If You Think Things are Bad Now...Just Wait

The takeover is in full swing.

Trump has let his hellhounds loose as he consolidates his power more every day.

There may not be an Epstein list, but Trump has a mile long list of perceived enemies and he's going after them like a honey badger on meth lately.

You may have noticed Trump just went after John Bolton, his former national security advisor, claiming he was in possession of classified records after an early morning raid by the FBI. Hiding classified records. Wait. That sounds familiar to me. Oh yeah, once upon a time the FBI went after Trump's stolen classified documents (hidden in his Mar-a-Lago lairs bathroom).

But I digress. You may have noticed the pattern where Trump accuses people of crimes that he himself has committed and mostly gotten away with. Bolton's real crime was criticizing Trump in his book. 

I admit I gagged when I heard what FBI director Kash Patel told ABC news, "NO ONE is above the law ..." when asked to comment on the search. OMG! Democrats have been saying that for years but now it's looking like someone is above the law after all.

Yesterday Trump threatened "harsh measures" against the state of Colorado if they don't immediately free convicted election denier, Tina Peters, who was found guilty a year ago. What does that mean? Just guessing but if Trump follows form, he'll retaliate by withholding federal funding. Maybe a pardon. Why not? He pardoned over 1,500 criminals who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed coup attempt, as a reward for their loyalty to him... not the Constitution. 

It is obvious Trump has empathy for criminals but not for colored people. His sudden interest in Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's partner who was convicted of sex trafficking, is sending out red flags. 

His base want's all of the Epstein Files released and he's under pressure to please them. And he doesn't want Maxwell to share what she really knows about him. Maxwell has the upper hand having been given immunity by Trump's lawyer and getting moved to the most minimum-security prison in the country. After an inmate complained about having a child molester in their ranks the woman who complained was transferred to a maximum-security prison the next day. That's called holding all the cards.

The recently stepped-up attack against his critics is being driven by a desire to divert the public away from the Epstein Files. He might not have rolled out his state takeover strategy so early if he wasn't under the intense spotlight right now.

MAGA battles are being won and lost in the courts every day. It's a high stakes game that will have detrimental effects on democracy. A demented felon is holding the fate of our country in his tiny hands. The scary thing is I doubt if we've even seen how far Trump will go yet.

As it Stands, I feel like I'm documenting the fall of a nation, and it's not a good feeling.

'Make Cracker Barrel Great Again...Say What?

I hope you're sitting as you read this post.

Because when I tell you what Trumplicans are raising hell about you're going to be stunned. Ready?

With all the chaotic events and legislations swirling around the entire country Republicans are losing their shit because the Cracker Barrel restaurant changed its logo! I'm not kidding you or pulling your leg.

As a matter of fact, Cracker Barrel's stock plummeted by almost $100 million this week after conservatives threatened to boycott the company, citing its unpopular rebranding, change of decor, LGBTQ and Pride initiatives, and DEI policies. 

This push to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again got Republican Rep. Byron Donalds hackles up as he accused the company change of being a "woke rebrand." 

MAGA mouthpieces were furious that the image of an old man and a barrel disappeared while keeping just the name of the chain, still with the familiar gold and brown color tones. The typeface has also been modernized. 

While Trumplicans are just fine with changing the names of military bases, ships and even the Gulf of Mexico, Cracker Barrel's ditching of the barrel man for the first time since 1977 has crossed a MAGA line.

MAGA luminaries like Donald Trump Jr. have made clever observations about the change. Junior's sums it up with "WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel?" A deep thinker that one.

The MAGA rage also featured conservative X account Woke War Room. They claim Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Feiss Masino, who has been in the role for two years, has "scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding."

People can't afford housing, groceries, and are going bankrupt if they get cancer so naturally conservatives are mad about Cracker Barrel's logo. The outrage doesn't make sense. It's a reflection of how unserious Trump's minions are.

How dare the company change how it looks and its logo after 47 years. How dare they do a makeover to catch up with the times. The chain has also hired country singer Jordan Davis to appear in commercials as part of the rebranding. 

As it Stands, all I can say is, get over it you bunch of snowflakes!

Newsrooms Across the Nation vs Trump - A Battle for Truth and Freedom

Newspaper editors and reporters are bracing for an invasion into their workspace by the vilest and most powerful man in America.

Trump hates the free and independent press and has not made it a secret since he got into politics. His daily attacks have been going on for years. In his lust for power, Trump knows that he has to take control of all the media to create a lasting dictatorship.

Because Trump wasn't able to take down the free press during his first stint at the White House, he's redoubling his efforts now along with a full court press against government agencies and blue states' rights. His strident descriptions of media organizations as "enemies of the state" and "fake news" has marginalized the "legitimate" press." 

This includes:

* Threatening libel lawsuits against news organizations.

* Publicly attacking journalists by name and calling for their dismissal.

* Suggesting he will weaponize the government against media outlets he dislikes.

* Attempting to dismantle Voice of America and cut funding for public broadcasting.

According to Raw Story:

"Miles Taylor, who wrote the anonymous "resistance" New York Times op-ed while serving in Trump's first administration, wrote on his "Treason" Substack page that he's heard from multiple national security and political journalists who are actively preparing for possible subpoenas, surveillance or search warrants."

Taylor warned major news outlets and independent media that the Trump administration is preparing to ramp up efforts to expose their sources. The Justice Department recently came up with a new policy on whistleblowers that would have been illegal in former administrations.

The result of this insidious tactic will be whistleblowers and government officials won't be able to count on being protected so they won't report wrongdoing. If that happens truth vanishes forever.

As it Stands, as a retired newspaper editor and publisher I'm horrified at what's happening to the messengers who are the last line of defense for democracy.

Don "Quixote" Trump hates windmills. 

He claims they cause cancer, which anybody can tell you that's not true. But it's his story and he's going to stick with it. His crusade against clean energy is obviously idiotic and misinformed.

You may have noticed your energy bill slowly creeping upward in the last seven months - since Trump slithered into office. It's not your imagination.

The Trump regime began to do absolutely everything in its power to stop the clean energy trend and to replace it with old fashioned energy - gas, and coal from Day One. 

They've rescinded environmental regulations trying to control fossil fuel pollution, ending sun and wind projects on federal land, cancelled wind projects wherever they could, ended the Inflation Reduction Tax credits to clean energy construction and instead added subsidies for the coal industry.

As a result, electricity prices are starting to skyrocket.

A new independent report last week found that consumers will be paying an extra $3-$6 billion dollars a year for the privilege of keeping coal-fired power plants open past their expiration dates.

These coal-fired plants they're trying to keep open are not just the most expensive source of electric but among the least reliable. Environmental experts have been warning that coal is circling the drain for decades.

In fact, as NPR reported recently, electricity costs are now climbing twice as fast as inflation. The Department of Energy literally put out a tweet last month with a picture of a hunk of coal and the legend "She is the moment."

No, she's not.

Trump and minions are ignoring the fact that coal is 18th century technology, and gas is 19th-century technology, and now we're in the 21st century where people know how to intercept the rays of the sun and the breeze in the air and turn them into the cheapest electricity the world has ever seen.

Iowa has the lowest energy rates in the country - the average Iowan will spend 39% less on electricity that the average American.

Why?

Because it produces 57% of its electricity from the wind, the second biggest wind state in the country. Speaking of windmills, the reason Trump hates them is they've stopped his golf course ambitions in Scotland more than once over the years. So, it's personal. Throw that in with fossil fuel companies syphoning money to Trump for concessions and you have the answer to why he loves coal.

While campaigning last year Trump promised that under his administration energy and electricity will be sliced in half within 12 months, at a maximum 18 months. That's not happening. It's just the opposite.

As it Stands, the Democrats have an opportunity here to let the public know why they're paying more for their energy costs. The reason is because the simpleton in the White House doesn't give a shit about them.

Who is that Masked Man? It Sure Isn't Batman

Sometimes good guys wear a mask.

Think Batman or Spiderman. 

Or the Flash and Zorro. Don't forget about Captain America or The Green Arrow. 

In the fantasy world heroes also conceal their identities by having alter egos. They may wear masks, but they don't appear sinister because their always helping people out. If Batman shows up brown-skinned people don't have to worry, but in the real world it's a different story.

Cities throughout the country have turned into human hunting grounds, especially if you're a person of color.

Washington DC looks like an occupied city under martial law. Seeing is believing.

Trump has built a multi prong private army that consists of ICE, FBI agents, DOJ agents, national guardsmen, active-duty military, and DEA agents. Local police departments are reduced to secondary rolls as Trump's draconian deportation gangs roam the streets terrifying civilians and disrupting their lives.

The worst part of these roaming vigilante gangs is they wear masks and have no identifying ID on them. People don't know if they are thugs, hijackers, or gangsters protecting their turf. It's not exactly heartwarming to see groups of heavily armed men and women in your neighborhood. 

Trump maggots claim Americans feel safer now that Trump is laying siege to all the major cities in the nation. If that's the case, why are major parks - like MacArthur Park in LA - nearly deserted? It wasn't that long ago when it was safe to take your kids to the park without being interrogated by masked men.

This is not the America I grew up in. At 19-years-old I served my country by putting my life at risk in Vietnam and Cambodia (1970). I've always believed in our democratic republic and felt that the United States was the moral leader in the world since WWII. Now, sadly I don't believe how we've given up our democracy to a convicted felon. Never in my worst dreams did I think America would fall and become an authoritarian state under a dictator. 

On some mornings I wake up and for just a moment and pretend Trump hasn't seized our democracy so quickly and dramatically. It's bad enough that he's the worst president in our history but the fact that he's a demented senile fascist, living in an alternative universe while squatting in the Oval Office is almost unbearable.

My generation fought fascism withs it's Gestapo and other armed thugs that murdered millions. America destroyed Hitler and his 1000-year Reich. That should have been that.

In a twisted turn of events Americans allowed the vilest man in the country to seize the reins of power. It should have never happened. Now we're paying the price as Trump's Gestapo violates every law in the land in a racist attempt to purge America from people of color.

I fear my children, grandchildren and their children will be living in a dystopian nightmare if sane Americans don't fight back now. There's not a day to waste. Democrats need to unite like never before. They face an uphill battle with Trump already trying to rig the midterms next November. We're going to need a record turnout that will overwhelm the increasingly unpopular MAGA party at the polls.

As it Stands, traditionally bad guys like bank robbers wore masks to conceal their identity. History is repeating itself.

Trump's Meeting with World Leaders was a 'Nothing Burger'

Trump's orange face glowed with pleasure as he sat at a table with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation of European leaders Monday.

The European leaders were there to support the Ukranian leader after being left out of talks between Trump and Putin in Alaska last Friday. They have good reason to be concerned as Trump has been bragging about his buddy Putin and even rolled out a red carpet for him in an act that made most Americans disgusted.

Who can blame Zelenskyy for wanting a support team after the treatment he received the last time he visited the White House? Trump and Vance sat on either side of him and accused him of not being grateful enough for U.S. military assistance. It was a sickening display of bullying.

It was quite the spectacle watching world leaders be nice to the man that most of them loathed. A regular tea party. Everyone smiled and tried to act like Trump was not a sociopath and fan boy of Putin.

What was accomplished you ask?

Well let's see, the world leaders wanted a cease fire and Trump doesn't want to now because he thinks they can all sit around a table and get a peace agreement if they'll all just concede Putin is NOT giving back the Ukrainian territories it conquered, and the country has to agree NOT to get in NATO.

If that's the starting point of this "historic" meeting how far do you think it will go? Absolutely nowhere. Trump is only offering US protection for Ukraine - albeit questionable protection (no parameters yet) and no talk about NATO.

Somehow, I doubt those seven world leaders were very reassured by Trump's bluster. It's obvious that Trump is going to back Putin and that's not in their best interests. As they each smiled and thanked Trump for putting together the meeting they must have been thinking that not only was there no progress made it looked like none would be made in the near future despite talk of a future trilateral meeting with Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy.

Trump let everyone know that he was going to report the meetings progress to his daddy in Moscow after it was over. He'll plead with the Russian dictator tonight to have a trilateral meet, but Putin isn't interested and he'll just string Donny along as he's been doing for the last decade. If he does agree we can count on Trump humiliating our nation again.

What Trump personally accomplished, for a few days at least, was that the Epstein Files didn't dominate the news as the world dialed in to see if any peace progress was being made. As we now all know, it was a "nothing burger" with a side of bullshit.

As it Stands, Trump met with Zelenskyy before meeting with world leaders and informed him that he needed to hand over seized territory and to drop his dreams about belonging to NATO. The rest of the story.

Redistricting Threatens to be another Civil War

America has survived one civil war. 

I'm not sure this nation will survive another. 

It was the blue states against the gray states. Now it's the blue states against the red states. Sounds like two different countries existing unharmoniously on the same continent, doesn't it?

That's our reality today.

When Trump leaned on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to redistrict the state to steal five seats from the democrats despite the fact that only five years have passed since the last census (it's taken every ten years according to law) it was the first salvo in a war against democracy. 

It was a Ft. Sumter moment that quickly got a reaction from the normally docile democrats. The match was lite.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom decided to fight fire-with-fire and is now looking at the state redistricting to take away five republican seats.

Where will this lead? If the rest of the states decide their going to redistrict in retaliation what's going to happen to our nation? The rhetoric has gotten so raw between the two political parties it's like sitting on a time bomb. 

Trump didn't achieve his goal of becoming a dictator the first time around, but he's well on the way to becoming one after getting another shot at it.

While rigging next year's midterm elections with illegal gerrymandering Trump is causing chaos throughout the country by invading states with the national guard and active military troops. The FBI has forsaken its original mission under an insurrectionist, Kash Patel, and is now part of the invading forces in blue states with black mayors. 

Gangs of local police officers, ICE Agents, national guardsmen, and active military soldiers are roaming the streets in Washington DC. It looks an awful lot like martial law.

The democrats seem to be coalescing around Newsom who has taken the national lead in defying Trump's illegal takeovers. A few other democratic governors have shown encouragement while maintaining a wait-and-see attitude.

As resistance to Trump increases among liberals the hard right is facing growing divisions among its members but is still firmly in Trump's grasp and ready to go to war if he tells them too.

It's important to note that it will be a one-sided war. Trump controls the military, and the democrats don't even have an army. It'll be civilians being slaughtered in the streets as they protest the authoritarian takeover.

There are 23 states that have a state defensive force in addition to the national guard. Both are supposed to answer to the governor unless the feds declare an emergency and take their power away. The states with the most active duty and reserve members of the military are California (184,540), Texas (164,234) and Virginia (115,280).

That's a lot of fire power to turn on civilians should Trump call for martial law throughout the country. The burning question is what happens when civilians are targeted and shot? Will they organize against the federal government and fight back? It's all too terrifying to think about.

As it Stands, hang your American flag upside down because we're all in a dire situation.

Trump's Alaska Adventure Was a Humiliation for America

              It was a day of humiliation.

The world watched as American soldiers got on their knees to roll out a red carpet for an accused war criminal in Alaska. Watching America's felon-in-charge staggering on the runway to greet his daddy was as shameful as you can get if you're the leader of the free world.

The pageantry and grandiosity of the bizarre meeting was Trump's idea of a TV production complete with scripted dialogue and optics (look Vlad! That bomber is flying over you in a salute), but when it came to substance there simply wasn't any.

The reason why is no secret. The bigly summit was merely a diversion from the Epstein Files. Trump knew nothing was coming out of it. Lately Trump has been creating diversions from illegally seizing states with the military to pushing pure propaganda about the economy claiming it's better than ever before when in fact it's rapidly going down the drain because of his tariff policy.

I can't get over the astonishing spectacle that took place on a U.S. military base. As a military veteran I was incensed watching Trump grovel before a dictator and the red-carpet treatment. Apparently (I Googled it), no American president has EVER rolled out a red carpet for a foreign leader on a military base. It was just a new low for the four-time draft dodger.

The Russians had fun taunting Trump and Americans in general. For example, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wore a sweatshirt under his jacket with CCCP (the Russian initials for the USSR) emblazoned across the front. It was a not-so-subtle jab that I doubt Trump even noticed. Not that he would have said anything anyway.

Trump's clumsy attempt to get a cease fire was good theatre for Putin who never entertained any interest in having one. Putin won the moment he got on his jet and flew to an American military base in Alaska. To emphasize the point the Russian army launched missiles and drones at Ukraine during the mock summit.

Calling the world to a stage in Alaska to announce, well, nothing was galling. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn't even invited to the silly summit. The takeaway is more war. MAGA clowns like Sean Hannity touted the summit as a success because Trump said it was because he "got along great with Putin." That isn't going to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine, however.

In the short run Trump managed to get the media's mind off of the Epstein files and rising consumer prices for a few days. But the poorly planned summit backfired and made America look weak... and stupid.

My favorite quote comes from Mustafa Nayyem, former head of Ukraine's State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. He said, "Make kneeling great again!"

As it Stands, rather than looking presidential, Trump looked like a guy being conned at a three-card monte table. He was simply played.

Drunks Welcome in Trump Regime

Right now, we have two ex-Fox hosts and unrepentant alcoholics in top positions in Trump's corrupt administration. It's a sad reflection of the times.

With Pete Hegseth and Jeanine Pirro inserted into the system we're witnessing two drunks that are also drunk with power since Trump appointed them. Hegseth was made the Secretary of Defense and Pirro was named U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

After Trump seized control of Washington DC by sending in the national guard Pirro held a press conference where she drunkenly ranted, shouted at reporters, and slapped the microphone on the podium several times.

It was like watching a crazed animal backed into a corner visibly lashing out at her tormentors when they asked her questions about the sudden siege in Washington DC and the takeover of the Capitol police department.

After awkwardly defending Trump's seizure Pirro's antics quickly spread online. By nightfall she was trending across multiple platforms that accused her of being "drunk," "unhinged" and "unprofessional." One commentor on Threads fumed, "This woman wouldn't be hired at McDonalds." Another commenter said, "Our government isn't supposed to be a halfway house for unrepentant alcoholics, but somehow it's become one."

Then we have Pete Hegseth (the party boy).

He sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife, his brother, and the editor at the Atlantic in March. 

The Pentagon's watchdog has been investigating the breech since it happened. Investigators in the Signal chat probe reportedly found damaging evidence on Hegseth. However there hasn't been a word about it since. It looks like Trump's favorite alcoholic is being protected.

Meanwhile Hegseth has been busy restoring Confederate statues and changing the names of the forts named after Confederate soldiers that were recently changed to loyal American's names and not traitors. He's spending $10 million of taxpayers hard earned money to return a Confederate monument to Arlington National Cemetary less than two years after an independent commission recommended its removal.

Trump and Hegseth are celebrating dead Confederates not because they want us to remember the exploits of long-dead traitors but to wage war against those people who got many of those monuments taken down. It's just another way to "own the libs."

Trump doesn't drink booze himself, but he embraces drunkards because they are easily controlled. Throw in the MAGA indoctrination and you have someone stupid enough to do anything in Trumps name. 

As it Stands, we knew how bad Trump was in his first term but in a twisted turn of events he was re-elected and now he's worse than ever before.

America is Better Than This

A heartfelt message to the citizens of the world:

I know that the United States has become unrecognizable in a relatively short period of time. A mere seven months to be exact and now we're fighting to preserve our democratic republic. The America you visited last year at this time was still a good place to visit. That's changing rapidly.

Under the new authoritarian regime which is led by a convicted felon and sexual abuser it's not safe for people of color to visit. They could get swept up by masked men with no ID who would put them in "deportation prisons" that are springing up across the country. The inhuman treatment these immigrants - and in many cases American civilians - are receiving is criminal. 

Just because you're a tourist don't think you're safe. There's a growing madness spreading like cancer every day as Trump and cronies violate our laws, ignore the Constitution, and use the military to control protests and take over cities. I don't know if you're aware how bad it's been in California, but Trump sent in the National Guard and an active Marine combat unit from 29 Palms to seize a couple of blocks in downtown LA.

This week Trump took control of Washington DC by sending in 14,000 national guardsmen under the guise of an emergency claiming crime is out of control when in fact it's down 26% in the last two years. This flimsy excuse is part of an overall plan to take over blue states and cement Trump's stranglehold on the nation.

I have to agree that it's our own fault for electing Trump who stole votes with the help of his billionaire buddy Elon Musk. I can reassure you that there's a lot of Trump voters who feel betrayed by Trump now for numerous reasons. One is his reluctance to release the Epstein Files. Surely, you've heard of those.

Please... don't give up on us. It'll take a while to restore sanity to our government, but I firmly believe the majority of Americans will prevail and the democrats will get the House back (maybe the senate too) next fall. Once that happens, Trump will have to face congressional guardrails (there's none right now), and it'll slow him down. By the next presidential election in 2028 Americans will vote for democracy and MAGA will be on the run.

Meanwhile there's millions of Americans protesting against Trump's policies and marching in the streets to restore their freedoms that the Trump regime has taken away thus far.

We will once again become a beacon for democracy despite our flame being temporally dimmed.

As it Stands, I want to thank all of the countries that are standing up to Trump's corrupt regime.

Across America They Say Every Day Things Won't Get Worse - Then It Does

Recently...

Our Felon-in-Charge and pedophile has just taken over the Smithsonian Museum in order to portray history as he wants it to be. All new exhibits will have to pass the MAGA test. 

After a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center by Trump who named himself the new director he's going to host the Kennedy Center Awards this year. He said he'll honor himself next year, burnishing his narcissist credentials.

Trump's lackey Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is busy trying to score brownie points with Trump by ordering military bases be renamed after Confederate Soldiers after they were changed to honor loyal Americans and not traitors who almost destroyed the United States. 

It was announced that Trump and Putin are meeting in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern edge of Anchorage on Friday the 15th. Most Americans are deeply skeptical that Trump will achieve any progress and Hungarian President Victor Orban declared Russia has already won.

Interesting side bar: Officials in Alaska have advised residents to evacuate the state's capital city today (Wednesday) because a melting glacier is expected to cause major flooding.

In another unconstitutional move Trump has surged the National Guard into the nation's capital, declaring a public safety emergency in order to put the Washington police department under federal control. He's threatened for years to take control of Washington D.C. This move was made in spite of the facts which show that violent crime is down to a 30-year low.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump's propaganda minister, admitted that the Trump administration is going to arrest and imprison homeless people who refused to be dragged off the street to a "shelter" by masked gestapo thugs.

A judge is considering a lawsuit today (Wednesday) in which the Trump administration filed suit against all 15 Maryland federal judges over a deportation order. This lawsuit is part of Trump's war on the judiciary system throughout the land.

During Trump's daily lie fest on his website Truth Social he claimed "trillions of dollars are coming in from tariffs all over the world." FACT: 100% of money coming in from tariffs is paid by the American companies who import foreign goods. 0% is coming in from any other part of the world.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is carrying out Trump's vendettas and is officially going after Hillary Clinton and Adam Schiff to change the national narrative about the Epstein Files. She's already gone after Obama and didn't get far with her lies about him It's another sign that Trump is growing increasingly nervous about being exposed as a pedophile.

In a recent press conference a reporter asked Trump about the charge that Russians have hacked into computer systems that manage US federal courts documents.

Trump nonchalantly said, "I guess I could. Are you surprised? They hack in - it's what they do." It's that kind of attituded that disturbs sane Americans who are worried Russia has compromised him somehow.

As it Stands, a new YouGov poll finds that 53% of Americans say Trump is not honest and trustworthy, while 31% say he is. I suspect that 31% is his MAGA base.

Step by Step the Militarization of America Under Trump is Becoming a Reality

It started in Los Angeles, California.

Now we see it in Washington D.C.

Trump is attacking the American people by letting the military invade states under false pretenses in a naked grab of power and as a diversion to the Epstein Files scandal.

After defying the laws of the land by surging active military units into a small area of Los Angeles where an immigration protest was being held, Trump impudently called out Marines from 29 Palms to quell the protests and to protect men in masks and no ID who were unlawfully arresting people of color.

Gov. Gavin Newsom went to the courts to seek relief from the illegal occupation and the whole issue has been bounced back and forth between judges and court circuits for several months now. 

A three-day trial began today (Monday) over whether Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles violated a general prohibition on using federal troops as civilian law enforcement. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer will decide if Trump violated the Posse Comitatus Act. It marks a major legal confrontation between Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

But Trump didn't stop there. He announced today that he is putting Washington D.C. police "under direct federal control" claiming crime is running rampant and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser isn't doing enough to stop it.

Fact check; a Justice Department official boasted in January that crime in Washington D.C. dropped to a 30-year low in 2024. So why the stunt? That's easy. It's the latest diversion to turn the national discourse away from the release of the Epstein Files. However, there's a more insidious side to activating military units against civilians.

When Trump deems the time is right he plans on a military coup and installing himself as dictator for life. Laying the groundwork is a step towards that goal. He's already talking about sending military troops into major blue states to "fight crime" but that's bullshit in the highest order.

For the record, the match that started the D.C. controversy was an ex-Doge worker nicknamed "Big Balls" who got beat up by two-15-year old punks. Big Balls is a MAGA favorite and Trump used his beating as an excuse to lock down D.C. As already noted the sudden crackdown has nothing to do with solving a problem - especially where one doesn't exist. 

The abrupt militarization has created chaos in the city thanks to the unwarranted and undeserved occupation. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said, "Trump's decision to take over the D.C. police isn't about public safety" and  it's "another attempt to distract from Trump's corruption and suppress dissent." Trump has long threatened to take control of D.C. which has a democratic majority.

By the time Trump loses in the courts - which is likely - he will have moved on to other cities to continue the false narrative of protecting public safety while illegally using the military to intercede with state affairs. Interestingly enough the only states he wants visited by combat troops are blue.

As it Stands, Trump's assault on D.C. home rule is part of a bigger plan but it faces a bigger challenge - the release of the Epstein Files and his sordid sexual relationships with underage girls.

A Quizzical Look at Walls

Walls divide.

Walks protect.

The Great Wall of China is the longest wall in the world.

People walled off from civilization are generally poor, and ignorant. It doesn't mean they're not happy, however.

The term walled in means feeling trapped.

There are walls made from wood, stone, brick, steel, concrete, adobe, curtains, plastic and iron.

There's no end of types of material to make a wall from. Cardboard boxes make great walls when you're a kid playing games that require protection from incoming snowballs in the winter.

Historically, walls leave behind stories for future generations.

Examples like The Berlin Wall; The Walls of Jerusalem, The Walls of Jericho; Hadrian's Wall, The Walls of Constantinople, and Trump's incomplete wall from his first term.

For an inside look at the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) read Jean Paul Sartre's short story The Wall.

One of my favorite short stories, "The Rats in the Wall" by H.P. Lovecraft and first appeared in Weird Tales.

Some walls are built not to divide, but to honor military forces like the Vietnam Wall and the Military Wall of Honor in Schenectady, New York.

As it Stands, here's food for thought put forward by Joseph Fort Newton, "Men build too many walls and not enough bridges."

Remember the Putin Trump Summit in Helsinki? The Alaska Summit Between the Two is Going to Be Just as Embarrassing

Here we go again.

When Putin and Trump met in Helsinki in 2018 it turned out to a propaganda victory for Putin as he played Trump like an old tambourine. 

After face-to-face talks Trump turned on U.S. Intelligence agencies and said there was no reason for Russia to meddle in the vote.

"President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be," he told an incredulous American public. 

The senior Republican Senator (at the time) John McCain said it was a, "disgraceful performance by a U.S. president."

It's too bad there are no more Republicans left with enough guts to call out Trump's lies in real time today. 

The meeting is set to take place on August 15th according to Trump's propaganda site Truth Social. I suspect that date will change with Trump's moods between now and then as the Epstein scandal continues to haunt him.

Who knows? Maybe Putin will stand him up and instead launch a major offensive against Ukraine. It's important to realize Trump is playing checkers while Putin is playing 3D chess. 

You might be wondering why Ukraine's leader Volodymr Zelensky is not attending this Alaska Summit. He was invited but knew that the centerpiece of the so-called peace talk was Ukraine giving up part of its country and not joining NATO. The terms were so outrageously favoring Russia that he knew it was a waste of time. In addition, he knows Putin better than Trump. Trump is nothing more than a fan boy for dictators and puts Putin on the top of the list.

What hidden symbolism is behind holding the summit in Alaska? We know that Russia sold Alaska to the U.S. 158 years ago for $7.2 million. Now Putin is trying to sell a land deal of the century with Trump, forcing Kyiv to hand over chunks of land that he's not yet been able to occupy. 

Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is pushing for Ukraine to cede the remainers of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in exchange for a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has repeatedly agreed to deals in Ukraine and then simply used the pause to regroup before invading again.

Nothing will come out of this fake attempt at fairness, but it might help Trump divert the national conversation from the Epstein files for a week, or possibly two. It depends on just how much groveling Trump does before Putin makes an ass of him...again.

As it Stands, we must all be aware that our twice-impeached president and convicted felon is out for himself and the American people be damned.

Senator Asks Why is Convicted Pedophile Ghislaine Maxwell Getting Preferential Treatment?

Someone in Congress finally asked why Ghislaine Maxwell is suddenly getting the "Queen for the Day" treatment from the Department of Justice?

On Friday Sen. Jack Reed demanded a formal explanation for the highly unusual move from the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), William Marshall. Reed noted that sex offenders are not allowed to be sent to minimum security prisons under the BOP's own rules without a special waiver.

So, who approved this transfer to the least restrictive facility operated by the BOP? Was it William Marshall? Was it Trump or one of his minions? Thus far there's been no response or explanation for the shady move.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for sexually abusing and trafficking children alongside Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of Trump who died in prison while awaiting trial during Trump's first term.

"Ms. Maxwell's victims and the taxpayers are owed an explanation why the BOP undertook this highly unusual transfer," said Reed during the Friday press conference.

Here's what we know after weeks of high drama over Trump's relationship with Epstein.

- Trump told his followers that he was going to release the Epstein Files during his campaign for a second term. So far, it's been seven months and that's not happened.

- MAGA supporters are angry because it's obvious to everyone - Republican and Democrat - that Trump is hiding the files to protect his own ass by cutting a deal with Maxwell. 

- The DOJ has not responded to the victims in the case despite the letters they sent asking for help. Some brave victims are publicly demanding justice.

- Numerous reports have revealed that Trump, Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, J.D. Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel are all running interference for Trump who is afraid of the truth getting out about his personal involvement with underage girls recruited by Epstein. FBI agents were tasked with removing Trump's name from the controversial files.

- Perhaps the most alarming thing is Trump is hinting at giving Maxwell a pardon saying he has the power to do that. 

If he does his followers will unleash their fury on him like never before. Lately most have been pissed but took a wait and see attitude. That's wearing thin.

Reed has asked Marshall to respond to the letter no later than Aug. 20th. What are the odds he will? I'm not sure because so many crazy things are happening around Trump's coverup it's impossible to guess what will come out next.

As it Stands, I have a hunch that next week we'll hear some bombshell announcements and actions regarding the Epstein files. Justice continues to be under fire from our Felon-in-Charge.

Welcome to 'The Gilded Age' 2.0

              What, you may ask was The Gilded Age?

The Gilded Age is the term used to describe the tumultuous years between the Civil War and the turn of the 20th century. It was a wild period characterized by rapid economic growth and social and political changes.

Fun fact. The term Gilded Age itself was popularized by Mark Twain's 1873 novel. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, which satirized the era's materialism and political corruption. 

Political corruption. That's a good segue to today's version of The Gilded Age 2025. 

The 19th century was a period of greed and guile: of Robber Barons, unscrupulous speculators, and corporate buccaneers, of shady business practices, scandal-plagued politics, and vulgar display.

That's still the way things are today in the 21st century. Trump is a convicted felon, but he's also the president of the United States. His love of gaudy golden decorations has transformed the White House into a Robber Barron's headquarters. 

In the first Gilded Age, organized labor was militant and often successful. Today organized labor is in decline. Both eras are marked by rising inequality and decline in well-being. The parallels between the two American Gilded Ages go beyond inequality.

The list is long: ineffective presidents, partisan stalemate, fee-based governance, identity politics, mass immigration and reaction, corruption, rapid technological change, environmental crisis, and claims of white supremacy.

Our current Gilded Age is Trumpian, but it draws its fuel from a much lengthier and more complicated era that began in the late 1970s and runs to the present.

Both periods saw rising populism and movements challenging the established order, though the specific ideologies differ. Interestingly the first Gilded Age opposed the wealthy elite, whereas today's populism, in some forms, has elected billionaires who are seen aligning with the rich.

Immigration and changing demographics have led to social anxieties and shifts in the standing of various groups in both eras. Today Trump's draconian deportation push has caused havoc throughout the country.

Back in the first Gilded Age, just like today, grand parties have come to symbolize the excessive wealth of an outrageously unequal era. As I'm writing this article Trump plans on building a grand ballroom next to the White House. Design plans show golden trim and accents everywhere.

I could go on, but I think it's time to wrap this up with a quote by one of the robber barons, Cornelius Vanderbilt, that would also summerize Trump's attitude:

"What I care about law? H'aint I got power?"

As it Stands, I guess history does have a way of repeating itself but it's sad that we don't seem to have learned anything since the original Gilded Age.

May the Polls Be with You!

Thanks for stopping by today, I have some thoughts about Polls that I'd like to share with you.

Ever since I took an Empirical Research class in college, I've been suspicious of polls and how accurate they really were. For good reason. There are multiple ways to manipulate polls in order to get a desired outcome.

What can you do to vet a poll before participating?

1. Check to see who is conducting the poll.

2. Find out who paid for the poll.

3. What questions were asked?

4. When was it carried out - and especially how was it conducted?

Public polls are a popular way to gauge public sentiment, but they are not without their problems. Here are some more key issues that face voters:

1. Methodology and Accuracy. For example, there's sampling issues that have to be considered like Non-Random Samples, Declining Response Rates, and differential Representation.

2. Influence and Impact. The publication of poll results can influence public opinion, potentially creating a "bandwagon effect" or "underdog effects." 

3. Transparency and Accountability. Not all polling organizations are transparent about their methodologies, making it hard to assess the credibility of their results. Bias from funding sources influences the poll's design and interpretation leading to biased results.

Because human beings are complicated, they all don't believe in the value of polling. It can be argued that polling is a benefit because it's a tool for gauging public opinion. But there's plenty of people who flat out don't believe in polls. 

Because of my suspicious nature I think the polling for the 2024 presidential election had some major problems.

Despite massive rallies for Kamala Harris and pundits saying it was a neck-to-neck race...it wasn't that close. 

Trump won the popular vote by 3.2 million votes, the first time a Republican had done so since President George W. Bush won reelection in 2004.

Since then, I've declared open season on pollsters who just confuse people for a host of reasons. I think poll-bashing should be a national sport. 

As it Stands, I believe people can still vote intelligently without following polls that are often propaganda for one political party or the other.

The Stereotype of Ugly Americans Has Never Been Truer Than Now

Just in case you never heard the negative stereotype "Ugly American" here is a quick summary of where the term comes from.

The term Ugly American made its first appearance through the title of the 1958 book, The Ugly American.

The book was a thinly fictionalized chronicle of American diplomatic insensitivity, ineptness, and bungling in Southeast Asia.

The message of the book was that American officials abroad were ignorant of local customs, social norms, and culture of the people in the region. I saw this when I was sent to Vietnam in 1970, twenty-two years after the term was birthed.

Since the stereotype surfaced it has become shorthand for loud, boorish behavior abroad. American tourists were said to be "poorly oriented" and in June of 1960 Parade Magazine ran an article about tourism titled, "Don't be an Ugly American," written by Frances Knight, director of the U.S. Passport Office.

We have earned the negative label and reinforced it over the decades. 

George W. Bush was often called "The Ugly American" in part because of his stance on foreign policies.

A study carried out in 2002 revealed that Hollywood also contributes to the Ugly American image. The study found that the more access other countries had to American programs, the higher their negative attitudes towards Americans tended to be.

The Ugly American tourist stereotype has been heavily depicted in films, with characters such as Sheriff J.W. Pepper in The Man with the Golden Gun, the Griswalk family in National Lampoon's European Vacation (one of my favorites), Ralph Jones in King Ralph, and the movie Sex and the City 2 that has been cited as a typical portrayal of the Ugly American image, where Samantha makes fun of Middle Eastern culture and women in traditional dress during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Numerous opinion pieces have accused Trump of behaving in a way that fits the Ugly American stereotype, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Nation, Financial Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, and the Financial Post.

Which brings me to the present. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in June gaging Trump's popularity in 24 nations. 

More than half in 19 of these countries say they lack confidence in Trump's leadership of world affairs. World leaders describe Trump's personal characteristics as arrogant and dangerous. People abroad, and at home for that matter, believe he is an unrepentant liar. That's about as ugly as you can get.

The ugly MAGA movement that Trump spawned is recognized worldwide as a cult. And for good reason. They believe ever word he utters, regardless of how insane or stupid it is.

As it Stands, it doesn't look like we're ever going to shed that Ugly American moniker.