Category: Politics and Government

What A Week This Is

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No Shortage Of Potential Big Deal Events In These Days

Are We A Day Late?

Yes, we are a day late. This blog normally posts on Tuesday, but we had some technical speed bumps and in any case, it seemed better to wait a day to see what the elections developed. Boy, did those elections have an impact! Glad we waited to communicate. We have a lot to reflect upon.

Elections

Three local elections took place this week that have national implications. They are the governorship of VA and of NJ, and the mayor’s race in New York City.

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Why The Coming Midterm Elections Are More Important Than Ever

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Think About A Dress Rehearsal For A Coup

Our Vocabulary Is Changing, As Is Our Reality

People tend to be a little loose in the definition of political and social terms, especially when in a fight over an important issue. Trump and friends are quick to call anyone they disagree with communists. In an earlier time, some leftists and progressives were quick to call opponents reactionaries or fascists. It is easy to go overboard in describing others.

But in following the text of Project 2025, statements from throughout the Trump administration, and watching what actions are being taken – with the full support of far too many Republican legislators and officials – times have changed.

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Where Things Stand in and Around Gaza

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And Why We Should Care

Credit Where Due

Before getting into the substance of current events, let’s give a bit of credit where it is due, in three observations:

  • The Biden Plan. What is outlined in the current documents is largely what the Biden team drew up almost two years ago. Taken as a whole, it is a reasonable foundation upon which one could build lasting peace in the region. The Biden team gets credit (although not from Trump) for laying out the framework that the key players could accept.
  • Trump’s Squeeze on Netanyahu.

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Five Very Different Observations This Week

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No Shortage of Things to Think About, Is There?

The Roll Up of Senior Military Leaders

This mysterious call up of all senior military commanders and their senior enlisted members, all for a mysterious meeting with the Secretary – and now including Trump – is a bad thing in about 9 different directions.

Of course, no one has a clue as to what this is all about. We will, likely, by the time many of you read this posting. Could be to announce firings, to demand loyalty, to call for the reapplication of a bunch of 1950s standards – no one knows except the perpetrator.

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Communications May Be The Key

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On Two Levels, We Are In Deep Water

Communications on Two Levels

On a fundamental level, we think of communication as how we talk to you each other, how we share views and information. People to people information and ideas sharing. That has been around pretty well since our species was born. What is new is the internet and related communications means.

On another level, communication may be thought of as a one way flow – how does government communicate with the population at large and how does government seek to influence how others communicate on a large scale.

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Take A Deep Breath, Take A Short Break

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As I started to prepare the posting for this week, I thought a lot, of course, about all that has happened in recent days, and all that’s coming in the next few days, perhaps including the shut down of our government.

I find myself reminded of some good advice I heard from a number of sources when this administration started. I think it was Michael Beschloss who said it best. This is going be a long fight, with many fronts engaged at the same time. We’re just in the early stages.

We don’t really have an option to give up.

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Hey, New Low Points

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Just When You Think It All Could Not Get Worse or More Embarrassing….

Seven months into this term of Trump, we find new low points in more areas than one could have imagined. If nothing else, we are learning what a potent cocktail one has when mixing arrogance, cruelty, and intellectual laziness, wrapped in a mindset where character simply does not count – heck, character is seen as a flaw by this bunch..

Just look at the last few days….

North Korea Has Nothing On US

The North Korea syndrome has arrived.

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A Mix of International & National Items

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Never a Dull Moment, Is There?

 Alaska Talks

We don’t know what took place or who said what, since Trump, breaking what had been a 100% precedent with all other presidents, talked with Putin with no note takers present and no transcripts published.

The fact that the meeting ran about half the allocated time and that there was no Q & A at the “press conference” at the end, indicates that at least Trump perhaps did not give away everything, but time will tell, especially from the meetings with the president of Ukraine and NATO leaders this week,

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One Thought, One Goal

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There is a Lot Going On. Let’s Focus on Effects and Causes to Frame the Rest

And So It Continues

The chaos, cruelty, and destructiveness of the Trump administration continues. It is being blocked or tripping over its own feet in some areas and is being aggressive in others. As I heard someone say recently, we are in only the first quarter of a four quarter (four year) engagement. Not the time to get tired yet.

Part of the Plan 2025 modality is to overwhelm the opposition and to flood the media and public consciousness every day,

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Reflections on Post-Disaster Community

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Disasters Really Do Bring Out the Best and the Worst in Us

Sometimes We Manage To Leave Politics Behind

Last year the area around which I live was hit hard by Tropical Storm Helene – the recovery is still underway, with over 100 people killed and billions of dollars in damage. In the last few days, a region of Texas suffered similar catastrophic losses (with well over 100 people still missing days after the floods). Similar damages are hitting in New Mexico and in Piedmont North Carolina.

A common thread is evident in all of these widely separated disasters.  

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