Saturday, April 15, 2017

Days Of Overkill Revisited: Taxpayers Fund Costly 'David and Goliath' Wars

Good Day World!

As a Vietnam veteran, I can vividly recall watching jets and helicopters attack lightly armed VC, NVA, and unarmed innocent civilians.

It was a David and Goliath conflict. 

We carpet bombed Northern Vietnam with more bombs than we dropped in all of WW II in an attempt to defeat our low tech enemy.

I've seen massive fire support called in for a single sniper. Despite these overkill methods we arguably lost the war. The cost to the American taxpayer was staggering.

After dropping the largest conventional bomb in our arsenal recently - the MOAB - in Afghanistan, the clock was turned back to Vietnam, and the days of overkill.

The $16 million massive 21,000 pound MOAB, killed 36 jihadis in Nangarhar province. 

Latest info: MOAM Death Toll up to 96 jihadis

Crunched down – and in the most cold-blooded terms – that means the US military killed 96 Isis members at a cost of almost $150,000 per individual.

Here's the thing that gets me; the MOAB is a costly white elephant that we developed years ago and never used. Twenty of them were built back when we were at war with Saddam Hussein.

Why trot it out now?

After dropping it on lightly armed ISIS fighters in a crude tunnel system the results reaffirmed what the military probably already knew: The Mother Of All Bombs was a massive disappointment.

Did Donny Little Hands discover it was in our arsenal one day and get the urge to drop a bigly bomb? It's possible.

Or, did Chump's generals take it upon themselves to make a political statement of some sort? 

Regardless of why the MOAB was dropped, it was an affirmation of our failed strategy in Vietnam. Apparently people in the right places don't know our military history very well.

Or, they just don't give a damn as long as the taxpayers continue to fund the military industrial complex's indulgences.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, April 14, 2017

British Make Up For Burning Down White House in 1814 By Alerting US To Trump Teams Russian Connections

Good Day World!

In 2015, American intelligence agencies - the CIA and FBI - got a message one day from their British counterparts: 

The message was: "Watch out. There’s something not right here."

World shaking information accompanied that warning. The British had accumulated information regarding "interactions between people connected to the Trump campaign and known or suspected Russian agents."

The Guardian reported this intelligence was initially passed on to the US as part of a routine exchange of information. 

The British continued to gather information on contacts between Trumps inner circle and Russia until the summer of 2016.

Their sources - Germany, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, passed on electronic intelligence that was tied to Trump's minions consorting with Russia, according to an article in The Guardian (4-13-17).

There's no doubt that Britain's spy agencies played a crucial role in alerting their counterparts in Washington to contacts between Trump's camp and Russia.  


Some argue that the British are the principal whistleblower in this slowly unraveling scandal.

When then-British spy chief, Robert Hannigan, gave CIA chief, John Brennan all the information it was deemed so sensitive it was handled at "directors level."

Brennan sat on the material for awhile before finally launching a major inter-agency investigation. 

European allies were supplying the US with information about people close to Trump meeting with Russians in Britain, the Netherlands and in other counties, according to a report from the New York Times.

It's been a long slow process trying to tie up all the loose ends to this scandal, but we're seeing signs of progress almost daily.

The latest is the ongoing investigation of Trump supporter, and foreign relations consultant, Carter Page and his relationship with the Russians.

We're seeing players like Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn, getting grilled by government investigators over their contacts with Russia during the presidential campaign.

Despite Trump's efforts to change the conversation by making sensationally baseless accusations this is one story that's going to be hovering over his toupee like a black cloud threatening to burst into rain at any moment.

Why American intelligence agencies took so long to act after accumulating mounds of evidence from all over the world, is another question we should ask.

If it was a political determination by some players in our spy agencies they need to be exposed. Who did, and said, what?

In closing, I want to thank the British for being the spark that spurred this investigation. They owed us one after burning down the White House in 1814!

Time for me to walk on down the road...  

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Three Stooges Threaten To Start World War III

Good Day World!

Looks like the bromance between Putin and Chump has hit a rocky stretch - but that doesn't mean they're breaking up just yet.

Remember. Their courtship got Dump elected. 

You'll know when the honeymoon is really over after the nukes are launched.

Both thin-skinned leaders are busy fighting over Russia's puppet state Syria.

Ivanka Trump got her daddy to totally reverse his Middle Eastern policy last week and he launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase.

In response, Russia has been squalling like a half-boiled cat that the U.S. broke international rules.  

Not to be left out, North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un, is so worked up with Trump's decision to send an "armada" to confront him, he's flat out declared he's ready for a nuke fest.


To the world's dismay these three stooges, Jong-un, Putin, and Trump, have brought us to the brink of a nuclear holocaust.

No one knows what Trump will do next (not even him). 

He's the most thin-skinned of this trio of idiots. Although I must say Jong-un is a close second.

Putin is pissed at local memes popping up suggesting he's a gay clown, so he made a law that bans people from depicting him as one.

With Hump's sudden belligerent attitude toward him, Putin is in a constant state of being pissed off now. That will only last so long before he cracks.

What really surprises me is that China's leader, Xi Jinping, appears to be the only adult among these world powers. His government is trying to cool Donny Little Hands down.

One of the biggest fears of anti-Trump Americans during the presidential election was seeing Don The Con's stubby finger push the nuke button.

Stump's supporters chose to believe in fake news from Russian hackers, despite all the evidence that showed he was a corrupt businessman, a conspiracy clown who follows InfoWars and Breitbart, a world class liar, and a racist.

Which brings us to today.

The specter of a North Korean missiles hitting the United States' West Coast has appeared; even though our military experts claim North Korea has a couple of years to go before that's a possibility.

This might be a good time for people worldwide to make their peace with whatever God they worship. I'm just saying...

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

AI vs Trump: What Would Happen If The President Took On Lengpudashi?

Good Day World!

Where will it end?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is surpassing human intelligence in test after test.

We've been getting upstaged for decades. 

To trace the origins of AI's progress you have to go back to Deep Blue, a supercomputer that's whipped every chess master in the world since 1989.

Since then AI has been successful at understanding human speech, competing at other high level strategic game systems like Poker, self-driving cars, and interpreting complex data.

Poker will never be the same now that AI has conquered four of the world's best poker pros last January. The new player in town is called Lengpudashi, an artificial intelligence program.

That got me thinking about putting Trump up against Lengpudashi. After all, he's a disruptor. Lies, bluffs, and cheating have made him rich.

Even though Lengpudashi understands the concept of bluffing - not by mimicking successful poker players, but from game theory - I can't help wondering if Stump would present a new challenge.

Quick. Name a more successful con man than Donny. Ain't going to happen. He bluffed his way to the presidency. His lies are blatant bluffs meant to distract from reality.

AI is all about reality and logic. Still, I doubt if there's a successful algorithm available to deal with Chump. 

As far as I can tell, Lengpudashi's programmers didn't consider cheating as part of it's arsenal. Cheat is Rump's middle name.

After three wives he's perfected the art. Trust me, if there's a way to cheat the program Donny Little Hands will find it. And, if he does lose, that won't be the end of it.

Hump will tweet to the world that not only did the program cheat him, he'll claim it's programmers voted for Hillary Clinton!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

When Education Secretary DeVos Visits Schools She Brings Along 24 Marshal's at the Cost of $1 Million a Month

Good Day World!

Question: Since when has the Secretary for Education become a high risk job?

Answer: Since Trump appointed Betsy DeVos to the position.

There were a lot of unhappy parents who knew she didn't care about public schools, and that she bought her position with a $10 million donation to Trump's campaign. 

What no one knew was the cost of her nomination victory would be a million dollars a month (you heard that right) from a department that's facing cutbacks of up to $9 billion dollars!

I'll bet you're curious what triggered this unusual need for protection from the U.S. Marshall's office. I was. 

Normally law enforcement officers are responsible for protecting federal judges, transporting prisoners, investigating fugitives, and protecting witnesses. 

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, a handful of protesters blocked her from entering a Washington middle school.

Those angry parents must have been a terrifying sight because the usual civil servants aren't going to be enough to protect her.

It takes 24 marshal's to do that job now thanks to her stance on charter schools and special education causing protesters to show up at every school she visits.

DeVos will be under the marshal's office protection through September, but - being such a popular pick - she may have to use them for the duration of her term.

Looks like one of DeVos' first budgetary challenges is figuring out how the Department of Education is going to come up with a million dollars a month for her security.

That's not what you'd call a normal expense. But these aren't normal times. Or nominees.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, April 10, 2017

Trump's Foreign Policy: 'I'm Not Going To Tell You What's Coming Next'


                                             Good Day World!

Trump's unpredictable behavior in his first 13 weeks of office has carried over to America's new foreign policy of...wait for it...

"I'm not going to tell you what's coming next."

This policy is disconcerting to other countries. It's also disconcerting to Americans who are trying to adjust to Chump's erratic tweets, public rants, and "yuge" lies.

Americans aren't comfortable with Hump who hasn't shared his vision of how we are going to handle the Middle East  crisis going forward after launching 59 missiles that struck a Syrian airbase.

What's the next step?

Here's where it starts to get scary. Lump has no plan after his bold and impulsive move ratcheted up the stakes between the U.S. and Russia in Syria.

His generals have no marching orders to follow. His inner circle is divided between getting out of Syria or continuing with the status quo.

Congress is nervously wondering if Bump is going to lead them into a nasty little war.

Right now, American's yearn for some reassurance that Donny Little Hands isn't going to set off a serious of events in the Middle East that results in World War III.

It's not a good feeling knowing that the six-year old side of Dump likes to blow things up and pretend he's a soldier. 

After repeatedly dodging the draft he's now living his dream as the Commander-In-Chief - oh boy! A chance to show he wears big boy pants ... 

and a great opportunity to play with the most powerful weaponized country on the planet.

This Trumpian foreign policy of not sharing his worldwide intentions with the American people, Congress, and his own generals, is leading us all down a very dark path.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Were Photos of Dead and Dying Babes Trump's Road to Damascus?


                                            Good Day World!

The New Testament tells us about a guy named Saul who saw the risen Christ and immediately became his disciple and changed his name to Paul.

The conversion of Paul the Apostle brings to mind my utter surprise at Trump attacking a Syrian airbase, an action comparable to making a moral decision. 

Since 2013, Trump has made no bones about how little he cares about the war in Syria and the loss of innocent lives.

He's repeatedly spoke out against getting involved in the conflict and said that we should leave the Syrians alone to work out their own problems.

Then, after launching a barrage of Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase for dropping a chemical weapon on civilians, Rump held a press conference and told us that he couldn't bear to see those "children of God" suffering, and he had to act right away...without consulting Congress.

It almost sounds like a conversion of biblical proportions. Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul, was known for his zealous persecution of early Christians.

Then one day, on the road to Damascus, that all changed.

After a complete reversal of opinion did Chump suddenly take a walk on his own version of the Damascus trail? Don't bet on it.

With China's president visiting his private golf club - aka the Winter White House - it was great optics to demonstrate a display of America's military might to the Asian leader.

There's other possibilities. No one - as in the mainstream media -  is talking about Hump's team and the Russians working together during the last election.

Talk about good optics. It looks good that the White House is pushing back at Russia, who Stump has courted throughout his rise to power.

The hoped for narrative: Trump and Putin are no longer lovers. 

In addition, Lump's false claim of being wiretapped has slipped to the bottom of the news. 

Two recent civilian lawsuits against him have been given the okay to proceed by judges, but those stories slipped into obscurity after 59 Tomahawk missiles were launched.

Maybe it was a miracle. But being the skeptical guy that I am, I'll wait to see if a halo appears above Trump's toupee before deciding. 

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Despite Easy Access To Knowledge Ignorance Still Proudly Stalks America


                                           Good Day World!

With knowledge so easy to come by these days why do people put others down that plainly know more than them?

Someone of learning was once considered a national treasure. It was said that when an old man dies a library burns down.

Now, for the first time in history the common man has complete access to the ultimate library - the Internet. 
We're all able to find the answer to any question in the universe by simply "Googling it."

With all that information available you'd think we would of advanced further as a civilization by 2017. 

But that's not what's happening.

Instead we see the spread of ignorance, hate, and bigotry reaching historic proportions. We also see the spread of fake news blurring the lines of reality. 

The only way a person like Donald Trump was able to get elected was by utilizing the internet and by-passing all of the traditional channels. Russian hackers helped a lot too.

Social engineering by our enemy Russia has reached a fever pitch after years of preparation (that according to the experts who testified in the Senate Intelligence hearings recently) by causing division among Americans.

Well placed fake new stories on extremist and fringe websites have sprung to life creating alternative facts (as explained by Trump surrogate Kellyann Conway.)

The polarization of our politics took the Russians years, but they have now succeeded in paralyzing our politics and the American people.

Of course they had plenty of help from our own homegrown haters like the KKK, Neo Nazi's, and other extremist groups that have been crawling out from beneath their rocks since Trump entered politics. 

Perhaps the most insidious effect of the internet is it's ability to provide forums where your world beliefs are re-affirmed - even if they're not factual.

Too many Americans get into echo chambers instead of expanding their knowledge and looking at all the information that's out there by experts in every field of learning.

As a clever person once said, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink."

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, April 7, 2017

Trump and Xi Do Have Something In Common: Nepotism



Nepotism: The practice among those in power or influence of favoring relatives and friends, especially giving them jobs.

                                          Good Day World!

Nepotism in the news;

When Trump met with China's leader Xi at his "Winter White House/and his profitable private golf club" the two had one thing in common;

The both firmly believe in nepotism.

Zhang Haibin, a professor of international relations at Peking University in Beijing recently told reporters, "Chinese people love nepotism, we’re very good at it. We have been using social networks and influential relationships to facilitate business and political dealings for thousands of years."

While Xi has tried to avoid signs of nepotism as he undertakes a widespread anti-corruption campaign, reports have emerged that his family members became wealthy as he rose through the ranks.

Chump's family was already rich. That didn't prevent patriarch Stump from wanting to get richer and to satisfy his thirst for power and acclaim.

As we all know Rump has made his son-on-law Jared Kushner the second most powerful man in the White House. His daughter Ivanka has moved into the White House circle (without pay) but privy to national secrets as his "...eyes and ears."  

His sons get to leech off the government while pursuing their business interests worldwide. They're supposedly running the Trump organization, but most people know better.

Trump is still firmly in charge of the family business despite violating the Constitution (Emolument clause).

In a Forbes interview published last month, Eric Trump inadvertently admitted that he does discuss “the bottom line, profitability reports [of the Trump Organization] and stuff like that” with his father - clumsily disclosing how ethically inappropriate his family’s business ties are now that his father occupies the White House.

As these two world leaders talk they'll at least have something in common - nepotism. Without golf to break the ice (Xi thinks it's a shady practice) they can talk about their families.

Time for me to walk on down the road... 

Thursday, April 6, 2017

No Moral Authority In the White House Makes Life Easier For China


                                           Good Day World!

We can thank Trump for effectively ending whatever moral authority Washington had with the world.

His contempt for the judiciary is already legendary. His travel ban policy was a complete contradiction of human rights obligations under international law.

Last month, it emerged the US had declined to sign a letter criticising China over the alleged torture of human rights lawyers and activists, in a break with past practice.

Margaret Huang, the executive director of Amnesty International USA, recently told Reuters that despite having been in office for less than 100 days, Trump could already boast “a significantly dismal human rights record.” 

Countries like China can take a deep sigh of relief knowing their longtime major critic, Washington, has abdicated all moral authority.

When China's blood-stained leader Xi arrives to spend time with Chump at his private golf course there's one thing that won't happen: a few rounds of golf between the two flawed leaders.

Wi and his boys think golf is a shady underhanded practice and actively discourage it in China. Taking that round of golf away from our Liar-In-Chief is really going to throw him off his game.

Trump has been silent about Xi merciless reign. He's attempted to transform his own "hateful" campaign rhetoric into policy.

It's already apparent Stump has abdicated any global leadership in pursuit of nationalism. We no longer have the adult at the bargaining table.

Frankly, the optics of their meeting is Xi Jinping will be the adult in the room, and Donny Little Hands the spoiled kid who can be sweet-talked and bribed.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...