Insurrection Inquiry Will Burst The Bubble of 'The Big Lie'

No wonder Republicans are panicking.

Not only is Trump's Big Lie going to be exposed, but Republican Congressmen and other right-wing politicians are facing retribution for their traitorous attempt to steal the 2020 election.

The House Select Committee on Jan. 6 poses such a threat to right-wing politicians that they are now doubling down on their lies and are spreading more myths to muddy the investigative waters.

Trump enabler, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, is busy trying to impede the investigation.

His latest tactic looks like something out of The Sopranos, where McCarthy is the mob boss threatening telecommunications and social media giants with harsh retribution if they cooperate with the inquiry.

Ten other House Republicans have joined him and assert they "will not forget" the companies who comply with the request when they take over the House in 2021 during the midterms.

That threat is bullshit.

In the first place there's no guarantee the Republicans will get the House back, and if they do there's no way they can carry out their threat to strong-arm private companies.

Basically McCarthy's toothless threat is a desperate effort to impede the investigation. Those same companies have always responded to Congressional subpoenas, as Republicans are fully aware of having used them their selves.

It just goes to show the lengths Trump's disciples will go to change the narrative on their coup attempt.

It's important to keep in mind that Trump's assault on democracy is a multi-front attack that also involves rigging state election systems to favor GOP voters.

The insurrection inquiry will expose the Big Lie and those who were involved. What happens after it's finished is the big question.

COVID-19 Madness: Our Prolonged Pandemic is Poisoning People's Minds

After two years of an invisible killer stalking the nation, the terrible mental toll has taken its effect on millions of people.

If there's one thing ALL Americans have in common right now it's experiencing the effects of a fourth virus surge.

Instead of embracing the knowledge our scientists have gained to fight the virus (by developing a vaccine in record time), millions of Americans have turned on science... and sane solutions to staying safe.

Polarized by politics, and massive disinformation campaigns in all medias, there doesn't seem to be an antidote for this crisis.

Initially, people listened to advise and hunkered down everywhere in an attempt to stop the spread of the most deadly virus to hit the country in over 100-years. 

That patience is disappearing.

What little unity to fight the virus has slowly evaporated as the months passed and turned into a year... and beyond. Now, two years later most people's patience has disappeared.

We've gone from fear to anger

Overworked doctor's and healthcare officials are angry and exhausted with the unvaccinated who are filling the hospitals to capacity. That's because they know it doesn't have to be this way.

We have the vaccines to save people. But you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.

Angry parents in school board meetings over masking are physically assaulting board members, doctors, and other parents. 

Weaponized words are turning into violent actions as anti-vaxxers and right-wing pundits claim the virus is a hoax, and face masks are a violation of their kid's rights.

The only answer to defeating COVID-19's latest mutation the Delta variant, is through universal vaccinations and safety measures like using face masks inside schools and other public places.

The longer it takes to get this pandemic under control so we can return to our {normal} lives, the more the poison will spread.

Ironically, truth deniers and science advocates have a common goal...both sides want the dying to stop.

Personal Freedoms Are Being Used As A Cudgel Against Science

The Republican party's current war about personal freedoms being challenged is the descendent of the 20th century Moral Majority who were always whining about perceived threats to their freedoms.

Writer B.J. Rudell, whose article on The Hill today discusses how "Freedom is good policy and good politics," details how the GOP is luring sane people into it's folds.  

The article, Republicans Cornering the Market on Freedom and Oppression addresses how selling the public on a policy - right or wrong - is key for a corrupt political party's chances of successful indoctrinating voters.

Rudell points out;

"Today's "personal freedom" movement is code for 'Make America Great Again.' Advocates seek to restore America's revolutionary spirit. If you oppose freedom, you support tyranny. There is no wiggle room for nuance or differing opinions. American and God-given rights are intertwined and inalienable."

The Republican party has hardened in it's views of what personal freedoms mean. Rudell explains:

"Personal freedom fighters in the COVID era believe individual opinions - regardless of their truth - matter more than those of experts, of politicians, or of the dying lying in hospital beds. 

All levels of government constitute "the swamp." "Don't tread on me" has devolved into "No more rules." It is the antithesis of the state control sought by family values. It is instead a battle against society - against the essential frameworks on which civilizations are built.

 This is a point of anarchical pride for the personal freedom brigade, because it doesn't matter who gets hurt, as long as it's not them."

Rudell's summary conclusion:

The GOP has decided it's better to be on the wrong side with millions who adore you, than to be on the right side with millions who don't."

Baby Trump Wannabee Cawthorn Threatens Americans With 'Bloodshed' Remarks

The fight to see who can go the lowest among far right-wing politicians has reached new levels of insanity lately.

The youngest person in Congress, Madison Cawthorn, wants to be just like his idol Trump and is going to great lengths to prove it.

He continues to preach the Big Lie and is threatening Americans who don't agree Trump is still the president.

Despite the fact that the federal intelligence warnings have been coming out warning against rhetoric that could spark another riot, "Baby Trump wannabee" is throwing fuel on the fire.

"Anybody who tells you that Joe Biden was dutifully elected is lying to you," Cawthorn said in a video the party posted on its Facebook page before deleting it yesterday following blowback.

Meanwhile Cawthorn is bragging that he would be willing to take up arms against the government to defend "election security." 

This open admission of treason has become fashionable among the far-right set who are willing to destroy democracy to stay in power.

Cawthorn's little speech came after a joint intelligence assessment that warned "narratives of fraud in the recent general election" and "the emboldening impact of the violent breach of the US Capitol" would "almost certainly" spark domestic terror attacks."

After his spiel an audience member asked Cawthorn "When are you going to call us to Washington again?"

His reply, "We are actively working on that one. We have a few plans in motion I can't make public right now."

As proof of what a hypocrite and liar he is,  look no farther than when he admitted the election was not fraudulent, and that Joseph R. Biden was our president in January.

When Cawthorn warned that there could be bloodshed in future elections, he was setting the stage for that to happen.

One War Too Late: Jane "Red" Fonda Joins Campaign To Deny Taliban Recognition

 

Before you go any further you should know that I'm a Vietnam veteran who hasn't forgiven Jane "Red" Fonda for her support of the North Vietnamese.

In July of 1972, Fonda earned the enmity of untold thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families (as well as service members for generations to come) when she arrived in Hanoi, North Vietnam and began a two-week propaganda tour there.

It's ironic that the last time the U.S. had to cut and run from a war, Jane Fonda was all over our enemies, but this time she's suddenly not in love with them.

Fonda was given the well-earned moniker of "Hanoi Jane," at the time.

The kicker - for me - was hearing about her latest campaign to deny the Taliban recognition. Why couldn't she have done that with our mortal enemies, the NVA and the VC?

There's a whole new generation who are unaware of her traitorous past. They have been watching her on cable sitcoms for years and think she's a moral person who would never turn on her country for nothing more than the publicity.

They may re-think that opinion if they Google her name and expose her dark past. Some crimes can never be forgotten.

Memories: My Wife and I Have Been Married 47-years Today

 

           Dave and Shirley Stancliff - Married on Aug. 31st, 1974

Despite the chaos we all live in, there's still golden moments in our lives that are worth celebrating.

A wedding anniversary is one of those moments.

Family and friends often ask us how we managed to stay together for so long. In many ways we're polar opposites.

The answer is relatively simple; we respect one another's views, and we both love to joke around. Our sense of humor has gotten us through many iffy situations in life.

We continue to bond regardless of the outside pressures in the world. We both believe in living for the moment and that every day is a precious gift.

Our past is an album of victories and defeats. Challenges met, and accepted. Aware that there are no re-runs in this life, we try to stay true to our values every day.

The fact is we love each other every moment, whether apart or together. 

We're thankful for our three sons, five grandchildren, and the rest of our families and friends.

Enough said.

School Boards Have Become Fertile Ground For Conspiracy Loons and Corrupt Politicians

In the ongoing American tragedy of the dumbing down of students (education has been a low priority for decades) politicians, parents and school boards are fighting over science and safety at schools.

Nothing has been more contentious than taking precautions against the surging COVID-19 virus in school districts.

Governors are threatening school superintendents, and teachers, if they enforce mask mandates to protect students who are too young for the vaccine.

Republican politicians running for office are burnishing their crazy creds on resisting masking in the schools. 

One GOP loon - Steve Lynch (some irony in the last name here) is running for a public office in Pennsylvania, and is threatening to use physical force against school officials upholding the CDC guidelines.

Parents who don't believe in science, vaccines, and the CDC, are showing up - and disrupting - school board meetings all over the country.

School board members lives are being threatened by these crazy conspiracy-driven parents that show up in meetings turning them into chaos. 

School board meetings have always had controversies. That's nothing new. But now the meeting places have turned into battlegrounds of science versus fiction.

After surviving four years of the Trump administration's encouragement to conspiracy nuts, they're now as prolific as weeds in the garden of democracy.

The bottom line is students have become political footballs in the fight against the surging Delta variant. 

American politicians have treated education like a poor relative for far too long. School agendas have been watered down. There's less emphasis on a well-rounded education. And teachers are poorly paid.

It looks like this vicious fighting between politicians, school board members, and parents is going to be around for a long time.

It's just not fair for the next generation to have to deal with a lasting legacy of conspiracy theorists and corrupt politicians.

Right-Wing Armchair Quarterbacks Waste Our Time With Ill-informed Opinions

I'm tired of hearing about right-wing TV hosts, podcasters, and assorted minions of Trump opinionate on subjects they know nothing about.

When Fox news host Sean Hannity opinionates about our military actions it's important to understand he has no military background (rumors are he was kicked out of the boy scouts for lying) or even an average understanding of Afghanistan's war-torn history.

The only experience Hannity has is in riling people up with conspiracies and blatant lies about what liberals are doing.

The fact is there's a lot of Americans who follow armchair quarterbacks like they're experts on the subject they're bloviating on in a given day.

Instead of backing Biden's administrations efforts to battle the Delta variant and keep people safe for the common cause, there are people who actively resist the science and become armchair doctors prescribing bleach and animal de-wormer medicine as an alternative cure.

Too many Americans listen to media types who claim to know everything. Just look around at the Bill O'Reilly's, and Tucker Carlson's. They're airheads who know how to get your blood boiling by picking at your fears.

Sadly, talk show hosts have replaced real journalists in millions of households. They tell people what to think. How to react. Where to cause trouble. Who to attack. Not to believe their ears, or eyes.

I like to keep in mind the old adage, "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one."

All too often opinions get taken for facts. Like author Harlan Ellison once said, "You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant."

The Taliban Have a Major Problem: They're in a Hot Sticky Mess

The Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan reminds me of a fable from the tales of Uncle Remus, where Brer Rabbit always outfoxed Brer Fox in The Man's Garden.

My favorite tale, Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby, echoes the current situation that the Taliban are in. They're stuck with the fact that there's no money in the country they just conquered.

Like Brer Rabbit found when he slugged and kicked the tar baby, it made matters worse. The more he kicked and hit the tar baby the more stuck he became.

The Taliban have more to worry about than just having no money (the USA and the rest of the world froze their assets); they have to deal with enemies embedded in the war-torn country.

The northern provinces have seen a gathering of armed Afghans who are intent in overthrowing the Taliban. 

Add having enemies like ISIS-K popping up at the worst times, a massive homeless population (the biggest in the world), dwindling food supplies and cash on hand, and it's a sticky situation...at best.

Unlike Brer Rabbit who got stuck in the tar baby but eventually escaped, it's unlikely the Taliban will be as lucky as the country collapses around the "victors."

Should We Sympathize With Unvaccinated People Who Are Putting Others At Risk?

I've always been of the school that we all make our own beds in life, and have to live (or die) with the results.

If this sounds like a lack of empathy, it's not. It's just a practical reality. A lot of people don't believe in science and would rather take a medicine for animals (cows, horses, etc.) than something approved for humans.

I'm trying to refrain from calling these people who think bleach, or put light up their body cavities, as a way to fight the new deadly Delta variant of the killer virus plaguing our country, stupid... but it's not easy.

Everyday, I read and see examples of the unvaccinated dying in record numbers in states (particularly the ones with Republican governors). It's discouraging.

Here's four current stories about the unvaccinated that are admittedly sad, but that illustrate my point.

-- Caleb Wallace, who helped organize the "Freedom Rally" on July 4, 2020 for those "sick of the government being in control of our lives," is now on a ventilator after becoming infected with the virus, according to his pregnant wife who consented to a "do not resuscitate order."

-- Phil Valentine a conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic died in a hospital gasping for air.

Ironically, after testing positive for the virus he told his listeners he didn't get vaccinated because he thought he'd die.

But after moving into the critical care unit his brother Mark said he regretted he wasn't a more vocal advocate of the vaccination. It was too late by then.

-- Dick Farrel, a former Florida conservative talk show host died from COVID-19, once called Dr. Anthony Fauci a "power-tripping freak" and urged people not to get vaccinated.

The radio station he worked for called him a pioneer "shock talk host" who pulled no punches. 

-- In a heartbreaking story a middle-aged couple who waited to get vaccinated until they thought it was safe, both became infected from the virus.

Lisa Steadman had spent more than a week in a central Florida hospital recovering from a serious case of COVID-19, while Ronald Steadman, who had also contracted the coronavirus, battled a milder case from home.

Lisa kept in contact with check-in phone calls. Before she checked of the hospital the last thing he said was that "he was improving."

When she came home it was like a scene from a horror movie; she found Ron unresponsive on his side of the bed. Their three barking dogs led her to him. He was dead.

She explained to reporters that it wasn't like they were against a vaccine. They just thought it was developed too rapidly.

It would be easy to go on. Even easier to judge each of these unnecessary deaths. Every victim chose not to be vaccinated, either because of their radical ideology or they just didn't trust getting the shot because of all the disinformation circulating online.

I would be remiss if I didn't admit that it pisses me off that people go unvaccinated during a pandemic. They're killing other people, regardless of their reasoning.

Democracy in Peril: Minority Party's Assault On America

(Photo of Republican California recall candidate, John Cox, with his bear talking to a crowd of about 12 people. Just think, he could be California's next governor!)

Amazing as it may seem, a minority party is do a pretty good job at trying to seize power in the United States of America.

GOP members of Congress are stopping any legislation that doesn't meet their approval using the filibuster. Despite being the minority in both the House and the Senate, Republicans have been the one's calling the shots.

It doesn't stop there. One of the tactics the self-proclaimed Party of Trump uses is to take control (from governor to city dog-catcher) of every state by whatever means possible.

Using an arcane law to game the system, California Republicans have gathered enough signatures to file for a recall election, which is just around the corner.

Thank The Terminator, aka Arnold Schwarzenegger, for paving the way to a successful recall (for the first time in the state's history) in 2003.

It was the first time anyone managed to get the required signatures of 12-percent of the turnout in the previous election.

This time - with the help of a three-month extension granted by a judge - the organizers were able to deliver; forcing a recall election.

If the current governor, Gavin Newsom, fails to get 51 percent of the vote he WILL BE DEFEATED while whichever of the 46 clowns on the ballot gets the most votes becomes the new governor.

To break that down further - someone could become governor of the biggest state in the USA with only 10 percent of the vote!

The system is insane, and needs to be tossed in the garbage.

People have been talking about off-year elections like this where voter turnout is normally low unless one party is seriously motivated to vote.

Such as the Republican minority in California that may be on the brink of taking over the Democratic majority, and putting a right-wing troll in the governor's mansion. 

It could happen. If Newsom is defeated it'll be an anti-democratic, legal coup in the most liberal state in the nation.

Democratic voters are going to have to turn out in record numbers in every state. Otherwise the majority of people in America are going to be controlled by a minority of radical racists' and white supremacists. 

Two Notorious Right-Wing Operatives Face $5.1 Million Fine

When it comes to political scumbags, Jacob Wohl (right) and Jack Burkman (left) are poster boys for the radical right.

Both have a long history of fraudulent activities that would make any wacko drool. When it comes to conspiracy theories they're the canaries in the asylum.

I'm pleased to report that the Federal Communications Commission has proposed a $5.1 million fine against the duo for improperly making robocalls to cellphones without getting people's consent.

There's still a hoop or two for the FEC to jump through, but the chances of getting the largest proposed fine the FEC has ever asked for in this specific violation appear to be good.

This same conservative pair of swamp creatures were charged with four felonies in Michigan last year for allegedly intimidating voters with robocalls that spread inaccurate messages about voting by mail.

As soon as I get a date when the Michigan felony trial will be held, I'll share it.

Robocalls were one of the sources of disinformation leading up to the 2020 election, with characters like Jacob and Jack in the forefront.

Of the two creeps, Jacob has the most crazy creds as an American far-right conspiracy theorist, fraudster, internet troll, and conservative lobbyist.

Jack's crazy creds are there, he's also a conspiracy nut, and a conservative lobbyist, that's teamed up with Jacob in multiple scams.

Here's hoping the Beavis and Butthead of the right-wing operative community spend many years behind bars - along with getting slapped with that fat $5.1 million fine the FEC proposed.  

Proof of 2020 Voter Fraud in Florida: GOP Vote-Siphoning Scheme Exposed

                             How about that?

The only verifiable voter fraud in the 2020 election was committed by Republicans. 

Today we're going to hear about a no-party candidate who ran a successful ghost campaign in a South Florida state senate election.

Alexis Rodriguez is expected to enter a guilty plea before a Miami-Dade Circuit Judge and admit that he accepted $45,000 from former GOP state Sen. Frank Artiles to run for office.

Rodriguez ran as an non-party affiliated (NPA) candidate in November's Senate District 37.

The Democrat running in the district had the same surname as Alexis Rodriquez; Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez.

The name on the ballot was "Alex Rodriquez," the same as that of the baseball Hall-of-Famer and Miami celebrity. 

The result?

Alex Rodriguez received 6,300 out of 215,000 ballots cast in the SD 37 runoff which was won by just 32 votes by Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia, who unseated the incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez.

Yesterday the judge granted Artiles' attorney's request for more time to interview witnesses and review evidence, granting a 60-day continuance and setting a check-in hearing for Oct. 19.

Republican campaign organizers are nervously watching the case that has launched a broadening voter corruption probe into two other Florida counties; SD 39 and SD 9.

The bottom line is there was voter fraud in 2020, and it was committed by Republicans. I hope that settles the controversy about which party was cheating.

Oregon School Superintendent Instructs Students Parents To Lie

As an Oregonian watching the state struggle with a COVID surge worse than last year, I'm disgusted and disappointed at what I'm seeing.

I live in Medford, currently the worse county in the state for COVID infections.  Watching the numbers of victims rise daily is the sad reality here.

Why is Oregon doing so bad with this latest surge?

Last year at this time we had the numbers of infections under control, and ranked among the top states with the least amount of outbreaks.

One of the reasons is burn-out. People are tired of complying with the new masking rules and just want to return to "normal."

Unfortunately that's not possible. And to make matters worse Oregonians are ignoring the science and fighting face masks in schools and other public places.

For example, the superintendent of the rural Alsea School District told parents they can sidestep the governor's mask requirement by applying for an accommodation for their children under federal disabilities law.

According to superintendent Marc Thielman, "The majority of my parents are skeptical and no longer believing what they're told," as if that was a legitimate excuse.

School starts tomorrow.

Governor Kate Brown was shocked that Thielman was undermining her policies {the science} by "Instructing students to lie about having a disability."

For the record, Thielman is planning to run for governor next year. It appears he's building up his crazy creds to attract right-wing voters.

Not everyone has decided to board the "mask skeptic train," however. 

Oregon resident Jenny Jonak, who has an 11-year-old daughter with autism and health problems that make her more susceptible to the current Delta variant, said wearing masks is a "very small inconvenience" to protect vulnerable."

The key to reversing this surge is vaccination and taking proper safety precautions. 

Having students lie about face masks is not the solution. It's the problem. As long as skeptical school officials and lawmakers push back against the science, the pandemic will never end in Oregon.

Trump's The Main Feature: A Super Spreader Rally Set During a A COVID State of Emergency

It's Deja vu time.

Are you nostalgic for those 2020 super spreader Trump rallies?

Do you miss being shoulder-to-shoulder with anti-vaxxers and QAnon followers?

Do you want to hear how the 2020 election was stolen and how Trump is still president?

Well, it's your lucky day my friend.

Trump is attending an Alabama GOP rally today as the state struggles with a new surge of COVID infections.

The timing couldn't be worse.

Cullman, the city where the rally is, has declared a COVID-19 related state of emergency.

The chief operating officer of Cullman Regional Medical Center, requested additional resources because of the rally. This while the center is overcrowded amid a spike in coronavirus-related hospitalizations.

Alabama saw 3,890 new cases on Wednesday and is averaging 3,000 infections daily since then.

Even worse, The Alabama Hospital Association also reported that the state has run out of intensive care unit beds, citing a 29-bed deficit.

It's in this backdrop that an estimated 20,000 people are going to gather to listen to Trump's alternate version of the universe, where he still continues to be The Chosen One among hard right-wing wackaloons.

Why Hasn't Rep. Mo Brooks Been Locked Up Yet?

Rep. Mo Brooks is a seditionist, far-right extremist, and liar. 

He's proved it multiple times starting with his fiery speech on Jan. 6 where he encouraged Trump supporters to "start taking down names and kicking ass."

Mo Brooks knew there was going to be violence at the Capitol on Jan.6, but he didn't share that knowledge with the Justice Department.

In a recent interview with Salon, Brooks admitted, "I was warned there might be risks associated with the next few days. As a consequence of those warnings. I did not go to my condo. Instead, I slept on the floor of my office. And when I gave my speech {on Jan. 6}, I was wearing body armor."

It was a damning admission but no one has done anything about it. 

A Washington-based watchdog group Campaign For Accountability has filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics demanding an investigation into whether Brooks violated federal law, House rules and the Constitution by inciting a riot and seditious conspiracy.

As of this post no action has been taken.

Brooks has also served with a lawsuit filed by Rep. Eric Swalwell, seeking to hold him partially accountable for the Jan 6 insurrection.

The DOJ declined a request by Brooks to intervene for him in the Swalwell lawsuit noting that he wasn't within the scope of his duties of his office when he spoke before a pro-Trump rally.

As of this post no action has been taken.

Steeped in litigation over his role in the coup attempt, Brooks expressed sympathy yesterday for a man who threatened to bomb the Library of Congress.

After the would-be bomber, Floyd Roy Roseberry was arrested, Brooks came out and said, "I understand citizenry directed at dictatorial Socialism and its threat to liberty, freedom and the very fabric of American society."

The backlash from members of Congress from both parties was immediate in condemning his words.

As of this post no action has been taken.

The threat of corrupt lawmakers like Mo Brooks, Ron Johnson, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, etc, present a very real threat to our democracy.

The sooner Trump Republican seditionists are brought to justice the better. Our freedoms depend on it.

New Reality Game Show: Pick Your Crisis

             Welcome ladies and gentlemen!

Today is the pilot for a new reality show featuring dire national and international news. Let's get right on it with our two contestants, Jack and Jane.

Host: For 10 points, what is the worst crisis facing humanity today?

Jane: It has to be the exodus from Afghanistan where thousands of people at Kabul airport are waiting for a flight out of the country after the Taliban's stunning victory.

Jack: No doubt about it; the Delta variant that's surging across America, and other countries in the world.

Bell rings

Host: It looks like Jack has earned the first 10 points in the competition. For 10 points...

Whose most enjoying seeing President Biden under fire for the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan?

A. Taliban

B. Republican Party

C. Trump

D. Russia

E. China

F. North Korea

Bell rings

Jane: I'm guessing B and C based on their history.

Jack: I think it's Russia because I heard they were gloating that they lasted longer in Afghanistan than the we did.

Host: Nice try Jack, but Jane nailed it. Trump and minions are the enemy within. It looks like we're tied thus far.

Next category: Worst air quality for 15 points...

Where is the worst air quality in the world and the United States today? (2 part)

A. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

B. Salt Lake City, Utah 

C. Redding, California

D. Vancouver, Canada

E. UK

F. Australia

Bell rings

Jane: I'm going to take a guess here; Salt Lake City and Dubai.

Jack: Redding, California and Australia.

Host: Jane's on a roll. Dubai and Salt Lake City are the right answers.

FINAL CATEGORY for 25 points...

What country has the most homeless people?

A. Afghanistan

B. Los Angeles, USA

C. Australia

D. Brazil

E. China

F. Bangladesh, India

Jane: I'm torn between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. I'll go with Bangladesh.

Jack: The answer is Afghanistan.

Host: You pulled the rabbit out of the hat Jack! Afghanistan is the right answer and is also the Secret Country for the Day, meaning double the points. 

Thank you for attending the first episode of PICK YOUR CRISIS. I look forward to the next time we meet. Remember, there's always a crisis somewhere!

The War In Afghanistan Is Over: Now It's Finger Pointing Time

The blame game is underway.

Now that the Taliban have reclaimed Afghanistan, critics of the war and supporters, are blaming each other for the final stunning collapse of the Afghanistan government.

The thing is, we've know for years what would happen if we left the country. The Washington Post published the so-called Afghanistan papers a few years ago, revealing a trove of government documents.

Those documents revealed our military establishment knew our efforts to prop up the Afghanistan government and train its military were failing.

It was obvious that our efforts were doomed to fail because America was essentially trying to change the priorities forcibly of a people whose values were very different than our own.

The chaos created by Afghanistan's complete capitulation in record time has resulted in finger pointing and accusations from all sides of the political spectrum.

Our departure was never going to be pretty. Things like this seldom are. There's always winners, and losers. In this case there's more losers than usual.

The beginning of the end began in February 2020 when the Trump administration brokered an exit plan with the Taliban. 

The blame game of which president should take the heat for the hasty retreat is ongoing.

Suddenly everyone is experts on why we failed to turn the country into a democracy. Cable TV and social media hosts are blasting the airways with disinformation and the Biden administration is busy defending it's actions.

It's hard to say how long the blame game will last. Vestiges of it will probably play a part in the 2021 midterms.

I suspect the coverage on Afghanistan will decrease in the news cycles ahead. We're in the middle of a COVID surge that should have never happened.

And the merry game goes on.

The Final Reckoning: Afghanistan Was Sold Out By Weak-Kneed Afghan Leaders

Kabul has fallen. The Taliban seized the city without a shot yesterday. A new era has begun for war-torn Afghanistan.

After 20 years of training and billions of dollars in American aid it was obviously a wasted effort, trying to bring democracy to a Muslim country that never wanted it. 

Why did the Afghan government collapse in just one week?

The major error Biden and the Pentagon made was in assuming the Afghan government would stay intact after we left. It wasn't on anyone's radar that the government ministers would desert the country the minute the Taliban attacked.

The Taliban cleverly exploited a weakness in the Afghanistan government that our military wasn't aware of, or chose to ignore.

Corruption. 

Top officials no longer represented the people. The military was full of disgruntled soldiers who hadn't been paid in six months. When the Taliban offered them money to hand over their weapons and allegiance they eagerly complied.

Cities like the government-held Jalalabad surrendered to the militants without a shot. Within hours they ringed Kabul and the government forces simply melted away.

Meanwhile the American embassy has been evacuated. The American flag was taken down and the diplomatic core were ferried to Kabul airport where most have already flown out of the country.

Thus far there's been no engagement between the Taliban and retreating American forces and civilians.

Americans, and their Afghan allies, are still waiting for a flight at the airport. Timelines had to be moved up after the Afghan government's spectacular failure to hold it's ground.

Despite having 300,000 soldiers versus 75,000 Taliban insurgents, it was no contest. High and low government officials decided that after the February 2020 Doha agreement between America and the Taliban, they'd been sold out.

The war was essentially over after that.

The writing was on the wall. The Americans were finally going, and it demoralized the Afghan troops who knew their government was on shaky ground.

Simply put, all the Taliban had to do was buy the loyalty of the disgruntled members of the military and the war was over. It took a year, but the results were dramatically effective.

Why American military experts did not see this coming is a mystery to me. It speaks of poor intelligence and planning. It seems we never understood the Afghan people, and what motivated them.

Without exaggeration, it can be said the country was sold out by it's own administration.

The Pandemic Should Nearly Be Over: But Thanks To The Unvaccinated It May Never Go Away

Florida and Louisiana have the highest COVID transmission rate in the world.

Mississippi broke its COVID-19 hospitalization record two days ago, with more than 1,490 patients statewide. Dozens of patients are waiting in emergency rooms for an ICU bed.

In North Carolina, health officials announced the state had seen its largest single-day jump in ICU admissions since the pandemic's start.

In Nashville, Tennessee, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's adult hospital and emergency department were "completely full."

Dallas County, Texas, Judge Clay Jenkins said Friday that there were "zero ICU beds left for children."

Announcing a mask mandate that went into effect Friday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said that COVID-19 hospitalizations were at a "record high" and ICU beds statewide were 90 percent full.

Last week Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the state was down to just eight ICU beds.

There were about 321 available ICU beds across the entire state of Texas - which has a population of nearly 29 million - last Thursday.

The real pisser is that we didn't have to have this recent surge of COVID-19/ Delta Variant. Effective vaccines are available everywhere.

But thanks to the unvaccinated people who ignore science, the nation is infected with little relief in sight.

Republicans need to get their heads of their collective asses (and Trump's) and get vaccinated. There's no two ways about it.

Assholes Like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are killing people to make a political statement by fighting against safety measures to combat COVID.

I don't care what the unvaccinated people's excuses are. They're endangering lives with their sick reasoning about "personal liberties."

Meanwhile the country continues an uphill fight to battle the worst pandemic this nation has ever seen.