The Donald Trump collection...DISORIENTED

 

Donald Trump disoriented

It is almost impossible to select one blog post subject these days when talking about Donald Trump. So, here is a selection that should delight even the most radical Republican...

The Trump gang is downplaying the Signal issue, but new polling suggests that the president is facing a growing revolt over it among GOP voters. Read more

Rachel Maddow says "GOP poll numbers 'dropping like a stone.'" 

"New polling from Gallup just out today shows that there's no issue in which the American people like what Donald Trump is doing,"

"On his handling of the economy, Trump is 18 points "under water," Maddow said, and 19 points under water on his relations with Russia.

"He's underwater on his handling of the federal budget, energy policy, on foreign affairs, on the Ukraine war, on the environment. On even his relations with the dreaded news media!"

Read more 

A member of Denmark's parliament has warned the United States: "We cannot be allies with US if Trump tries to take our territory away." Vance is in Greenland while Trump exclaims, "he wouldn't rule out using economic and/or military methods to take over the island. Read more

In his 1949 novel, 1984, George Orwell warned of the Surveillance, Manipulation, and Authoritarianism that t-RUMP's administration has forced on Americans. Orwell's dystopian society is no longer fiction, it has become the reality of today. What we are experiencing is Donald Trump's escalation to the dictatorship he has been string for years. Read more

This headline says it all: "Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism." That's right, RFK Jr. hired a long-discredited researcher and vaccine skeptic to conduct a government study on whether vaccines cause autism. Read more

Are we really getting rid of Elon Musk? He says "he'll 'ditch Trump' and quit Washington D.C. after DOGE purge." DOGE employee said, "President Trump has been very clear, scalpel not hatchet and that's the way its been getting done." Bullshit! Here's what the House Committee on the Budget said just last week: "DOGE's Mass Firings Result in Gutted Services and Higher Costs." Read more

Steve Bannon attacks the courts to keep Trump out of prison. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered President Donald Trump to preserve all records from the "Signalgate" scandal. Bannon's concern is that when [not if] the Democrats come back into power, Trump's track record of dodging prison time for his criminal charges will run out. Read more.

New Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, says 'old relationship' with US 'is over.'

t-RUMP, the White House sham, cowers and plans his next stupidity. Read more

Here is Canada in retaliation: "Canada 'rage room' lets visitors smash Trump, Vance, Musk portraits to release tariff angst." But, "Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says there may be a limit to Ottawa's ability to escalate a tariff war." Read more

Signal chat won't go away. "U.S. District Judge James Boasberg orders Trump administration to preserve Signal chat on Yemen strikes."  The same judge, earlier this month, temporarily blocked Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport more than 200 alleged migrant gang members to El Salvador without due process. Read more

The New Republic reveals Trump's cluelessness over what he is doing. "The American public knew before Donald Trump that top administration officials had conducted airstrikes on Yemen via a Signal chat, and now it appears that the president has been left in the dark on other intelligence matters too. Read more

Is Trump losing interest in governing? Not that he has ever really governed but AlterNet has concerns...

"over President Donald Trump’s ability, willingness, or even interest in engaging with the most pressing issues facing the country, as he increasingly—and casually—admits to being unaware of critical matters. His repeated declarations of ignorance, often delivered without hesitation or concern, have deepened alarm among critics who warn of a dangerous void in informed leadership in the Oval Office."

Read more 

Here's a headline that is irresistible: "The American Dream is officially over," by Donald Earl Collins of Aljazeera. Collins adds, "All because the rich must always steal from the poor." Sound familiar? Bernie Sanders has been saying that for years. Here's an example...

According to a report from Moody’s Analytics in February, the richest 10 percent of Americans (households with an annual income of at least $250,000) [12.7 million households] drove half of all US consumer spending (about $10 trillion) between September 2023 and September 2024.

Read more 

 RFK Jr.'s vitamin A conspiracy sends kids to the hospital. Here's the scenario...

As the New York Times reports, overuse of Vitamin A — health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s purported measles cure, alongside cod liver oil, which contains the same vitamin — has led to liver damage and yellowed skin in children infected with measles.

Read more 

And, so much for today...

If we have a mental case in the Oval Office, shouldn't we do something?

 

Post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED)

The person that has been elected to run the United States should have his or her hands on the pulse of the country. Recently reelected Donald Trump does not. He is more concerned with retribution toward his enemies and most recently, slapping tariffs on any country that disagrees with him. I Googled "revenge and mental illness" and found there is Post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED), which is defined as a pathological reaction to a negative life event. The perfect description of t-RUMP in action against his adversaries.

And there is more to identify Trump as losing it. Apparently there was public knowledge about the recent Signal intelligence breach before the White House maniac knew. Then, "Trump casually admitted that he was not aware that several U.S. army members had gone missing during a training exercise in Lithuania." It isn't so much that he didn't know; the problem is that he didn't care that he didn't know. The New Republic comments...

"But the armymen were known to be missing as early as Tuesday at 4:45 p.m., the Lithuanian military said, so why Trump was still unaware of the situation more than 24 hours later is unclear."

"The lapse in Trump’s knowledge begs the question, however, as to just how much intel the president has been left out of within the folds of his own administration."

The question, however, is whether or not Trump even wants the intel. And more from TNR...

"During another White House press briefing on Monday, Trump fumbled by admitting that he was not only not invited to his Cabinet’s Signal exchange, in which his top officials discussed when, how, and where they would bomb Houthi targets in Yemen, but that he actually had no idea it had happened."

 

AlterNet exclaims there are...

"Concerns are mounting over President Donald Trump’s ability, willingness, or even interest in engaging with the most pressing issues facing the country, as he increasingly—and casually—admits to being unaware of critical matters. His repeated declarations of ignorance, often delivered without hesitation or concern, have deepened alarm among critics who warn of a dangerous void in informed leadership in the Oval Office."

The concerns are relative to the two points already mentioned, but illustrates how Trump's mental efficacy is on the minds of major media. There's more from AlterNet...

“Hegseth is doing a great job. He had nothing to do this. Hegseth? How do you bring Hegseth into it? He had nothing to do with it. Look, it’s all a witch hunt,” Trump told the reporter. He then went on to try to blame Signal, saying he thought it could be “defective.”

If this is the response of someone with all his marbles in the right place, then the study of psychology has gone down the drain. And it is Huff Post that reflects on the most prevalent psycho side of  Donald Trump's psyche, his early morning rants on Truth Social...

"President Donald Trump fired off a series of wild messages on a number of topics during a flurry of activity on his Truth Social website in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

"Trump railed against a judge, attacked PBS and NPR, defended his tariffs and sent a warning to Europe and Canada, which were once key U.S. allies."

 The key words here are, 'were once key U.S. allies.' The question is how many more allies will we lose before the people of this country finally stand up to Donald Trump?

t

Has Donald Trump made you feel ill?

 

Back in September of 2017, columnist Dana Milbank said, "President Trump is killing me. No, really. He’s killing me." Here's the story from Milbank...

"I went for my annual physical last month, and, for the first time in my 49 years, I had to report that I’ve not been feeling well: fatigue, headaches, poor sleep, even some occasional chest pain. My doctor checked my blood pressure, which had always been normal before: alarmingly high!"

The columnist couldn't explain any of this because his lifestyle was one of different physical activities designed to keep him in good shape. A regulated diet didn't help much; EKG was normal; and sleep apnea, among other possibilities, was ruled out. Even a CT scan didn't reveal anything threatening. Then, Holy crap, Dana Milbank felt a THUD. He was suffering from Trump Hypertensive Unexplained Disorder. He commented...

"For almost five decades, I had been the picture of health, but eight months into Trump’s presidency, I was suddenly ailing. Trump is the only variable, I told my doctor. “He sure is variable,” my doc replied, endorsing the diagnosis."

Milbank knew THUD was real when his editor told him he was warned by his doctor that his blood pressure had become borderline. And then to confirm for himself that THUD was for real, he bought a blood pressure cuff. As an example, spending the evening with friends, his blood pressure was 116/67. On another occasion he remembered that Trump’s term would last another 40 months, his blood pressure was 159/97. This is the outcome...

"Psychotherapists tell me that they are unusually busy and that most clients are talking about Trump, who is exacerbating whatever neurosis, depression or other conditions they had. This is probably quantifiable, but I am too fatigued to do this work. My heart can only take so much."

Fast forward to 2019, the headline says, "Research Suggests Trump’s Election Has Been Detrimental to Many Americans’ Mental Health."  Following are examples of THUD...

Overeating. Headaches. Fainting. Irregular heartbeat. Chronic neck pain. Depression. Irritable bowel syndrome. Tightness in the chest. Shortness of breath. Teeth grinding. Stomach ulcer. Indigestion. Shingles. Eye twitching. Nausea. Irritability. High blood sugar. Tinnitus. Reduced immunity. Racing pulse. Shaking limbs. Hair loss. Acid reflux. Deteriorating vision. Stroke. Heart attack. It was a veritable organ recital.

 Over a two-year period things got no better. Active research included a broad segment of the American population, from young adults to women, to racial and LGBT communities. Findings were still negative...

The American Psychological Association‘s 2016 “Stress in America” survey, conducted online among some 3,400 American adults and published in February of 2017, found that 63 percent of respondents regard the future of the country as “a significant source of stress”; some 56 percent “say that they are stressed by the current political climate.” The 2018 edition of the survey showed that the number of Americans who view the future of the country as a significant stressor had jumped to 69 percent; those who saw the political climate as a source of stress had jumped to 62 percent.

 And in 2017, two Harvard experts said, "Donald Trump’s presidency could make Americans sicker," but they suggested reasons other than polarizing politics...

"His administration’s proposed cuts to health and well-being programs could also hurt the population's health, if history is anything to go by, they said."

"Their commentary, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, points to study after study documenting health effects that occur after landmark elections."

Fast forward again, this time to present day after t-RUMP is in the White House again. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) projected in July of 2024...

"From eliminating the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to cutting Medicaid benefits, increasing Medicare Part D prescription drug prices and eliminating reproductive freedom nationwide, Donald Trump’s Project 2025 would have disastrous, deadly consequences on our country’s health care system."

Project 2025 is the blueprint for Trump if he wins a second term. Written by many of his former advisers, the 900-page document contains hundreds of policy proposals that would benefit the wealthy and corporations at the expense of working families and give Trump unprecedented executive power and control over our lives. Read our overview blog to learn about all the harms this blueprint would cause if implemented.

The above, in a different fashion than Dana Milbank's mental approach, explores the more physical aspects of how Donald Trump takes our health from us through the elimination and cutting back of programs that support medical care. Aljazeera comes right out and says it in February of this year: "How Project 2025, which Trump disavowed, is shaping his health policies." Here is the scenario...

Few voters likely expected President Donald Trump in the first weeks of his administration to slash billions of dollars from the nation’s premier federal cancer research agency.

But funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were presaged in Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership”, a conservative plan for governance that Trump said he knew nothing about during his campaign. Now, his administration has embraced it.

If you want a brief explanation of Project 2025, go to this BBC site. If you want to keep your well-being, I suggest you write your Congress person and tell them you are not willing to give up your health for Donald Trump or any other Republican.

BERNIE IS BACK!

Bernie Sanders in Colorado

Yes, Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, who has been serving in the U.S. Senate since 2007, and ran for President in 2016 and 2020, is back on the campaign trail fighting Donald Trump's oligarchy. He is being accompanied by the Progressive New York Repreesentative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In my mind, Bernie had two questionable presidential losses. One, 2016 against Hillary Clinton, orchestrated by the DNC, and two, 2020, against an insurmountable presumptive candidate, Joe Biden.

Okay, Bernie is 83, will be 87 when he would run. But don't forget AOC, only 35, and certainly capable of taking over the presidency if something happened to Bernie. She'd make a great vice president for the Bern since they obviously have the chemistry. And we are seeing a new Bernie Sanders with his current focus on defeating Donald Trump's oligarchy. Not that he had forgotten his working class ideology, it is just obvious today that a strong force from the left is needed to conquer the would-be king.

My wife and I still receive emails from Bernie and just this past week he alerted us to his current trip through Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. The rallies drew 34,000 in Denver, another 11,000 at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Arizona, heavily Republican, had crowds of 15,000 with thousands more watching online. And Nevada numbers aren't clear but the campaign quotes in the thousands. Bernie's and AOC's group said they expected a total of 51,000 for the trip. Arizona, Colorado alone had 60,000.

In his email, Bernie expressed frustration of the last Democratic votes between those who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Also noted was the loss in this election of working people, young people and Latinos. In other words, the Dems have completely lost contact with their base. Added to this is the fact that the Democratic Party has the lowest approval rating in decades. The Bern asks why and answers his own question. The establishment politicians just don't get it anymore.

The good news is that Americans across the country have had it with oligarchy. His three state rally speaks to this end indicating a need to reject the corporate wing of the party and head for the grassroots. People don't want authoritarianism and the huge tax breaks Donald Trump plans for the wealthy people of this country in favor of shifting the emphasis back to working class families. Voters are fired up nationwide, illustrated by the fact that thousands came out to Bernie/AOC meetings in Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and Wisconsin.

American Oligarchy by Mother Jones

This is what Bernie had to say at the Denver rally...

“In the hundreds of rallies that I have done, we have never, ever had a rally as large as this,” Sanders said. “And Denver, your presence here today is not just significant for Colorado. You are sending a profound message all over the world. The whole world is watching, and they want to know if the people of America are going to stand up to Trumpism, oligarchy and authoritarianism.”

There's more...

“Abraham Lincoln talked about a government of the people, by the people, for the people,” Sanders said. “Well, Trump has a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, for the billionaires. And what these guys are busy doing right now is going after Medicaid, going after Social Security, going after nutrition. The rich want to get richer and they don’t care who they step on.”

Bernie Sanders has been talking about oligarchy for years, reports NPR, but, now he talks about his favorite subject...

"...the Democratic Party has also turned its back on the American working class and suggested the party capitalize on this moment by championing policies that address things like income inequality, health care and climate change."

I have thought, and still believe, that the Bern should have won in 2016. There was talk that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida representative and head of the DNC at the time, did some finagling that won the Democratic nomination for Hillary Clinton. Clinton, of course, who blew it in the last lap and we ended up with t-RUMP's first term. And it was then the seeds were sowed for the oligarchy Bernie Sanders is fighting today. Here is one of his recent statements...

"We will not allow you to move this country into an oligarchy," Sanders pledged, speaking directly to Trump. "We're not going to allow you and your friend Mr. Musk and the other billionaires to wreak havoc on the working families of this country. No, you're not going to destroy Social Security. You're not going to destroy Medicaid. You're not going to destroy the Veterans administration."

Although the Democratic Party has become unpopular, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

said, "voters still have power to push back against Trump administration policies..." and adds...

"Ironically, the most divisive forces in this country are actually starting to bring more of us together," she said. "And that's important, because the same billionaires who are taking a wrecking ball to our country derive their power from dividing working people apart."

Americans are sick of Trump in only the short time he has been in the White House. I don't know what it will be but I sense we are on the cusp of reestablishing our democracy. 

 

Rodrigo Duterte goes to Hague Tribunal ...Is Donald Trump next?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Donald Trump is dismantling the fabric of America

 

Donald Trump the dismantler

The Oval Office lunatic thinks it will happen, referring to taking over Greenland, a Danish territory. He even "hints" at sending troops in because it is needed for national security. This is what he promised the people of Greenland...

"We will keep you safe, we will make you rich, and together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before."

There's more...

"I think we're going to get it—one way or the other we're gonna get it," Trump said, drawing laughter from fellow Republicans in the chamber.

And Greenland's imperialism, which is considered a violation of international law, is only the beginning. t-RUMP, seemingly, still has plans for Canada and Panama.

If there is anything Trump is good at, it is using lawyers. His latest siege on American democracy came during his "accusatory and, at some times, rambling, speech at the Department of Justice."

"MSNBC host Michael Steele said the message sent by the president should send a chill down everyone's spines."

Here's the scenario...

"Speaking with his co-hosts on MSNBC's The Weekend, the former Republican National Committee chair said the re-elected Trump has an "army" of lawyers this go-around willing to do his bidding, no questions asked."

And Steele comments that we are experiencing a Donald Trump drunk with power that was given to him by the Supreme Court to act with impunity. That's right folks, as far as t-RUMP is concerned, he is exempt from punishment.

This one drew a "holy crap" from Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at American Immigration Council and former immigration lawyer for Immigrant Justice Corps. Donald Trump's Department of Justice pulled something that is without precedent in the U.S. After a judge blocked t-RUMP's move to deport members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, his administration appealed. Then Reichlin-Melnick said his "holy crap"...

"The DOJ is arguing that the President can unilaterally deport anyone he wants without ANY statutory authority, just on his inherent authority as President over national security. That is a terrifying claim to make and has never been recognized before in US history."

And here's a reaction from an Authoritarianism expert...

Ruth Ben-Ghiat also flagged the appeal, writing on social media, "Everyone who thought he was joking about being a dictator, are you waking up now?"

This one is short but bitter. For some 43 million Americans who have federal student loan debt, the assault on the Dept. of Education by the White House maniac has caused their monthly payments to soar. They called the loan system under Biden "broken" but all that has resulted under t-RUMP is...

"...an effort to provide fewer rights and fewer resources for working people that have student debt, making the cost of living go up,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.

Arlington cemetery has become racist and misogynistic. This is what happened...

"Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed from its website information and educational materials about the history of black and female service members."

According to the BBC, it is another of Trump's moves "to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the military and throughout the federal government." Here's the story...

"Visitors to the site may also have trouble finding information, as links to major sections have disappeared. It no longer lists pages for African American History, Hispanic American History and Women's History."

And finally, former federal prosecutor Elie Honig takes a shot at t-RUMP, reminding the public just how unprecedented the grievance-filled speech was. To start...

“What happened today – that speech – was a desecration of the Justice Department of the Great Hall of Justice, where it was given."

Honig talked about a 1962 speech given by then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, then in comparison...

“Now, today, by contrast, we have Donald Trump calling prosecutors Marxists, scum, savages and thugs,” Honig said. “We have a five minute speech on Bobby Knight in Indiana basketball. We have talk about the price of eggs and bacon. We have stuff about Hunter Biden’s laptop. We have a riff about Norm Eisen – why? I have no idea.”

I have an idea. Donald Trump is mentally unbalanced. 

 

George Orwell's "1984" comes to Columbia University

 

I am an avid fan of George Orwell, his 1984 and Animal Farm. Each has the message that a larger power is always standing at the door, attempting to enter and take away the rights of everyone inside. In 1984, it is Big Brother, who rules over Oceania. In Animal Farm it is Napoleon, a pig who seizes power after the initial revolution and uses it to create a tyrannical dictatorship. In both cases, the analogy is clear with the United States replacing Oceania, and Donald Trump replacing Napoleon (Trump has spoken of him often).

It was on Saturday, March 8, that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian at Columbia University, was arrested by federal immigration authorities, the new American version of the KGB. Here's the scenario from AP...

"Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia until this past December, was inside his university-owned apartment Saturday night when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press."

Khalil had been involved in some demonstrations at Columbia and was suspended at one point but was then reinstated as a Columbia student. His wife was also present during his arrest and is eight months pregnant. Khalil "is a legal resident of the US, was arrested and detained by federal agents after his lawyer said his green card was revoked by the Trump administration." 1984 had a daily “Two Minutes Hate” rallies that channeled citizens’ anger toward specific enemies, real or imagined. A part of Trump's plan for revenge.

Here is a statement from Trump...

Trump touted the arrest in a social media post, saying his administration will “find, apprehend, and deport” noncitizens who, in his view, engage in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.”

The Oval Office lunatic tried to deport Khalil but "a federal judge barred the administration from deporting him pending a hearing in New York." Here's a statement from Irie Sentner, who was a student at Columbia University, where he covered tense campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war for the college newspaper and for POLITICO. The question is...

"Was deportation a widespread concern among immigrant students participating in the protests?"

The answer is...

"Absolutely. During the encampment, two friends who were international students told me they wished they could be there but couldn’t risk losing their visas. There was a similar fear among low-income students, who didn’t want to risk their scholarships or lose on-campus housing. Many chose to participate in other ways, like sharing pro-Palestinian content on social media or bringing food and supplies to the encampment."

In other words, many more students wanted to do their part in advocating for the Palestinian

cause but were afraid of either ending up on the streets of New York or in one of Donald Trump's stalags, as Khalil is in Louisiana. Big Brother used fear as a tool of control. I would think t-RUMP might have taken his lead from this, but forgot that he can't read.

You can read more of Gorge Orwell here.

RFK Jr. wants to send anti-depressant users to "wellness farms"

Brought to you by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Wellness farms, just another name for concentration camps. And that's where the new Sec. Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wants to send anyone who takes an anti-depressant. Where the hell did this come from? To the best of my knowledge, there have been no reports of mass deaths from Prozac. The new health lunatic is spending his time, and, taxpayer money, on crap like this when the country has a new significant problem with the outbreaks of measles and bird flu.

Mother Jones covered the anti-depressant thing as far back as July of 2024...

"In a virtual event last week that was billed as a “Latino Town Hall,” presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled his plan to overhaul addiction treatment programs. Speaking during a live recording of the Latino Capitalist podcast, Kennedy described opioid, antidepressant, and ADHD “addicts” receiving treatment on tech-free “wellness farms,” where they would spend as much as three or four years growing organic produce."

Then, just recently, RFK Jr. submitted his plan to, " Round up people with mental health conditions in camps." He has completely flummoxed a clueless bunch of Republicans on his intentions for keeping people healthy, and suddenly digressed into the intention of creating his own system of stalags. Of course, in keeping with the ideology of Donald Trump. But I am both surprised and very disappointed there has been no massive outcry from the medical community. They've let the Kennedy outcast take healthcare into a downward spiral.

Here's the scenario from NPR...

New Mexico health officials [recently] confirmed the death of an unvaccinated adult who tested positive for measles. The first death was a school-age child in Gaines County, Texas, last week.

News of a second death comes as infectious disease doctors worry that the federal government's messaging about the outbreak is putting more emphasis on treatments like vitamin A than on vaccination, even as misinformation about some of these treatments is spreading online.

RFK Jr. did reference vaccine as good " for community immunity," but said "good

nutrition is 'a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses.'" NPR reports...

"That emphasis on nutrition and vitamin A to treat measles is concerning some infectious disease doctors."

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said...

"Mentions of cod liver oil [by RFK Jr.] and vitamins [are] just distracting people away from what the single message should be, which is to increase the vaccination rate."

RFK Jr. told Fox News' Sean Hannity that the best immunization to measles is to catch it. If you haven't already heard, the latest fad is to have measles parties where you can pass around the highly contagious viral disease, for adults and children. What Kennedy did not tell Hannity is the fact that doctors claim the downside from catching measles is worse than getting a vaccination. The health care imposter didn't mention that...

"measles can be deadly, although rare, with approximately 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 people with measles dying, even with the best care, primarily due to complications like pneumonia or encephalitis."

But why would he even address the above possibility? RFK Jr. is a part of the Trump administration that cut U.S. aid to millions producing the following reaction from Irish Star...

"Experts have warned that Donald Trump’s cuts to USAID could cause over 2.1 million deaths per year over the next three years."

Considering the current objective to eliminate as much money and people from the U.S. Government as Trump and Musk can manage, it is obvious the Republicans just don't care. So why should RFK Jr.??? 

 

Animal cruelty and abandonment are both detestable and punishable

All 50 U.S. states have laws against animal cruelty, which typically include provisions against animal abandonment and neglect. The detestable part goes without saying. If you caught someone being cruel to an animal, animal lover or not, you would most likely step in and do something. Should you see someone abandon an animal, most of us would contact authorities to rescue the discarded pet. Some of us would do the usual check for ownership and, if none, get a vet checkup and take the animal home. It depends.

The Iditarod is an example of cruelty to dogs, defined as an annual sled dog race in Alaska, also known as the "Last Great Race," which takes place on the Iditarod Trail, a historic trail system connecting towns in inland Alaska. This is what PITA says about the race...

"As many as half of the dogs forced to run the Iditarod will never finish the grueling 1,000-mile race—succumbing to exhaustion, illness, or injury as they are forced to pull heavy sleds through treacherous terrain in freezing temperatures. Some dogs won’t make it back alive."

Another kind of animal cruelty is dog fighting...

In all states, it is against the law (and often a felony) even to attend a dog fighting

 

event, regardless of direct participation. According to authorities, dog fighting is increasingly practiced by gangs, and is linked to other unlawful activities, such as illegal gambling.

These are probably the most serious cases of animal cruelty, along with cockfighting. This "sport"  is illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. It is also a federal crime. More facts...

• 40 states and the District of Columbia have made cockfighting a felony
• 43 states and the District of Columbia prohibit being a spectator at cockfights
•  20 states prohibit the possession of cockfighting paraphernalia

The above is to illustrate that laws are in place to protect animals. The question is, in just how many instances do authorities act? And also, on how many occasions does the cruelty occur in a secluded environment, as an example, the owner ...

• Keeps the animal on a chain, unable to exercise, often in freezing weather
• Doesn't feed the animal to the point of starvation
• Physically/mentally abuses the animal

And then there is abandonment, an act that can be as bad as the worst cruelty. Here are the stark facts...

Each year, 6.5 million dogs, cats, and other former pets are abandoned or lost in the U.S. and end up in shelters. Out of these, only 3.2 million are adopted, and many return to shelters within a year of being rehomed.

This story is from the Calhoun County Animal Center in Michigan that discovered a 16-week-old puppy dumped at the facility in freezing and snowy conditions on the morning of February 19. From CCTV footage, the driver stops in front of the animal center, dumps the dog out and takes off. Tiger was taken into the center and quickly found his forever home. Fortunately authorities were able to locate the abandoner and charges were filed. You can read the article here.

Red, the cat was 12-years-old, a husky orange tabby found walking the streets by a woman

named Alex. She could tell he wasn't just another stray so she took him to a vet and from a chip found his former owner. When Alex contacted the person, she learned they had moved and didn't want the cat anymore. She stepped up to the situation and decided to adopt Red. He shares the house--in a separate bedroom until his health is cleared by the vet--with the family's other cat and a dog and is getting along just great. Read the article here.

According to a surveillance video, this time in Surprise, AZ, a dog was pushed out of the back seat of a vehicle on a dead-end street, when someone is actually heard saying, "Bye-bye." The back door of the car is closed and it speeds off. The dog was taken in by a neighbor and was found to be malnourished. Having a video of the car with its license plate clearly visible, the Surprise Police Department is now looking for the person responsible for abandoning the dog. Read the article here.

We had a stray orange, tabby, male come to our door in California. After checking the best we could in those days, we brought Thoreau--named that because he was so laid back-- in with our other cats. Thoreau befriended everyone, knew no stranger, and was a real calming member of our household. Unfortunately, Thoreau caught feline immunodeficiency virus from a cat brought into our house by a pet sitter. Since then we have taken in more strays since they seem to be attracted to my wife.

I did a post back in February of 2022, People Have More Humanity Toward Animals Today I believe that even more so today when I see the stories on the Internet about every kind of animal you can imagine being rescued by good people. These good samaritans are to be lauded, but as you can see, above, there is still work to be done. I have chosen a selection of my posts on animals over the years you can read here. In the meantime, love and care for your pet like a member of the household. He or she will love you for it.

Seniors must revolt against the Trump/Musk attack on Social Security

There are 69 million Americans on Social Security. I am one of them. And I am satisfied with the benefits I receive. I also realize Social Security isn't paying for itself and something must be done. There have been proposals for years to expand Social Security benefits and revenues by expanding the tax base...

In the House of Representatives, Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) has led proposals for years to expand Social Security benefits and revenues by expanding the tax base. In the Senate, “The Social Security Expansion Act,” introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswomen Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) would raise the taxable earnings cap to $250,000, and like Larson’s bill, include investment income.

The above " would raise more money than needed to solve the long run deficit." And there has also been talk of taxing the income of the wealthiest, which would not only solve the Social Security crisis, but also put the U.S. budget on solid ground. And why not? Larson says...

"164 million workers (about 94% of us) pay Social Security taxes all year long. The point is a lot of income escapes the Social Security system; and the escaping income is that from the wealthiest Americans."

This could all be moot if Donald Trump and Elon Musk get their way, with The New Republic reporting the "systemic destruction" of Social Security started last Tuesday night in t-RUMP's speech. 7,000 SS employees are already scheduled to be laid off, another 30,000 in the near future. With half of its staff gone, experts expect delays in every aspect of the Social Security program. There are many in the program that depend entirely on their benefits and it is likely there will be deaths if they lose them.

Contact Congress NOW!

Trump and Musk don't care. Hell, most Republicans don't care. And many others in the country are apathetics, which is one of the reasons we are in the situation we are. But this is what U.S. voters elected, and hopefully it will be the Trump-voting group that suffers the most from the actions of the radical right. Here's what Republican anti-Trump publication, The Bulwark, says...

"House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said that "after years of hard work and a lifetime of contributions, our seniors shouldn't have to worry about Republicans meddling with their Social Security. This is an attack on our nation's seniors—plain and simple.""

Emphasis my own. 

The GOP and its wealthy donors have wanted to get rid of Social Security or, privatize it, for years. It comes up regularly in Congress but even Republicans realize you don't meddle with something as sacred as this senior benefit. But, under t-RUMP it is different...

"They’ve [Republicans] called it everything from communism to socialism to a Ponzi scheme, which Musk just called it this week (“the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” no less)."

But The New Republic counters...

"In fact, it has been the most successful anti-poverty program in the history of America, one now emulated by virtually every democracy in the world."

The masquerading president, Elon Musk, appears to have his sights on privatizing Social Security, according to a leaked email from acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek, posted on AlterNet. It goes without saying, this maniac should not have the power given him by Trump, and he most certainly should not have the capacity to make changes to Social Security. So, it all gets back to the morons who elected Donald Trump, knowing full well he carried the baggage of Elon Musk.

The Bobbsey twins who want to take your Social Security

Other salient points from The Bulwark and AlterNet: former SS admin. Martin O'Malley says there is a toxic work environment there, "they are driving people out there with a viciousness that I believe will collapse the agency, which could result in an 'interruption of benefits.';" "We have a 50-year low in staffing while the baby boomer generation is swelling their ranks," O'Malley said. In fact, O'malley thinks Trump and Musk want to break the agency.

Continuing these points...

"House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said that "after years of hard work and a lifetime of contributions, our seniors "shouldn't have to worry about Republicans meddling with their Social Security."

"Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) declared that 'in no way, shape, or form, should we privatize any aspect of Social Security.'"

Here is an interview from The New Republic with Tracey Gronniger, a leading advocate for social insurance, who argues that Musk’s ransacking of Social Security is getting worse—and will prompt a major political backlash: "Transcript: Musk’s Attack on Social Security Exposed in Shocking Leak." It illustrates the disaster Elon Musk could cause if he is allowed to mess around with Social Security.

John Larson reports...

"that recently House Republicans advocated cutting Social Security benefits by (about 8%) by raising the full retirement age to 69 and President-elect Donald Trump’s only Social Security proposal would drain Social Security of revenue by $23 billion, according to a report by the thorough Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget."

But Larson also says there is, "Political Hope For Social Security Fixes"...

There is hope. In December 2024, Republicans and Democrats raised Social Security benefits for more than 2 million people by repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

The hope is that the bipartisan support for the expansion of Social Security benefits may mean Congress is listening to the majority of Americans — Republicans and Democrats — who want more revenue for Social Security and do not want benefit cuts.

The other hope is that the Republicans in Congress will finally get some balls and keep Trump and Musk from any tampering with Social Security benefits.