American Tsunami

I think Hakeem Jeffries said it best, the mid-term election was not a blue wave, it was an American tsunami. The American electorate stood up and spoke. Their frustrations which put Trump into office in the first place were not addressed, but in many cases made worse by his government. And the simple cruelty of his government was never an American value.

What was amazing about this election was the diversity of candidates that were elected to office. And young people turned out to vote, which is a hopeful sign for our future.

That video is slightly out of date, in that I believe there was at least one district in Texas that did flip Republican because of the gerrymandering done by Republicans in that state.

I stayed up late to watch Minnesota turn blue. It was a little disconcerting to watch the Democrats flipping so many seats in states that were never expected to do so, even as my own state remained colored red on the map. But that was only due to the timing of when our two most populated counties, which traditionally vote blue, were counted. It was never really in doubt. Too many people remember Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

As someone said, she can’t vote, but we can.

I simply had to take this day to celebrate a little. It felt so good to win at least one major battle in our struggle for our country. I remember when Trump was re-elected in 2024 and I told a commenter that it was up to our allies to help Ukraine stay strong in its struggle for its independence, because we here in the states would not be able to help. I am hopeful that we have placed our country back on a path to do so. It is only one battle won. There will be more. But at least we now have hope.

Betrayal

Today is October 18, just 16 days from election day here in the US. Run ups to elections have never been pretty, but this one really seems to stand out for not just unpleasant campaign ads, but dangerous actions and rhetoric.

In an apparent effort to lower gas prices pressure is being brought to bear on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian infrastructure, pressure in the form of slowing down Starshield terminals to under 100 mph. This hinders Ukraine’s ability to shoot down Russia’s Shahed drones which fly closer to 200 mph. This is not just a betrayal of a country fighting for its very existence but also of American citizens who expect their government to protect their security and not give aid and comfort to our adversaries, which includes Russia under Putin. There was a reason even Lindsey Graham supported sanctions on Russian oil.

For those voters who backed Trump in 2024 with the distinct goal of having him back off forever wars and deal with inflation, Trump has been a no show. For our allies who expected the United States to have their backs, Trump has been a no show.

We also have Donald Trump telling Americans he would authorize payments of $5,000 to every American eligible to vote if Republicans keep control of the US House and Senate. The estimated cost is $1.2 trillion. Not only is this a waste of taxpayer dollars, it is a blatant bribe. For those Americans who are concerned about our spending and expected Trump to do something, he has been a no show.

I could go on, but I feel like I am beating a dead horse sometimes. All of the above actions by Trump are an effort by him to help the Republicans maintain control of Congress. The Trump administration has been busy undermining our governmental infrastructure and our relationships with our allies, by inserting corruption and incompetence into our government. All this at a time when there are so many serious issues facing our nation; climate change, AI development, the various wars that are ongoing, an economy that is hamstrung by rising inflation due to a war Trump started with Iran and the benefits that China is deriving from our incompetence.

There are signs that maybe some Americans are beginning to realize that they bought a pig in a poke. I can only hope that is the case, because as it stands we have been betrayed by our elected officials and it is time that this “sleeping giant” awoke to that fact.

Just one area of my country:

This Day

It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since the attacks on 9/11. It feels like just yesterday. Yet so many things have changed. On that day Americans were united in a tragedy that affected all of us. Now it seems we have lost that feeling of unanimity. We have lost that sense of mutual purpose.

That day there were so many people who acted heroically, helping to protect and care for their fellow human. It was a spirit you saw shining on Flight 93 when a group of passengers succeeded in diverting a plane meant to be used as a weapon, sacrificing themselves in the process. You saw it in the helping hands stretched out to ease the way for those trying to make it down the twin towers. It was there among the first responders who arrived at ground zero.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani:

We are faced with a decision this November. A decision that will affect us all for years to come.

This James Talarico interview on Jimmy Kimmel has been censored by the Trump administration’s FCC. Is this really the kind of America you want for your children? Is this the kind of America those people who sacrificed themselves for on 9/11 would be proud of?  An America that oppresses any opposition to those in power?

Isn’t it time we take our country back?

This has never been just Trump’s America. It belongs to all.  The people on 9/11 fought for all of us.  Isn't it about time we do the same?

And isn't it time to remember who our true friends are?

“What You Gonna Pass Down”

Two stories caught my attention this week. One was in Texas and the other in my home state of Minnesota.

Maybe you have heard about, or seen videos of, the start of construction in the Big Bend National Park in Texas. This was originally going to be part of Trump’s border wall, but was scaled back due to opposition to the damage this would cause to the natural environment of the park.

It was heartening to see bi-partisan opposition to this construction by the Trump administration. I hope that it is halted completely. As many people have pointed out, this area does not see a large influx of immigrants. It is a rather hostile place to try to cross, making it a waste of taxpayer dollars to construct barriers there.

The other story is regarding the Boundary Waters Canoe area in Minnesota. A few months ago Congress lifted the ban on mining in the Boundary Waters. This is a beautiful, natural area which has been touched by man as little as possible.

To allow mining would destroy this natural wonder. This week Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order banning mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed. One of the mining company’s directly affected by this ban, Twin Metals Minnesota, is a subsidiary of a Chilean company. I am not sure how giving a foreign company control over our precious metals helps our country.

What will we leave our children?

Through Your Eyes

The World Cup ended with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0. My congratulations to Spain and their amazing team. For all of the teams that participated it was a hard fought road to the playoffs. I will also offer my apologies to team USA. Even though I had not followed them through all the trials and tribulations of their season I did watch them in their last game. And, as my friends will tell you, that is usually a sign they will lose, which they did. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am a jinx when it comes to sports teams.

Soccer, or football as it is known in Europe and beyond, has not been that popular in the US in the past. But this year was different. We all seemed to catch the fever. I suspect it will only continue to grow. But it is not the sport I want to discuss today, but its fans, particularly those from overseas. Not only did you bring your love for your team but you brought a perspective of my country that we seemed to have misplaced somewhere between right and left. Maybe we all need to see ourselves through your eyes. So I wanted to share a few videos.

They came, they saw, and they partied:

Lawrence, Kansas embraces Algeria:

On the street interviews with visitors:

While I have been rather amazed at the embrace of Walmart and Ranch dressing by our visitors I can understand their surprise at the scale of our food, our drinks, our stores and our country in general. Even I have been awed at Costco.

But beyond the simple cultural differences there are deeper ones that travelers from overseas can remind us of. They are the result of how our country was born, how we have grown and how we have tried to be true to what our creators envisioned. So it is this last video that touched me more than any other.

This fellow is from Germany and has lived in the United States for two years. I think what he has experienced helps explain some of those cultural differences.

This is the heart of our country, the freedom to dream. May we never lose that. Thank you to all of our visitors who helped me appreciate my country again on our 250th birthday.

250 Years and Beyond

On this July 4th I wanted to do something special for my country. Over the years Americans have tried to examine the American experiment through a clear lens. We have talked about American exceptionalism and the achievements that have come with our growth as a nation. We have talked about our failings and heartbreaks. We have tried to overcome that which seemed insurmountable. We have done all of this together, as Americans. On this anniversary, more than any other, it is critical that we still stand together as Americans.

A friend told me about a series of videos that I believe we should all watch, no matter what our political or non political leanings are.

The first video is an examination of Donald Trump, our current president.

The second video is an examination of those who follow Donald Trump.

The third video is an examination of how Trump followers may be reached.

The comments under all of these videos are also worth checking out as they give honest accounts of how Americans feel. I understand how difficult it can be to interact with those of opposing views who seem so set on their beliefs. I understand how many of those commenters feel. As an American it is painful to watch the divisions within my own country. Because I can still connect with those of differing political beliefs on the mundane issues of life. We can agree on many things, just not politics.

So on this July 4th maybe we need to examine us.

H/T - A Friend

Will They Go Round in Circles?

This week the Trump administration unveiled an agreement with Iran to end the US/Israel/Iran war. It has not gone over well for some people in Washington. It appears to favor Iran over the US. I for one believe that to be the case. We seem to be shelling out money to bribe Iran into allowing the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. The Strait, as you know, being a critical conduit for oil that so many countries in the world rely on.

Iran Agreement

So it brings up the question as to what has this war really accomplished? In allowing Donald Trump to have his way in all things Republicans have set up this scenario. Not only have their actions contributed to a higher cost of living, but they have set us up for future events orchestrated by Iran or its proxies to seek revenge. Given the history of the Middle East I think this last is a given.

As it happens something else of significance occurred this week. As of this writing the Russian war on Ukraine has lasted longer than World War 1. For a time it also resembled that war in the use of trench warfare. But the Ukrainians have shown a resilience and ingenuity that has changed this war in a significant way. This has been the first war where drones have been used extensively. This week the Ukrainians attacked an oil refinery in Moscow. Yes, they have been attacking Russia’s oil infrastructure repeatedly for some time, but this is the capitol of Russia. It resonates with Russian elites.

Ukraine attack in Moscow

So what do these two wars have in common?

Well, I would say both were unnecessary, both involved larger countries thinking they could force a smaller country to bend to their will and both will end poorly for those who have initiated them.

The difference between these two wars is that for those who initiated them, due to rather massive egos, the end game may not be the same.

In this rather poor agreement that Trump has agreed to we see an awareness of that difference. The Mid-term elections are this year. There is a chance that the American people, including some Republican voters, are actually getting tired of the chaos, grift and incompetence of the Trump administration. Trump may have noticed those sliding poll numbers. He still needs willing minions in the Congress to rubber stamp whatever he does.

For Putin there is little chance that he or his minions will be booted out of power via an honest election. However, he does run the risk of societal collapse. Yes, Russians in the past have had a high tolerance for poor economic conditions, more so than Americans. But Russia also has a history of regime change in ways that can be sudden and violent.

Putin and Trump are simply spinning their wheels and letting their countries pay the price.