition to a Palestinian state, saying in a video statement: “It’s not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state.” In addition, in my view Hamas has been insisting on a Palestinian state and furthermore will not abide by any plan that includes recognizing Israel. That would contradict Hamas’ long held foremost view that Israel is an illegitimate country and has no right to exist. I don’t know how those diametrically opposed positions get reconciled.

The Plan is the closest both sides have come to a deal since the war began two years ago, but I believe it has too many unresolvable points to achieve a lasting peace.

According to the BBC and other media outlets the major impediments to a lasting deal are as follows:

  1. Mutual antipathy– The two sides hate each other and don’t trust each other. Israel rightfully does not trust Hamas to abide by any peace agreement. Hamas’ longstanding goal has been the total destruction of Israel. It has continually refused to recognize Israel as a legitimate country, and it has long maintained that neither Israel nor Jews in general has a right to exist. Hamas is afraid that once the hostages have been released there would be nothing to prevent Israel from completing its stated mission to destroy it once and for all. Israel’s stated goal throughout the war has been the destruction of Hamas, and President Netanyahu has repeatedly reiterated Israel will not stop until [Hamas] is “finished.” This is not a realistic basis for a lasting peace agreement. This alone would likely prevent Hamas from agreeing to the Plan.
  2. Future governance of Gaza – According to The Plan initially Gaza would be governed by a temporary “transitional body of Palestinian technocrats” supervised by a “Board of Peace” headed and chaired by Donald Trump and involving former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Eventually, control would be handed over to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas would not have any role in governance. I don’t see any way that Hamas would agree to that.
  3. Israeli withdrawal – The Plan envisions three stages of Israeli troop withdrawal. The first stage leaves about 55% of Gaza under Israeli control, the second 40%, and the third 15%. That final stage would consist of a “security perimeter” that would “remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.” In my view the vagueness of the wording and lack of a clear timeline for full Israeli withdrawal is problematic.
  4. Hamas’ disarmament – Hamas has consistently refused to disarm until a Palestinian state has been established, and even if they were to agree to do so who would believe them? Conversely, Netanyahu has reiterated consistently that “Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized.” He has vowed to accomplish this “either the easy way or the hard way.”
  5. Netanyahu’s Political Future – Netanyahu is dealing with strong political opposition internally chiefly due to his prosecution of the war. His popularity is waning, and he is facing an election next year. A majority of Israelis are tired of the war and want it to end. They claim he is only continuing the war in Gaza to remain in power. This group is supported by recent polls that have disclosed that approximately 70% of Israelis want the war to end in exchange for the release of the hostages. Conversely a group of far-right members of his cabinet have threatened to dissolve his coalition government if the war were to end before Hamas is completely destroyed. Finally, Netanyahu would likely have to deal with a major corruption trial once the war ends.

Due to the foregoing, I am not optimistic regarding the likelihood of the Plan being agreed upon and even less optimistic that it would last if it were to be.

Hamas has been losing on the field of battle, but it has been winning bigtime in the court of public opinion. This is its biggest advantage, and I believe it has been the biggest impediment to a cessation of hostilities. I believe that Hamas is playing a delaying game in the belief that eventually public opinion will force Israel and the US to agree to more favorable terms. In the meantime, it will play lip service, but it has no intention of agreeing to the Plan.

Since October 7, 2023, open hostility towards Israel and, by extension, Jews in general has been increasing. I believe this antisemitism is not new. It’s always been there. Throughout history it has lain dormant, like a volcano, only to erupt at certain times of stress or misfortune. There have been many examples of this, which I have detailed in previous blogs. However, due to limitations of time and space I will only cite a few current examples to illustrate my point.

  1. Recently, the NY Post reported that the Democratic Socialists of America (which includes Zohran Mamdani as a member) promulgated a resolution in support of boycott, divestment, sanctions and armed resistance against Israel. Moreover, they are threatening to expel any members who do not support this position. According to the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonprofit that tracks extremism, this resolution “signals intensifying ideological rigidity, intolerance and radicalism” towards Israel and Jews. Also, Mamdani’s extreme antipathy toward Jews has been well documented over the years. Accordingly, Matthew Schweber, a member of Columbia University’s Jewish Alumni Association, characterizes him as “unfit to be mayor of NYC.” Inexplicably, polls still show him to have a double-digit lead among NYC Jews in his campaign for mayor. Either they are being gaslighted or just don’t care about his antipathy, but if he wins, they will come to rue the day.
  2. The UN, which is supposed to be neutral, has long been dominated by antisemitic/anti-Israel sentiments. In 1975 it declared Zionism to be “a form of racism.” In the current conflict it ignores the facts and views Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters.” Its current narrative is that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza by blocking shipments of food and other necessities, whereas in reality it is Hamas that is stealing the relief supplies and reselling them on the black market. In the entire history of the world Israel is the only victim of aggression that has been criticized for retaliating against the aggressor.
  3. Various nations, including China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, have already expressed support for a Palestinian state and its membership in the UN. Trump has correctly opined that this would, in effect, reward Hamas for its attack on 10/7/23 and its ongoing terrorism.
  4. Public support for Israel has been waning even in the US. According to a recent NYTimes/Siena University poll only 34% of respondents sympathize with Israel in the current conflict compared to 35% for the Palestinians. Last year a similar poll reported 47% for Israel and 20% or the Palestinians. The same poll reported that 40% of Americans believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians in Gaza whereas the complete opposite is true. Even more disturbing is that 70% of voters under 30 oppose further economic or military aid for Israel. In addition, not surprisingly the same poll reported that 54% of Dems sympathized with the Palestinians

Conclusion

President Trump has worked hard to put this comprehensive Plan together and to garner widespread support for it. For that, he is to be commended. It is yet another example of his oft-stated desire for peace around the world.

That said, in my opinion he is “pissing into the wind.” Based on the foregoing, there is no way that Hamas would feel compelled to agree to the Plan. And, if it does sign it, it will not abide by it.

It knows it is winning the publicity battle, which makes it inclined to delay and delay some more. Quite simply, most of the world hates Jews. Always has; always will. At times this hatred has been covertly lurking just below the service. And then, at other times it has erupted like a volcano. This is not just my opinion; it is a historical fact as I have delineated in various previous blogs. It will not change.

Currently, this antipathy has been extended to Israel as well. It has often been said that the US is Israel’s only friend in the world. As sad as that is, I maintain that it is overly optimistic. I maintain that Trump is Israel’s only friend. Witness the above polls. Unfortunately, Trump will not be president forever. The GOP, which is more supportive than the Dems will not be in power forever either.

American Jews have grown complacent and content. Inevitably, the Dems or the Socialists with their strong antisemitic/anti-Israel faction will gain power. What will happen to Israel and the Jews then? That was a rhetorical question. The answer, based on history, is nothing good.

by Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI

Mayor Zohran Mamdani. That is a phrase that should terrify all Americans. Not just those who live in NYC; all Americans. And yet, there is a good chance it will come to pass. He is the democrat nominee for mayor in a very heavily-democrat city. Currently, 65% of registered voters in NYC identify as Dems, whereas only 11% identify as GOP with the remainder identifying as independent.

As of now there is no viable opponent who has a realistic chance to beat him in the election. He is the clear frontrunner in a field of flawed candidates. According to a recent poll published in the NY Post he is favored by 35% of the voters compared to 25% for Cuomo, 14% for Sliwa and 11% for Adams. In my opinion, Sliwa, being a Republican, has no chance to win. Cuomo and Adams have many detractors and much baggage. In order to have a chance of defeating Mamdani one of them will have to drop out. As of now, neither has shown an inclination to do so.

Some of my readers have told me my blogs are too verbose; they prefer brevity. Well, how’s this for brevity. Zohran Mamdani is a raging antisemitic communist and an existential threat to our democracy who should not be allowed anywhere near Gracie Mansion.

Zo has become the darling of the far left. They and their allies in the media have been portraying him as a “socialist.” In my opinion, that is too benign a characterization that is intended to make him more acceptable to voters. Based on his own past statements I consider him to be a communist. More on that below.

What is the difference? Both ideologies advocate for social ownership and control of the means of production, but they differ in their approaches and ultimate goals.  Generally, socialism results in a more gradual transition, often through democratic means, while communism’s approach is a more radical, even revolutionary, transformation to a stateless, classless society. Think Sweden versus Soviet Russia.  

Zo is a glib, charismatic speaker who captivates his audience. He has tapped into a dissatisfied and disaffected populace. He knows what they want, and he promises he will get it for them. He promises free stuff but is vague on details such as how his policies will work and who will pay for them. Probably, he does not have the foggiest conception of the answers to those troublesome details. As we all know, nothing is really free. Somehow, somewhere, somebody has to pay for it. As they say in Texas, “he is all hat, no cattle.”

Below please find a list of Zo’s qualifications and experience that qualify him to govern the largest city in America with all its diversity and problems:

1.

2.

3.

Hey, you say, it’s blank. You left something out. No, I didn’t. Zo has no qualifications or experience that would qualify him to be mayor. None.

Many of the policies he has been advocating could have been written by Karl Marx. They are straight out of the Soviet playbook. They sound outlandish, superficial, and unrealistic to any sane person. Some are likely illegal. Furthermore, based on much empirical evidence we know they are doomed to fail. There is a plethora of examples of this, but the best ones are the Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela.

Some examples of them, which I have gleaned from published reports and his own words in interviews, are as follows:

  1. Seize all private property. He doesn’t like it that a few people have accumulated so much, and the many others have little or nothing. I take this to include homes, money and everything else. He would “guarantee each person housing.”
  2. Defund the police. Require some of their duties to be handled by social workers. Picture a social worker handling a domestic violence situation, which police acknowledge is the most dangerous situation. “Sir, tell me why you beat your wife? What are your feelings? Did your father beat you? Did your mom lock you in a closet? Yeah, right.
  3. He has “questioned the purpose of prisons and jails,” which does not augur well for dealing with crime.
  4. Zohran would immediately freeze the rent for all stabilized tenants and use every available resource to build the housing New Yorkers need and bring down rents.
  5. He wants to enhance NYC’s sanctuary city apparatus by eliminating ICE from of all NYC facilities and ending any cooperation with the agency, increasing legal support for migrants, and protecting all their personal data. He would make NYC an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city. 
  6. He advocates free bus service and raising the minimum wage to $30.
  7. He advocates making all schools “green” and the curricula for K-12 being controlled by the state.
  8. He would create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low and not making a profit. This would be the death knell of small privately owned businesses who would be unable to compete.
  9. These are bad enough, but his worst is his unabashed, blatant antisemitism. He has consistently refused to condemn the concept of a global intifada against Jews. Note, NYC has the highest Jewish population of any city other than Tel Aviv, 1.3 million. Many of them lean liberal and traditionally vote Democrat. Would they support an antisemitic communist? Maybe, especially if they were unaware of his real policies and beliefs. As I have written in previous blogs many US Jews take their safety and security for granted, which history has demonstrated over and over again is misguided.
  10. He plans to raise the money for these grandiose policies by increasing the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and imposing additional taxes on the wealthy. He does not believe there should be any billionaires anyway. The math doesn’t work, but Zoh is not concerned with that troublesome detail.

Conclusion

Everyone likes “free stuff,” but there is no such thing. As we have all seen, the problem with socialism/communism is that it is a corrupt, dictatorial type of government, and sooner or later you run out of “other people’s money.” The super-rich will find ways to avoid paying the increased taxes. In addition, those with the means to flee do so. This has already begun in NYC and will certainly accelerate if Zo were to be elected. All that will be left is a hollowed out middle and working class and those without the means to leave.

As I said above, Mamdani’s policies are outlandish, unrealistic, and will not work. Mamdani is a glib, charismatic speaker, however, and he has managed to gaslight a sizeable portion of the electorate. He has received strong support from the far left, such as “Uncle Bernie” and the “Squad.” Much of his financial support is being provided by out-of-state far left organizations and perhaps even foreign entities. They want him to succeed so as to provide a duly elected communist beachhead in the US.

So-called moderate Dems are afraid to criticize him. Most of them will not even characterize him as a “communist,” although clearly, he is. Same with the media.

Once again, (Up)Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, has swallowed his tongue. He is Jewish and represents NY, yet he has refused to speak out. In my view, he has no integrity, no courage. I consider him to be a coward and a disgrace to the Jewish people. President Trump has labeled him the “Palestinian Senator.” No wonder he sports an approval rating of under 20%. Politically, he is a “dead man walking.”

One final note. To those who know their history Mamdani is reminiscent of another glib, charismatic rabble-rouser who gaslighted a desperate, disaffected populace, an Austrian with the family name Schicklgruber. We all know him as Adolph Hitler.

by Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

DERANGED, DISILLUSIONED, DANGEROUS DEMS

In my opinion, most of the Dems and their allies in the media have been deranged and disillusioned with respect to Donald Trump for ten years now, even before he became president. They seem unable to act rationally with respect to him and his actions. Anything he is for they are against. ANYTHING, regardless of whether or not it is rational, logical or in the bests interest of the country and its citizens. I have discussed this in various previous blogs. In this case I maintain they have crossed the line of human decency. See below for some examples. They have also become downright dangerous. See below.

Their actions have gone way beyond honest political disagreement. Political disagreements can be resolved, provided that each side has respect for the other and his or her point of view. That’s the way it has always been in D. C. – until the last ten years. Every time I think their actions have hit a low point, they go even lower. It’s as if they are practicing the limbo. (“How low can you go.”) Now, in my view, they have also become deranged and dangerous.

There have been many examples of this in the last several months, but in the interest of brevity I will cite only two.

  1. The Kerrville, TX flood. Kerrville is located in the area of the Texas Hill Country known as “Flash Flood Alley.” In the recent past county officials had discussed paying to install enhanced flood warning systems, but they never followed through due to budgetary issues. So, when the flood came in the wee hours of July 4 such systems weren’t in place. The flood was among the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history. Already, it is the second deadliest flood, after the 1921 flood in San Antonio that killed 215 people. I think we can all agree that this was a horrific tragedy on a massive scale, a once in a century flood caused by torrential rains that caused the nearby Guadalupe River to rise 27 feet in a mere 45 minutes in the middle of the night. The campers and counselors were all asleep and many never had a chance. As I write this, multiple sources have confirmed at least 120 fatalities, including 59 adults and 36 children in Kerr County alone, and an additional 173 unaccounted for who are likely also dead. The property damage is incalculable at this time. The nexus of the devastation was a girls’ summer camp, Camp Mystic, which abuts the Guadalupe River.

Imagine you are a seven-year-old girl camper perhaps away from home for the first time. You’re a little nervous to be away from home. You’re awakened in the middle of the night to a scene of chaos with a 20+ foot wall of water heading toward you. Maybe you escape; maybe you don’t; but either way it is a frightening experience. Either you perish in a most horrific way, or luckily you survive, but you are likely seriously traumatized.

Alternatively, imagine that you are a parent of that child, and you hear the news that no parent should ever hear. Your child is missing or dead. This is what the people of Kerr County and surrounding counties are experiencing now.

In the current situation what is needed is a helping hand from federal, state and local disaster relief agencies. What you need is the rescue or recovery of your loved ones. What you need is food, shelter, clothes, etc. What you don’t need is accusations, second-guessing, ass-covering, and political grandstanding. What you don’t need is government agencies blaming each other. What we certainly don’t need is people with little knowledge of the facts bloviating nonsense on tv and jumping to conclusions. There will be a thorough investigation in due course, and hopefully appropriate action will be taken.

Yes, there should have been a better early warning system. That said, what you don’t need is Dem politicians like Eric Swalwell, Rachid Talib, Joaquin Castro, and left-wing media outlets politicizing the situation by blaming Trump and his DOGE policies, race and climate change as they do for any negative event or development. These are their “go to” criticisms. They have nothing else to offer. You will notice they never offer any resolutions, just criticisms.

Castro opined that “climate change is obviously a part of it.” When did he become a meteorology expert? Sade Perkins, a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board, was one who played the “race card,” one of the Dems’ favorite tactics, which unfortunately often gets traction in the mainstream media. She posted an inane video suggesting that the intense media coverage of the event was because the young girls who were killed at a summer camp in the flood’s path were white. 

CNN “climate experts” commented that “these floods are happening more often,” without offering any explanation or cogent analysis. Finally, what you don’t need is a newspaper like the NY Times exacerbating the situation by denoting that “several of the cabins were built on extremely hazardous floodways where water moves at its highest velocity and depth.” That was a story characteristic of a fringe “rag” publication, not a mainstream newspaper.

Folks, it was a once in a century natural disaster. We don’t control the weather. The right course of action is to (1) support the rescue or recovery of the missing victims, (2) provide whatever assistance is needed to the area residents, and (3) once the dust settles work in concert to enhance the early warning systems so as to mitigate the chances of a recurrence. I say to Dems: in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy such as this show some empathy and decency for a change.

Several meteorologists have pushed back in recent days on Democrat claims that the Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA, NWS and other government agencies directly contributed to the tragedy.  Meteorologist Chris Martz posted on X that “[t]he event has nothing to do with climate change, and the tragedy had nothing to do with DOGE cuts. If you are someone who has exploited this catastrophe because you just don’t like Trump, you need to take a serious look in the mirror.”

Tom Fahy, legislative director for the NWSEO, told NBC News that weather forecasting offices were adequately staffed, and “they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm.”

Texas-based meteorologist Avery Tomasco opined, “All I’ll say is this. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Kerr County more than 12 hours ahead of the catastrophic flood. A flash flood warning was issued for Hunt & Ingram Counties three hours before the Guadalupe started to climb. They did their job, and they did it well.”

Tom Fahy, legislative director for NWSEO, contradicted Dem criticisms that staffing reductions contributed to the tragedy. He told NBC News that weather forecasting offices were adequately staffed, and “they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm.”

2. Interference with ICE Personnel

You may not concur with the politics of ICE detaining, arresting and deporting migrants, but it is incumbent upon you to be cognizant of the fact that according to ICE.gov interfering with an ICE arrest is a crime and can result in serious legal consequences.  Moreover, it could jeopardize your own safety and that of others. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union this includes actions such as physically blocking officers, hiding individuals they are trying to arrest, or refusing to cooperate with their lawful requests. These actions are bad enough, but some lefty politicians and activists are taking it one step further. They are trying to ascertain and disclose the identities and addresses of the ICE agents, which endangers their physical safety and that of their families. (This has led to many of the agents’ wearing masks, which of course has also been criticized. You may recall that many of the rioters on college campuses have been wearing masks, but of course the lefties have not objected to that.) Clearly, these people have crossed the line and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

As if that isn’t bad enough several elected officials, such as CA Governor Gavin Newsome, LA Mayor Karen Bass, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, have threatened to openly defy ICE and have encouraged others to do so, violently if necessary. There is widespread concern that their words and actions could spur some unhinged lefty to murder an ICE agent and/or his family. I am not a lawyer, but in my opinion, they are engaged in sedition, which is defined as the act of inciting rebellion or violence against a lawful government.  Sedition can involve speech, writing, or other actions that encourage people to disobey or resist the established authority.  Sedition is a serious offense that can be prosecuted as a crime.  This is the crime that the Dems accused Trump of with respect to the January 6 protests. In my view sedition is a criminal or perhaps an impeachable offense. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have vowed to prosecute offenders “to the fullest extent of the law,” so we’ll see what happens.

Conclusion

Once again, the Dems and their lefty allies, thanks to their mindless opposition to anything “Trump,” have planted themselves firmly on the wrong side of an issue. Once again, the far-left lunatics are in the forefront of the Dem Party. I, for one, am so sick of this. Where are the moderate Dems? Are they hiding in their basement? Are there any left? PA Senator John Fetterman is the only Dem official whom I have heard take a moderate tone.

Where is the Senate Majority Leader (Up)Chuck Schumer whom Trump has aptly labeled the “Palestinian Senator.” Could he maybe try to step up and tell these radicals to moderate the discourse? Apparently not. He’s too afraid of them who hate him anyway. According to recent polls his approval rating is a well-deserved 17%.

This is not a time to criticize and politicize. This is a time for empathy and compassion. People are dead! Children are dead! People’s lives have been devastated! The Dems have to wake the hell up.

by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

HARVARD’S SHAMEFUL ANTISEMITIC CULTURE EXPOSED

In the last year or so I have published various blogs regarding Harvard University’s longstanding and well-entrenched antisemitic culture, both overt and covert, which dates back at least to the early 20th century. This was minimized or ignored by most of the media and the federal government until the current administration. To be fair, Harvard is not by any means the sole perpetrator; many other universities are guilty as well. However, for purposes of brevity I will focus this blog on Harvard.

Recently, this long-festering problem has come to a head. I attribute this primarily to two events: (1) the plethora of vitriolic and malevolent protests on campus incited by the far left and foreign radical groups and (2) the election of Donald Trump. The aforementioned protests have been excessive on many levels. The civil rights of Jewish students are being routinely violated. They have been subjected to intimidation, ridicule and violence in the classroom, in the dorms, and on campus and have generally been obstructed from pursuing the college education to which they are entitled and for which they have paid.

In Trump we finally have a president who has the mandate and the will to address and resolve this problem. This is one of the problems he campaigned to address and was elected to address. He has various powers at his disposal to compel these universities to cease and desist, and they know he will use them. More on this later. As we all know Trump says what he means and means what he says.

The university’s current president, Alan Garber seems to be trying to address this problem. As reported in the NY Post and various other media outlets recently the university commissioned two task forces comprised of both students and faculty, to conduct a thorough and objective analysis of antisemitic, anti-Isreal and anti-Muslim/Palestinian bias. They interviewed over 500 members of the “Harvard community.”

Their recently published reports are particularly damning. According to the Post they opined that “decades of woke activism have destroyed Harvard University and turned it into a cesspool of antisemitism.” They cited as examples “cruel and hateful posts” with respect to Jews, Israel and the Holocaust. Furthermore, some protesters unveiled a poster of Garber, who is Jewish, featuring “devil horns and a tail.”

Moreover, the studies contended that Harvard has “failed to live up to its mission including stifling diversity of thought and denying historical facts to prop up activist political agendas.” One faculty member told a Wall Street Journal reporter anonymously that if the current culture remained unresolved satisfactorily it could “pose an existential threat” [to the university].

The reports denoted that some members of the faculty are as biased as the protesters. These biases are routinely manifested in their lectures. For example, it was reported that one professor asserted that the Jewish people have “no historical connection” to Israel,” which is not only historically inaccurate but also grossly inflammatory. Other faculty members were linked to pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups.

Conclusion

As stated above President Trump has a variety of remedies at his disposal. For instance, he has frozen some $2.2 billion in federal grants due to HU. (According to published reports the federal government provides Harvard with some $9 billion of federal contracts, and grants annually.) Additionally, the university enjoys a tax-exempt status.

Today’s NY Post reported that Trump intends to make good on his threats. He announced that he intends to strip HU of its tax-exempt status on the grounds that it is not in compliance with the requirements of it pursuant to the tax code, namely it is failing to operate in the “public interest,” and it is failing to “operate exclusively for public educational purposes.”

These actions will likely be challenged in the courts, but nevertheless the message to HU and other universities is clear. The established order is unacceptable, has no place in our educational system, and will no longer be tolerated. Trump was elected to root out bias in our educational system, and he intends to do just that. Academia would be wise to take him seriously.

by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

. .

by Tags: , , , Leave a comment

MY NIGHTMARE

I am living in a nightmare, a horrible, never-ending nightmare from which I fear there will be no waking up. So are all of you, except the difference is I am cognizant of it, whereas many of you are not.

What nightmare, you say? Simply put, we are on the cusp of electing a true Marxist/Communist as president of the US. I never thought I would see the day, but in five weeks I may. We are about to do to ourselves what Russia, China, Germany, Japan, and all of our other enemies through the years have not been able to do. We have repelled all those who would take away our freedoms, who would destroy our way of life.

What no one has been able to do to us, we are about to do to ourselves. Who, you may ask? Why, you may ask? If you don’t know, that is the root cause of the problem. The “who” is easy. It’s Kamala Harris, AKA “Komrade Kamala.” The why is more complicated.

The best answer I can ascertain is that half the country has a deranged, irrational, unwarranted, misguided hatred for KK’s opponent, Donald Trump. Many of them don’t know why they hate him so much; they just know that they do. It’s not necessarily his policies; it’s him, personally. They continue to parrot what they hear from his opponents and the biased media. “He’s evil; he’s a Nazi; he’s Hitler; he’s a threat to democracy; he’s a tool of the Russians; he’s Putin’s pal; if he were to become president, he will be a dictator; he will never leave office.” As I have discussed in previous blogs, these characterizations are preposterous. They have no basis in fact. None. He already was president. You may not have agreed with some or all of his policies. That is your right. But he was not a dictator.

When he lost his bid for re-election he left office voluntarily. Sure, he questioned the veracity of the result, but it was his right to do so, particularly since it was a very close election. This was not unique. I have discussed this issue in a previous blog, and there is no need to repeat it all now. Suffice to say, students of history will recall that many other losers have challenged election results all the way back to Andrew Jackson challenging his defeat by John Quincy Adams in 1824. Hillary Clinton is still claiming she won in 2016. The media doesn’t criticize her for that.

Labelling him as “evil,” “Hitler,” or a “Nazi” is not only false; it is dangerous, provocative, irresponsible, and disrespectful of the memory of the millions whom the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust. One may disagree with some or all of Trump’s policies, but those who label them as those of a Nazi are merely showing their ignorance of what the Nazis really did. Hitler was in a class by himself with respect to “evil.” I trust I don’t need to edify you as to what he did. Finally, one should be careful when one labels an opposing politician as “evil.” Serial killers are evil. Mass murders are evil. Terrorists who murder innocent people are evil. A politician who espouses a different opinion than you is not evil. To label him or her as such gives a deranged, unbalanced person the idea that he has license to murder that person. As a matter of fact, many people believe that was the root cause of the two attempted assassinations of Donald Trump.

On the other hand, most of KK’s supporters, due to ignorance or inattentiveness, are unaware of KK’s true values and policies. Indeed, I have talked to many of them and invariably they don’t have the foggiest notion of most of KK’s policies. No one does, probably not even KK herself. Their reasons are a version of, “well, she seems nice;” or “she would be the first woman of color to be president;” or “she’s better than Joe Biden;” or “she’s not Trump.”

Those are ridiculous reasons. Anyone who votes for her on that basis without understanding her policies and their effect on him or her and the country as a whole is acting irresponsibly. Such a person is making a mockery of the precious and sacred right to vote. It is incumbent upon each of us to do at least a modicum of research so we can vote from knowledge, not ignorance.

I can understand why so many people are being gaslighted. KK rarely speaks in public, and when she does it is highly controlled, highly scripted, with a teleprompter, and with a friendly journalist who will ask softball questions and won’t ask follow-up or clarifying questions. She only speaks in platitudes, slogans, or generalities. She is mendacious. All candidates exaggerate, obfuscate, and twist the facts. She has taken it to an extreme. She downright lies. She knows a compliant media will not challenge her nor fact-check her.

I could write an entire blog on this, but I will give you one glaring example. Abortion has been and still is a “hot button” issue. In fact, it is probably the only issue the Dems have, even if it is specious and spurious at this point. KK is or should be cognizant of this. Nevertheless, she has been claiming that Trump is in favor of a national ban on abortion. That is simply not true. He has never said that. In fact, he has said he supports the recent SCOTUS ruling. Additionally, even if he wanted to it would not be within his power to enact such a ban. Pursuant to the recent SCOTUS ruling it is up to the citizens of each state to decide its own abortion law. There is no longer a standard national abortion policy, nor should there be. No one person or group of persons should be allowed to impose their beliefs on the entire country.

KK won’t disclose any specifics, because she knows that if the voters were aware of what they truly were she would lose in a landslide. So far, with the assistance of a biased media, she is getting away with this strategy. She has been answering all questions with the same canned responses such as she wants to “help the middle class, the rich should pay their fair share [whatever that is], and everyone should have the same opportunity to succeed.” She never explains specifically how she will achieve these goals, nor why she has not done so in the past 3 1/2 years, nor why she isn’t doing so right now. This should tell you that she is, in the words of Joe Biden, “full of malarkey.”

In my opinion, if you’re going to vote for a person who intends to wipe out 275 years of the best political, economic and social system the world has ever seen at least have the facts, at least be aware of what you are doing. In my experience, most of her supporters are not, don’t know, or don’t want to know. As my good friend and loyal reader Rich F. is fond of saying, “my mind’s already made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.”

All they know is they hate Trump. Why? What did he do? What did he say. Many of them don’t know, and they don’t care. They just hate him, and they refuse to vote for him. My friends, that is irrational. They believe that by not voting for Trump they are punishing him. Not true. They would be punishing themselves, as the saying goes, “cutting off their nose to spite their face.”

Yes, Trump would be disappointed. No one likes to lose. But he would quickly recover. He would return to his previous life, which was just fine thank you very much. On the other hand, the rest of us would be left to suffer the consequences, which would not be pretty. Hence, my nightmare.

Our Founding Fathers would be rolling over in their graves. All the people who died for this country in all the wars we have fought for some 275 years would be rolling over in their graves. Your children and grandchildren will be wondering “what in the hell were you thinking.”

by Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – DEAL OR NO DEAL

I will spare you the suspense. The answer is NO DEAL.

Since the advent of the Israel-Hamas war the Biden-Harris Administration has been pushing for a cease fire followed by a negotiated peace between Israel and Hamas with a two-state solution. At a cursory glance, this may sound like a reasonable resolution as it would, in theory, free the hostages and stop the killing. However, anyone who understands the root causes of the war and the motivations of Iran, Hamas and the other terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, would realize this is a pipedream. It was doomed from the start. It will never happen. Neither side is motivated to negotiate a peace at the present time, and neither side is in favor of a two-state solution. I will explain below.

In order to comprehend the current mindset of the combatants one must understand the history of the area. Briefly, Muslims and Jews have been fighting over the ME for thousands of years. Each has what it believes is a legitimate claim to the area. Each side considers Jerusalem and the surrounding area to be central and indispensable to its religion. Each refers to the area as The Holy Land. In my opinion, throughout history religion has been one of the most frequent (if not the most frequent) causes of wars.

Israel has been in a constant state of war since even before its founding in 1948. At one time or another it has fought against all of the Arab states in the ME, some of them multiple times, often fighting several states at once. Moreover, it has been a frequent victim of terrorist attacks. Try to imagine what it’s like to live in a constant state of war.

The Arabs’ objective has always been and still is to drive the Jews out of the area, better yet to wipe them out. That is part of Hamas’ charter. Israel’s objective is merely to survive. So far, Israel has won every war despite the heavy odds against it. It fights with a sense of desperation and determination since it knows it cannot afford to lose even one war.

At this point it realizes as do many of us that it must eliminate Hamas entirely as a threat. Otherwise, history tells that prospectively there will another attack, and another, and another, until one time the Arabs will win. If that were to happen Israel would be destroyed. So, Israel is fighting for its very survival. Each side wants total victory. Neither side wants a negotiated peace that will fall short of its objective.

The US has always been a staunch ally of Israel and vice a versa since 1948. They have developed and maintained a symbiotic relationship. The US’s support is vital to Israel’s survival, and Israel has been the US’s only reliable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME. This goes for every Administration, whether Republican or Democrat, whether liberal or conservative. Every Administration, that is, until now.

BH either don’t understand this or are choosing to ignore it for political reasons. BH have tried to undermine Israel’s war effort from the inception. For example:

  1. Despite the horrific attacks on October 7, they have urged Israel to use “restraint” ignoring the basic tenant that as the attacked country Israel has a right, duty and obligation to retaliate in any manner it sees fit.
  2. They have slow-walked or even withheld aid.
  3. When Israel retaliated in force as any country would they tried to undermine Prime Minister Netanyahu. They even advocated that he resign.
  4. Many considered these actions and others to be blatant and unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of an ally.
  5. By refusing to reinstate the economic sanctions against Iran they have enabled it to continue to wreak havoc in several parts of the world. In fact, it can be argued that presently Iran is the nexus of instability in the world. (a) It is supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis politically, militarily and financially. In addition to Hamas’ attack, Hezbollah has fired some 7,500 rockets at Israel during the war. (Israel retaliated in a small, but clever, way by the “exploding pagers” caper that killed and wounded several Hezbollah terrorists and unfortunately some civilians.) The Houthis have been causing unrest in Yemen. (b) It has been aiding for Russia in its war against Ukraine. (c) It is probably funding all the anti-Israel, antisemitic protests in the US. (d) It is likely engaging in election interference in the 2024 presidential election. It wants Harris to beat Trump because it knows she will be a “soft touch,” whereas Trump will likely reinstate sanctions and curtail its influence in the world. To that end it has hacked the Trump campaign’s website, provided confidential election material to Harris’ campaign, and possibly has been attempting to assassinate Trump.
  6. The White House has been pressuring Israel to accept a series of flawed cease fire and peace deals in order to, it claims, secure the return of the hostages and save military and civilian lives. Everyone agrees with those goals, but the details of each of those deals were extremely disadvantageous to Israel. For example, they would have allowed Iran to continue its destabilizing activities and would have enabled Hamas to retain its fighting capabilities and its leadership, which would have virtually guaranteed another war at some point. Thus, these flawed deals may have forged a temporary peace, but they would not have constituted a permanent solution.
  7. It is clear to me and many others that these actions were politically motivated. It is an election year, and a sizeable section of the Dem Party is pro-Hamas/anti-Israel/antisemitic. BH are trying to placate those people to win an election regardless of the consequences. They are trying to walk a fine line by paying lip service to Israel and its supporters without losing the support of these radicals.

Conclusion

As I said above, any peace deal that includes a two-state solution is dead on arrival. Neither side is in favor of it. The Israelis want to finish off Hamas as an effective fighting force. Hamas wants to annihilate Israel and all the Jews. It wants all the land “from the river to the sea.” That is their mantra. I say, take them at their word.

BH are either not cognizant of that fact or refuse to acknowledge it. Their ill-conceived, ill-advised policies have prolonged the war and will end up costing more lives. Furthermore, they refuse to comprehend that Iran is the primary instigator of instability in the region and the world at large. They will have to deal with Iran one way or another before any lasting, meaningful peace can be achieved.

So far, this has been another failed BH policy, one of many. It reminds me of that familiar disparaging expression, “everything they touch turns to s**t.”

Many Jews may hate Trump for various reasons, which have been well-chronicled. But one thing is for certain. Right now, he is the best friend Israel has, and its survival may hinge on his winning the election.

by Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

2ND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP

This is unbelievable, unacceptable and unprecedented. Just nine weeks after Trump was nearly assassinated while speaking at a rally in Butler, PA there was a second attempt. As you all know by now, on Sunday Trump was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, FL. A gunman, armed with an SKS rifle was able to create a sniper’s nest in some bushes bordering the sixth and seventh holes of the course and lie in wait for some 12 hours for Trump to pass by. Only by a stroke of luck was the Secret Service able to thwart him.

An alert SS agent was walking the course one hole head of Trump when he spotted a rifle peeking through some bushes bordering a chain link fence between the sixth and seventh holes. In a matter of minutes Trump would be passing by at which time the would-be assassin would have had a clear shot from some 300 yards away. A shot like that is so easy that the chances of the gunman failing to kill Trump would have been minimal. The agent fired at the man who then fled. An alert private citizen was able to note the license plate on his car, and the police were able to apprehend him in short order.

America is no stranger to assassinations and assassination attempts of presidents and presidential candidates. According to Wikipedia there have been numerous attempted assassinations of both presidents and presidential candidates, too many to list them all here. The first was Andrew Jackson in 1835 while he was president.

According to my research there have been three attempted assassinations of presidential candidates prior to Trump. Teddy Roosevelt and George Wallace were wounded, and RFK was killed. Four sitting presidents have been assassinated. How many can you name? You get bonus points if you can also name the year. See the answers below.

Decent people can take a deep breath that the attempt failed, but there are a multitude of questions that need to be addressed prospectively. For example, according to multiple media outlets:

  1. The area in which the assassin was nesting was well known not only to the SS but also to others as well. Apparently, it has been a favorite hiding place for paparazzi seeking to take surreptitious photographs of celebrities. So why was it left unattended?
  2. Obviously, Trump’s SS protection has been inadequate. Why wasn’t it enhanced after the first attempt on his life?
  3. Is it a problem with manpower, training, funding, planning, leadership, a combination of the foregoing, or something else more sinister? Could certain people who view Trump as a threat to democracy, or worse, be embroiled in a conspiracy to intentionally leave Trump vulnerable? Food for thought.
  4. Routh was able to construct a sniper’s nest and hang out for some 12 hours without being noticed. Why? How?
  5. Security at the Trump National Doral, where Trump also plays frequently, is similarly lacking.
  6. Only the golf course in Bedminster, NJ seems to provide appropriate and adequate security for Trump when he plays there. For one thing, the police restrict public access by closing down nearby roads.
  7. The SS admitted that it failed to “sweep” the golf course beforehand, but it failed to provide a reasonable excuse. In addition, it stated that it didn’t have the resources to protect Trump on a golf course. That is absurd on its face. Many presidents have played golf from Eisenhower to Obama, and the SS managed to protect them just fine.
  8. Why didn’t the SS have a drone on site. It doesn’t take a lot of manpower to operate a drone, and they provide an extra layer of security.
  9. The Palm Beach County sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, disclosed that Trump’s SS detail was “lighter” because he is not the president, only a candidate. This strikes me as illogical, inane, ill-advised, and incredulous, and if true, needs to be rectified immediately. Common sense, which as we all know is not common, holds that Trump is not your typical candidate. He is a controversial figure whose enemies both political and non-political, have vilified him ceaselessly. Therefore, he is much more likely to be attacked. He has been twice already, and the likelihood is there will be more attempts. He definitely needs a higher level of protection.
  10. The federal government claims the SS is short of manpower and money. Biden and Schumer have claimed that Congress needs to pass an appropriations bill to resolve the matter. In the words of Joe Biden, that is pure “malarky.” According to published reports the SS budget is $3.8 billion. Furthermore, if more funds are needed the feds have the power to reallocate funds from other agencies, such as Homeland or the FBI, especially for an “emergency,” which this clearly is. Also, the SS could “borrow” law enforcement personnel from the state or local police. Of course, this would require a certain degree of coordination and cooperation, which, as we saw in Butler, seems to be another deficiency. In my opinion, by the time Congress passed such a bill it would be weeks if not months. The election would be over, and Trump could very well be dead. Besides, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and others have opined that the problem is a “manpower allocation [issue], not a funding issue.” I would agree.
  11. Routh is clearly unbalanced. For instance, he had published a book in which he openly called for Trump’s assassination. Moreover, in April he tweeted that “democracy is on the ballot, and we can’t lose. … You can’t lose if your opponent [Trump] is dead.” Those actions should have landed him on the FBI’s radar. Somehow, it didn’t.
  12. Incredibly, much of the mainstream media has been praising Roof as a “super-citizen” and a “crusader for causes.” Huh?
  13. Where has Mayorkas been? As head of Homeland Security he should have been all over this. He has been MIA, just like he has been regarding the border and everything else for which he is responsible.
  14. The best news I have heard is that Governor Ron DeSantis has directed Florida law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation. He is one person who will get answers, which have been sorely lacking.

I maintain that the continued vilification of Trump by his political opponents and the mainstream media is the chief cause of the two assassination attempts. It is one thing to disagree with him politically. That’s protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, but in my opinion characterizing him as “evil,” a “Nazi,” “Hitler,” or an “existential threat to democracy” as they have done and continue to do crosses the line. Rather than try to calm emotions the Dems and their allies in the media have doubled down on the vitriol. For example, just today, Hillary Clinton referred to Trump as “a danger to our country.” Even worse, various bloviators on CNN and MSNBC blamed Trump and the GOP for the attempted assassination and accused them of trying to “rile up” their political base. Truly, they are suffering from a terminal case of TDS.

In our political system we are free to disagree with political opponents. That does not make them “evil.” These above characterizations merely incite unbalanced persons to violence, which is exactly what we are seeing now. Biden, Harris and their allies in the Dem Party, the media, and elsewhere need to tone it down. It is irresponsible, and furthermore it is not true. Have they forgotten what Hitler did? Maybe so, which is a whole other problem.

CONCLUSION

Trump’s haters and opponents have been trying everything to defeat him for nine years for example, falsely accusing him of treason, insurrection and being a threat to democracy, impeachment, rigged Stalin-style “show trials,” imprisonment, disqualifying him from the ballot in certain states, and now assassination. He has prevailed every time, so far. As I said above, there have been two assassination near-misses in just nine weeks. It is clear that the policies and procedures of his SS protection detail are insufficient and need to be addressed. Is anyone doing that? I hope so, but I don’t know.

The impressionable crazies out there will keep trying. We have been lucky so far. The law of averages dictates that we can’t be lucky every time. The assassin only has to be lucky once. I fear that sooner later one of them will succeed in assassinating Trump, and no sane person wants that. Note, I said sane.

One could characterize some of Trump’s critics as deranged, but that is a subject for another blog at another time. By the way, has anyone thought through the constitutional crisis that would result if Trump were, in fact assassinated while still a candidate or if he were the president-elect?

Quiz answer: Abraham Lincoln – 1865; James Garfield – 1881; William McKinley – 1901; and JFK – 1963.

by Tags: , , , Leave a comment