Part 1 - 2025 Begins with a Mass Pardon for Criminals - Then It Got Worse

Part 1 of a 5 -Part Series 

Editor's Note - I'm going to pretend 2025 never happened after I finish this series depicting the destruction of Democracy and decency in America.

On Day One Donald J. Trump, the convicted felon who stole the 2024 election with Elon Musk's help, pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists who tried to help him steal the 2020 presidential election.

On Day Two Trump created the "Department of Government Efficiency" (Doge) with Elon Musk in charge. Musk reduced the federal workforce by hundreds of thousands by using legal and illegal authority to purge workers and agencies like USAID.

By Day Three Trump already had caused more chaos in the country than President Biden's entire term.

Highlights include "Liberation Day" when Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on every country in the world. The result was predictable; prices on everything in the United States went up and the negative effect is still rocking the economy.

Trump's ridiculous campaign claim that he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine was just another big lie to get elected. The two countries are still engaged in a hot war during these waning days of 2025.

Bombast and bullshit... Trump's claim he ended eight wars is pure propaganda. The supposed peace agreement between Hamas and Israel collapsed a day after it was signed in Qatar even though neither side was represented by its leaders. 

Since then, there has been constant violations and this month a United Nations commission concluded that Israel had committed acts of genocide as defined by international law against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Wild claims. Because Trump hosted an accord between Congo and Rwanda, he claimed to have ended their 30-year war. Since the signing the two countries have continued to murder each other's civilian populations despite Trump's claim there will be a "great miracle" on Dec. 4 ending the war.

Since Trump took office, the United States has been involved in six ceasefires or peace agreements. Not all of the countries give credit to Trump's regime for being involved.

As a matter of fact, it only appears one of the six countries gave Trump credit. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan (which Trump can't pronounce) ended with praise for our dictator-in-charge.

One of the most controversial things that the Trump regime has done is to deploy the national guard and active-duty troops to cities that were run by Democrats. 

Under the guise of his new racist immigration laws the military was surged into cities to supposedly protect ICE agents who were illegally rounding up brown people and denying them their rights.

I can't sum up this historically terrible year in one post. Thus this 5-part series. 

Future posts will have more details on this corrupt regime from concealing the Epstein files to the black market of pardons where six million spells a "get out of jail" card signed by Trump. He claims he doesn't use the autopen but there's no way you can convince me he penned over 1,700 pardons thus far this year.

As it Stands, Part 2 will take an in-depth look at the Epstein file scandal rocking Washington.

Christmas Blog Break - I'll Be Back Dec. 27th

Dear readers, it's time to step away from the keyboard and take a holiday break.

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

I'll be back on Dec. 27th to rant and rave about the Year in Review. 

Meanwhile I invite you to look to the right of this page and preview past posts archived back to 2018. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page and look to the right, you'll see a link to my other blog - The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff featuring poetry and original fiction stories.

I wrote a Sunday column for a daily newspaper in Eureka, California for about five years. Here's a link to The Times-Standard.

As it Stands, thank you for stopping by.

My 2025 Christmas Wish List (Warning Harsh Words Ahead)

All I want for Christmas is:

#1- That asshole Trump to be impeached and imprisoned.

AND

- The First Felon's entire Cabinet impeached and imprisoned.

- The war against black and brown people to stop. And for Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller to be sent to El Salvador's infamous prison after they are both impeached.

- Trump's name off of the Kennedy Center.

- Trump's name off of the Institute of Peace.

- For the Supreme Court to stop furthering the MAGA agenda.

- For Americans under Trump's sway to suddenly become enlightened and cast him from their lives and embrace truth over lies.

- An end to the chaos in our country that Trump has created.

- A new awakening in the land where neighbors don't fear their neighbors.

- For libraries to stay open and reject any attempts at banning books.

- For Congress to undergo a transformation where our elected lawmakers actually work for the people... not Don the Con.

- For the rest of the free world not to give up on us because we have a lunatic leader. He won't be there forever.

- Is for the Epstein Files to have a smoking gun (several would be nice) incriminating Donny without a doubt.

As it Stands, I actually have two lists. One for the naughty and one for the nice. I'm still working on the nice one.

Ahoy! Matey! GOP Senator Proposes Maritime Version of the Proud Boys

Here we go again.

It's MAGA cosplay time.

This edition features far-right Senator Mike Lee introducing a bill allowing private citizens to play pirates and to seize Venezuelan ships.

What Lee is proposing is nothing more than a maritime version of the Proud Boys turned loose in international waters.

What could possibly go wrong?

Are you kidding me?

Let's back up for a moment and see where the inspiration for this crazy idea came from. Little known fact: American piracy is permitted by the U.S. Constitution with government approval. Who knew?

During the 1700s, following the founding of the nation, when the British had the most powerful navy in the world, the founders essentially state-sanctioned piracy. They issued a "writ" or commission called a Letter of Marque which was basically a get out of jail free card.

Later, during the War of 1812 against Britain "writs" were handed out to anyone with a ship and a grudge against England.

Back to the present.

Today, the United States is considered to have the strongest navy in the world. As Trump put it, "...we have the greatest armada in the world off the coast of Venezuela." 

So why commission pirates when the largest aircraft carrier in the world and its accompanying fleet, are already there?

I'll tell you why, Lee is counting on the ignorance of the populace to pass his bill, which he calls The Cartel Marque and Reprisal Reauthorization Act. The idea is for private citizens and groups (note groups) in defending America from cartels at sea.

I can just see a ship with a Trump flag flying and full of far-right luminaries cruising around in international waters looking for trouble. Nothing to worry about with that crew defending freedom, right?

The way I look at it, Trump is the equivalent of a Somali pirate for illegally seizing two Venezuelan oil tankers and murdering 104 people in small boats. No quarter given. This is just another example of Trump minions trying to impress dear leader.

You know the world is upside down right now when you have a lawmaker announcing he's fine with pirates and murder. In normal times Lee would have been laughed out of the chamber for proposing such lunatic legislation.

Of course, these are not normal times, ever since Trump got into politics and infused them with his special poison.

I can't help wondering if Lee has been following Kristi Noem's cosplay characters and it inspired him to come up with playing pirates.

As it Stands, I think I'm immune to being shocked by the stupid things MAGA morons do for the First Felon.