Hip Boots

14 Monday Jul 2025

Posted by in Washington DC Swamp

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        There is an old saying my generation uses when the flip side of an issue occurs and the people who were against the first side are quiet after the flip. It is “The shoe is on the other foot now”. I remember the prime movers of Watergate were Democrats but many Republicans joined to oust President Nixon. That bi-partisanship was notable. I remember the Republican created scandals involving the Clinton’s and their finances. Another is the Billy Carter Beer endorsement. Recently it is the money the Obama’s has made selling their biographies after they left Washington. Of course, we can’t forget Hunter Biden doing the same thing the Bush boys did with their Daddy’s job. The other party usually made a scandal out of the situation real or created.

            Today’s antics, graft, and corruption in the Oval Office and in much of the administration is like hip boots to the bath slippers of past Presidents. We just heard the convicted and imprisoned leader of the gangster disciples was freed from Federal Prison after his sister donated $1,500,000 to Trump’s campaign fund. It is over $600 million now and he wants it to reach one billion. This isn’t the first time he has pardoned a felon for money. One felon pardoning another!

            The corruption in Trump’s business dealings is evident because they are usually announced by the White House Media People. The ear of the President can be bought by buying a million or two of his stable coin and attending the dinner for the big donators in the White House. The biggest buyers get face time.

            When will the cowered Republicans finally act? The scandals already require hip boots.
When will the Republicans need chest waders to wade in the Trump swamp? The order of this presidency has encircled the world. They know he can be bought and are doing it with a plane, loans, partnerships, or land. How far is President Trump willing to go?

Things Change

30 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by in Cultural Change, Racism

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Things are constantly changing for good or bad. Life used to be fairly simple compared to how we see them now. I was born and grew up in Southern Illinois in a town with only a 3,000 population. It wasn’t until high school I knew we had an extended family of ethnic Germans in the county. They were in a different school district for grade school. We had no non-white people living in the county and the only religious strife was Baptists sects against each other and both against the Pentecostal and Catholics. No fighting but lots of meaningless debating. It was a rare county to some extent because we had no non-white people in it. My family wasn’t racist because of my mother.

            At the time most of the names I knew were English so when I went to college I encountered other colors and saw nothing to be concerned about. They were just people like me. My first knowledge of racism in the Southern states was a girl who had moved up for junior college from a Jim Crow state. She had a huge inferiority complex and was uncomfortable around the rest of us and talking with us scared her. I hope she overcame it.

            My source of the wider world was the television and its programs. I had seldom watched the news so a university with Viet Nam protests and veterans, racial strife with Martin Luther King’s murder, studying population, food, and climate change was an eye opener. I started watching the national and international news and now I am a news junkie.

            Age old American Companies are now owned by foreign companies with CEOs who have distinct accents from the rest of the world. The internet companies have ethnic Asian Founders and CEOs. Oh, I have several Asian friends and my niece and nephew married into that ethnic German culture. Times have changed for the better for me but I still live in the good old days.

The bad is evident and I think the invention pushed by Al Gore is the basis for much of today’s problems. The newspapers and television were worried about not telling the truth about something and getting sued. Today we have media on the TV and internet that are so completely as to be propaganda status.

            Civility in politics has gone for the most part. Name calling and demeaning an opponent’s race and sex is now common. Having an immoral and despicable personality means nothing for millions of people. Lying has become an art form for some politicians. Religious people who run from any person wanting their vote now say they are not the second coming. What has happened to morals being their basis for supporting a person?

            Climate change has finally become evident with record high temperatures, and five hundred and thousand year storms are occurring every year. Home often are still in repair when another swamps it. Where I live in Northern Illinois a winter night reaching zero is extremely rare. Just a few decades ago that was a high temperature for days. Insects that burrowed down froze and died, but today the ground barely freezes.

My Favorite Teachers

28 Saturday Jun 2025

Posted by in Education

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        My high school years were in McLeansboro, Illinois where I had very good teachers and a terrible one. He taught Geography and his method of teaching was for each student to read a paragraph out of the textbook. I counted the number of students before me so I knew which was my paragraph and did something else until my turn. About a week into the quarter the Principal said he had some seats in shop if anyone wanted to change. My hand shot up first. Oddly I have a Master’s of Science in Geography.

            One of my two favorite teachers was Mr. Arnold, the shop teacher. He taught me how to design a house which I did and built it out of Balsa wood. Twelve years later I designed and did much of the work on the house I live in now. I wired it, did the plumbing and hot water heat, painted and paneled it. Without him I wouldn’t have thought about doing it. He moved to Salem a few years later and I often drove by Salem always thinking I should stop off and see him. He made me an officer in our chapter of Shop Clubs which was a starter to be President of Murray State’s professional Geography’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon.That gave me the ability to be a Rotary Club President, run many committees and then a District Governor.

                My other favorite was Mr. Hallum who taught American History. It was a real treat each day to listen to him and his enthusiasm. I have a twenty-seven semester hour minor in History. No other history educator had the same effect on me. I have over a hundred History books in my library. I think it was Robert Hallum who inspired my desire to learn about how we got to where we are today. I love documentaries about life’s changes from thousands of years ago to now and how the Earth evolved and continues to do so. I owe a big thank you to Paul and Bob!

Six Percenters

18 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in Illegals, Immigrant's, Six Percenters

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        The six percenters are those people the government has given protective status and work permits to because they have fled natural disasters, criminal activity, or political conflict. They are most likely from Cuba, Haiti, El Salvador, and Venezuela. They are six percent of the legal American workforce.

            Many of those immigrants continued in the same professions they had in their native country. They have been educated and tested and given certification to continue in their teaching, engineering, medical, and other professions. Most of those professionals consider themselves and their families Americans. We need those people to stay here and continue in their professions, running their companies, and working in our businesses.

            A larger percentage of our illegals do work that most Americans of many generations consider too hard, too dangerous, too dirty, or doesn’t pay enough. They work in meat packing plants, construction, landscaping, maintenance, and cleaning jobs. As Americans age out of working and retire, many of those illegals will replace them or do the necessary work the retirees need done at home or retirement facilities.

            Traditionally, a much needed job illegals have done is to pick the fruit and vegetables our farmers grow. Without them the farmers would have to grow other crops and we would then have to import all of our food. Others work in restaurants and hotels, and we need them.

            Granted some of the legal and illegal immigrants commit crimes but studies have shown it is a smaller percentage than the average American population. They seem to get more publicity when caught to support political motives. By deporting those law abiding people we hurt ourselves. President Donald J. Trump now says MAYBE we shouldn’t deport the millions that work on farms or in restaurants and hotels. Trump’s policies are not dependable from day to day. 

The Real Trump Doctrine

12 Thursday Jun 2025

Posted by in Doctrine, President Trump

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        I watched an episode of Washington Week on PBS. The main topic of discussion was the Trump Doctrine and Trump’s transactional diplomacy. They used the right words but missed the real meaning of the words. President Donald J. Trump’s doctrine is to make as much money as he can out of his last term and it is transactional if people, companies, and countries can put money into his pocket through various ways, they will get his support.

            The list of bribes goes from his stable coin to a 400 million dollar jet. Those are multi-million ones that are obvious. Remember all the items he sold to supposedly finance his campaign but went into his pocket. He is putting his name on a new golf course here but the huge development in the U.A. E. and “financed” by that country and licensing of two new hotels in Saudi Arabia is worth millions more.

            How does that matter to the average American? If a country wants to lower tariffs, put money in his pocket. India is negotiating on a lower tariff. Oddly Trump Jr. just put together a couple of hotel deals in India where they had not been allowed to do before. Don’t forget his strong arming of Canada and Denmark. Remember tariffs are a tax we pay and not the foreign country as he says. Ukraine only got his support after giving up their minerals which I am sure he will be involved in what companies dig them up, transport them, and utilize them.

            When asked about his oath he said it is a question that his lawyers should answer. He has violated it many times and as long as the Republicans are scared of him, he will continue. An impeachment is sure to happen in 2027 when the House and Senate flip to Democrats. He can be tried for much of the corruption without impeachment as it wasn’t a Presidential duty. More to come!    


               

Oval Office is For Sale

09 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by in For Sale, President Trump

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        When I was studying for my real estate agent license the instructor asked how to evaluate the worth of a property. He wanted the answer to be by checking its comparables but I said it’s whatever some fool would pay for it. My backup was many people want some property and will pay whatever they must to get control of it. He agreed but said the test wasn’t looking for that answer. Never has the Oval Office been For Sale before, but it is now!

            Now apply my answer to today’s presidency. Slap a big tariff on a country to force them to give the President’s companies a preferential deal on a property like Viet Nam did. Maybe to gain friendly influence for a royal family they give the President a jet plane or allow him to build several hotels and golf courses in your country like Qatar and Saudi Arabia have done. Let’s not forget India was pressured into a licensing of the Trump name on some properties. Back Israel and build hotels in Gaza.

            If you want a perfect example of bribery it would be the stable coin (same as the Bit Coin scam) that Trump did before taking office. It is in a non-revocable trust that hides the beneficiaries. It has sold over a quarter billion dollars worth do far. The biggest 250 buyers got a gala dinner in the White House with Trump where he pushed crypto currency and other topics for the wealthy. Interestingly he has commuted the sentence of some drug gang kingpin in prison. Is it a coincidence that the sister of one prisoner was at the gala, donating 1.5 million to his campaign with drug money?

            Did anyone notice all the departments and agencies were cut except the NASA Agency where Musk gets millions? Remember, Musk put a lot of money into the Trump campaign and pocket. Is it a donation to give money a Trump campaign and then it goes into his pocket? Is a donation to a Trump company or project just plain bribery? Funny all the Federal Law Enforcement Agencies go after people and companies that haven’t put money in Trump’s pocket and stop the pursuit when those same people pay him somehow? 

Losing Democracy

27 Tuesday May 2025

Posted by in Democracy

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The May 23, 2025 Chicago Tribune comic strip “Prickly City” showed its skunk representation of President Donald J. Trump with a marker pen changing the “We” to “Me the People.” I believe my stockbroker voted for him but just said we have never had a president so close to being a dictator. He asked where the House and the Senate are. Isn’t it their job to do a lot of the things Trump is doing to overrule the actions taken by a President acting as a Dictator?

            The Soviet Union and new Russia has been trying to bring down our country for almost a century. They have subverted many Americans with blackmail, money, and love. Many secrets have been passed to their Russian handlers in the past couple of decades but none of that compares to the destruction of our governmental bodies and democracy. Our investigative agencies have been gutted, ordered to not investigate certain activities and has cowered the Legislative bodies. Trump has ignored orders from the Judicial Branch and persuaded the Supreme Court Judges to make anything he does do a Presidential Power. Imagine what the other two branches would be saying and doing if a previous President had done them!

            The United States is alienating our former Allies while being neutral or giving lip service to our enemies’ aggression. The damage being done will take many years to repair, if ever. At least most of the hatred other peoples are feeling is mostly directed at Trump. The rest of us are just collateral damage.  

Anti-Semitic Versus Israel

24 Saturday May 2025

Posted by in Anti-Israel, Anti-Semitic, Middle Eawst Conflicts

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        As much as Israel and this administration would like for the public to think, there is a huge difference between the two. I have friends and former clients in all the major religions and just like Americans they don’t always agree with what their government’s leadership is doing. If a person looks closely at some of the protest marches, one will see some Orthodox Jews in the crowd. Thousands of Israelis are and have been for more than a couple of years against Netanyahu and his government in Israel. Netanyahu and his media people and Trump’s P.R. people want Americans to think both are the same.

            Is it wrong to protest the indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza civilian population? Independent organizations agree the bombing has killed way over 40,000 civilians many of which died when their apartment buildings collapsed. Many have starved to death, couldn’t get their medicines, were bombed in Israel designated safe areas, or shot when the medics were rushing to help the injured.

            The history of Israel is one of killing the residents, taking their land, and forcing others off their land. They then razed the land and put kibbutzs on it. They ticked off the British and later the French. They have guilted the United States into giving them hundreds of billions of military and economic aid. We accept their misbehavior because not doing so would be called Anti-Semitic.

            How many more Jewish people are in those marches is not known because they look just like other white skinned Americans in the March.

            A Lebanese once told me all of the problems are caused by money. Both sides need money to get richer so the fighting must continue.

Deep Debt Problem

20 Tuesday May 2025

Posted by in National Debt

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        Do you remember President George Bush II saying something to the effect of “Who is better at managing your money, you or the government?”  He then cut income taxes causing a growing National Debt after President Bill Clinton had paid off the 30 year, 20 year and much of the ten year bonds. National Banks around the world were pleading with the Treasury to stop since they used the bonds as their financial reserve like they formerly used gold.

            Then President Trump came along and wanted to cut his taxes even more putting America even farther in the red. Now he is telling Congress and the Senate to not only renew his old cuts but cut them even more. He just said these additional cuts would be paid for by his tariffs. He says his taxes are going to be fairer to the poor (who don’t pay taxes) and the middle Class (which is getting smaller). Think about it. A Tariff is just another tax and raises the cost of living more on the poor and middle class than the wealthy because the wealthy can better afford it. That is a back door or a great sleight-of-hand tax on the average American. Remember Trump’s famous quote on the wall “Mexico will pay for it,” now it’s “China will pay for the tariffs.”

            The point is we are supposed to be the American Government and spend the money we give it to benefit us. We elect people to have the government do what we need done and they are failing to do that. They are cutting programs the people need and running us into a disastrous debt that they don‘t have the guts to fix. They could take us back to Clinton’s taxes and end the exemptions that reduce the taxes even more on the rich.

            Remember the famous mechanic saying, “Pay me now or pay me later!” Well, it is later.

Importance of Allies

20 Tuesday May 2025

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        President Donald J. Trump doesn’t realize the importance of having friendly allies who want to work with the United States to keep mutual enemies at bay. He believes our military to be invincible because of the one-sided history taught in our schools.

            Allied Forces in Western Europe were mostly well led and supplied. The rifles were superior to the bolt action rifles of the German infantryman. However their machine pistols and machine guns were superior to BARS and Thompsons. The Sherman tank was designed to be built faster than the enemy could destroy them. Allied aircraft were superior to the German propeller aircraft. Their jets were game changers and if they had them two years earlier and in sufficient numbers it would have been suicide to fly across the channel. Without air dominance D-Day would not have happened.

            The real reason we were able to land on the Normandy Beaches wasn’t because of items above but because the Russian Stormavik planes, the T-34 tanks, and several million soldiers who kept fighting even when the losses didn’t matter to their leaders. When the D-Day soldiers came ashore two of the divisions they fought against were Ukrainians who had joined to fight the Russians. They were sent west because the German General Staff didn’t trust them and they were kept in secret about what the Germans were doing in the Ukraine. Most of the German army was needed to hold the Russians back from Germany. We didn’t like Stalin but we were allies.

            Without the Russians whittling down and keeping the Germans busy in Eastern Europe Hitler’s Reich might still be in power.