Where's the CIA When You Need an Assassination?

 

Lindsay Graham suggested it, "that Russians should assassinate President Vladimir Putin." Don't think I have ever agreed with Graham, well, maybe when he turned on Trump, but I am behind him all the way on this. Both sides of the aisle have chastised him, many, I suspect, because it wasn't their idea. The U. S. has been doing assassinations from the early 1940s; in 1943 Isoroku Yamamoto was assassinated  because he was mastermind of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Here's some history...

"The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), formally created in 1947, is the principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the U.S. government. The CIA is headed by a director and deputy director, only one of whom may be a military officer. The director of central intelligence (DCI) serves as the chief intelligence adviser to the president of the United States."

They took a shot at Fidel Castro, which failed, with creative moves from snipers to exploding cigars to a poison-lined scuba diving suit. However, the success since 1945 has been something for the history books with a long list of assassinations since 1945 documented in Wikipedia. The CIA became official through the National Security Act of 1947 under Harry Truman. The first Dir. of Central Intelligence was Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers, USNR.

But you get the idea; in those days the CIA could be a killing machine. Why not today when a foreign power is threatening to decimate one of our allies? I am talking about Russia and Ukraine, of course, where Putin has killed 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers and "nationalists" and wounded 3,700. Estimates are that more than 2,000 civilians have died. If this isn't enough to put a target on Vladimir Putin's back I don't know what is.

Back to Lindsay Graham, he backtracked later on his call for assassination by stating that Putin should be put in jail. Yeah, that'll do a lot of good, just like the U. S. prosecuting and putting Donald Trump in jail. Boris Johnson wants the Russian leader to be put on trial for war crimes and also in the UK "Tory backbenchers suggested regime change is the only way out of the standoff." More from Graham...

"Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?"

‘Is There a Brutus in Russia?’, US Senator Graham Calls for Putin’s Assassination Over Ukraine War

Sounds like he may be suggesting a coup but what would Russia's Politburo think about that? A coup would require strong military support with a leader that is either fed up with Vladimir Putin's antics or is concerned over how the Russian leader's actions will harm his country. U.S. and allies' sanctions have so far brought Russia to the breaking point and the Biden administration is now thinking of closing down oil and natural gas imports that could wreak havoc.

Apparently, as the Guardian reports, "the CIA has not abandoned its old ways." There was an alleged recent assassination attempt on No. Korea's leader, Kim Jong un, using "biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano poisonous substance." Although the CIA refused to comment on the allegations, sources reported...

"The person directly responsible was allegedly a North Korean working for the foreign intelligence agencies."

The methods sound familiar and as usual from the past, the CIA keeps everything under their hat, sometimes even from Congress. The latter is OK since there are probably Republican lawmakers that sympathize with Kim, just like those who love Putin. Unfortunately, the CIA's actions were all stymied in the 1970s when the agency was forced to cut back on such killings after a US Senate investigation exposed the scale of its operations.

Well, it's time to do a reversal on that if we don't want to get involved in all-out war with Russia and whomever might decide to support them. And, there is help from inside...

"A Russian entrepreneur who offered a $1 million bounty for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin says he posted the reward because he wants to solidify Putin’s public image as a war criminal."

Not sure how he gets away with that but all I can say is GOOD LUCK!

SUPPORT UKRAINE "

 

THE AGONY OF STUPIDITY: Almost Impossible to Keep up with Stupid Arizona Politicians

 

Since Arizona Sen. President Karen Fann is retiring, I have decided to pass the mantle of 'premiere idiot' along to State Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, for a number of things starting with the resurrection of Immigration Bill SB 1070. It was the brainchild of long gone and far right State Sen. Russell Pearce, which was struck down in 2012, because it is preempted by federal status. Legislation from Rogers was approved Thursday by a Senate panel which...

"could result in the federal government once again suing Arizona over its laws dealing with illegal immigration.

"Without comment, the Judiciary Committee voted to make it a felony to transport or harbor someone not in this country legally. Senate Bill 1379 also would impose the same penalty on those who “encourage or induce” someone from another country to come here in violation of law."

It builds on SB 1070 with the blockhead, Rogers, commenting...

"At a hearing Thursday, Rogers said she was simply trying to provide a new tool for border sheriffs like Mark Dannels of Cochise County to use against smugglers."

Translated, that means doing everything possible to keep immigrants out of Arizona, a ludicrous move since, as an example, the state has more than 70,000 immigrant entrepreneurs contributing $1.7 billion in business income. How stupid can you be? And this doesn't include illegals in the state who are gainfully employed and pay taxes. And this dufus didn't even mention the fact the state signed a deal in 2014 with the U.S. Department of Justice agreeing not to enforce SB 1070. Duh.

It was State Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, who voted against SB 1379, because...

"after Thursday’s hearing that the state is risking being dragged back into federal court over an issue that was settled years ago."

But this all pales in comparison to her comments at a white nationalists conference recently attacking the president of Ukraine. 

She called for public hangings and...

"encouraging violence against and punishment of American citizens and making threatening statements declaring 'political destruction' of those who disagree with her views."

Obviously, this loose cannon lunatic is crazy, but, believe me, she is one of Arizona's own. They love her. But, thank God there are some sane Republicans in the Arizona legislature who acted...

"Thirteen Democrats and 11 Republicans voted for the censure language read on the Senate floor. It was the first time in three decades senators publicly censured one of their own members, and the move was applauded by Gov. Doug Ducey — who just days ago was criticized for his support of Rogers."

And here's their assessment...

"Rogers engaged in “conduct unbecoming of a senator, including publicly issuing and promoting social media and video messages encouraging violence against and punishment of American citizens and making threatening statements declaring 'political destruction' of those who disagree with her views. The senator from District 6 has damaged the reputation of the Arizona state Senate by her actions," Sen. Rick Gray said, reading the censure motion."

But...she won't apologize. That's Arizona and they are proud of it. 

Make No Mistake: Republican Putinism is Treason

One commits treason by adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. That is the simplest definition that sums up the GOP's recent tactics in addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Robert Reich's sub headline...

"Make no mistake: Putin’s authoritarian neo-fascism has rooted itself in America. The cold war has already come home"

The political pundits are already saying this cold war will be much worse than the first. This is illustrated by the fact that Putin has placed Russia’s nuclear forces on alert. Reich adds the big difference is that fascism is no longer an external threat, we have spawned our own version right here in America. And it is my opinion that its soul origin is none other than Donald Trump. Here's how Reich explains it...

"Trump Republicans continue to refuse to acknowledge the outcome of the 2020 election, claiming without evidence that it was “stolen” from Trump. In many states, on the basis of this big lie, they are making it more difficult for people who don’t share their beliefs to vote."

That's just one example but a solid mandate confirming that the only way the GOP can win elections is by fixing the vote. There is a distinct similarity between Putin's attack on Ukraine and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, we are told. Both are a vicious assault on Democracy, something Republicans seem determined to abolish. It started with Donald Trump's 2016 election and has since been picked up by a GOP that is hell-bent on an authoritarian government.

Max Boot: 'The Republican Party Is Becoming An Increasingly Authoritarian Party'...

Here's Reich's take...

"Donald Trump has long admired Vladimir Putin who, evidence shows, personally authorized a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Trump in the 2016 US presidential election. Believing that a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, Russia’s spy agencies were ordered to use “all possible force” to ensure Trump’s victory."

Well, he made it and the world hasn't been the same since. But it didn't end with

Trump's defeat in 2020; the ex-White House maniac and his double-digit cronies are still challenging the election in Republican states throughout the country. It's cost taxpayers millions and all this moron does is push them for more. In 2019 Zelensky blew off Trump in helping rig the 2020 election. Today Ukraine's president is courageously fighting off Putin's assault.

President Biden indicated in his SOTU address that the U.S. is committed to stopping Russia from moving any farther west in Europe than Ukraine. Robert Reich concludes...

"In the months and years ahead, those of us in the west who believe in democracy, the rule of law, human rights and truth, must do everything we can to win back our fellow countrymen to these same overriding values."

Amen! 

I'm Glad That I am 89

 

When you get to my age, and the world outlook is as dismal as it is today, you begin to wonder about the future and worry about the younger generation. Don't get me wrong; this isn't a life-ending message, rather, simply, a reckoning of what's going on around us with hope of just how to deal with it. I expect to live several more years but wouldn't want to repeat an earlier life, based on today's challenges. Hey, it was a crazy eighty-nine years but mostly positive enough to look ahead.

Going forward, Russia is mercilessly pounding Ukraine, the coronavirus is unnecessarily pounding populations around the world, and Republicans are ruthlessly pounding democracy. It's coming from all directions, folks, with an agenda I bet no White House has ever had to deal with. Here's how bad it is: "Interpreter breaks down during Zelensky’s speech to European Union..."

BRUSSELS — "The English-language interpreter for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech to European lawmakers on Tuesday was so moved by the remarks that he momentarily lost his composure.

"During the virtual address, Zelensky described the recent shelling of Kharkiv, including a missile strike on the city’s Freedom Square. 'Can you imagine, two cruise missiles, dozens killed,' the interpreter said, his voice shaking. 'This is the price of freedom.'”

Vladimir Putin is on a mission to prove his strength and the strength of Russia, using Ukraine as his whipping post. He's bombed Kyiv and he is now focusing on the civilian population to exacerbate as many deaths as possible to bring down President Zelensky and his country. Putin's army met with opposition from Ukraine forces they didn't expect, deciding the private sector would be easier. So far, world powers are interpreting it as a war crime.

In the meantime, President Biden has unleashed a bevy of sanctions that has forced a precipitous fall of the Russian Ruble. Two of his countrymen who are billionaires, plus a wealthy group, are calling for Putin to negotiate, as is most of the rest of the world. What brought up the war crime issue was an accusation by Ukraine that the Soviets used vacuum bombs which are illegal in international warfare. Does that sound like someone is desperate?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine could affect Americans and US economy

The question now being shopped around; is this the beginning of World War III? Fiona Hill, Former Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the United States National Security Council, said Putin is capable of escalation into a potential world war. The big question is whether the U.S. and European sanctions are enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table. So far they haven't. And then there is the use of nuclear acceleration which would obviously be a disaster for the world.

And as CNN reports, "All bets are off if Putin slashes the West's oil supplies." Here's the scenario...

"Russia faces the specter of a full-blown financial meltdown. Punishing sanctions leveled by the West have sent the ruble crashing to record lows, shuttered Moscow's stock market and made Russian assets toxic on the world stage.

"The White House has even taken aim at Vladimir Putin's financial fortress, removing access to at least a chunk of Russia's $630 billion rainy-day fund that was designed to cushion the economic blow of this very crisis."

It would seem Vladimir Putin has the world by the balls, not necessarily because of

strength but equally the question of whether he is mentally unbalanced. We had a similar confrontation with the then Soviet Union and Khrushchev re. the 1962 missile crisis in Cuba. The U.S. won because President John F. Kennedy held his ground. Will Biden be able to use the same strategy in Ukraine with his perpetual sanctions? I'm betting on the President's calm and confident approach.

 

Don't Believe Joe Biden's Low Approval Ratings

 

For some reason the U.S. media has reacted to Joe Biden's presidency with the negativity of a pre-planned disposition that he can't possibly be a good president. Much of it is Trump supporters and some of it could be an incompetence within the Biden administration of getting the word out. Because, if you look at the facts, President Biden is doing a great job and here are prime examples...

• He passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package -
• Then the administration passed The $1.9 trillion COVID relief deal -
• He supported transgender service members
• Reduced unemployment -

There's more and you can read it here. The background...

"In December, the national unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent while jobless claims sunk to their lowest levels since 1969. When Biden took office, the unemployment rate stood at 6.3 percent.

"Despite the growing inflation, wages paid by private businesses also saw an increase of 2.4 percent from January through October last year, while disposable income rose by 3 percent."

Biden on first year in office...

These are facts that cannot be disputed. Then, Nobel winner in economics, Paul Krugman, adds his expert opinion...

“'Real wages rose last year,' Krugman explains. “On a two-year basis, they’re probably down, but not by a lot. At the same time, we’ve had stellar job growth — and as I said, the combination of modestly declining real wages with a strong job market has actually been a winner for past presidents."

But not a winner for Joe Biden, and when you consider all the above, you have to wonder where all the negativity is coming from. Krugman asks the same question. Here's how he explains it...

"As many of us have noted, Americans are very down on the national economy, but relatively upbeat about their own personal financial situation…. That is, their personal experience is pretty good, but they’ve heard that things are terrible for other people.”

Bingo! "They’ve heard that things are terrible for other people." And where have they heard it from? A Republican cartel of propagandists like Fox News, Breitbart, and undercover groups like Charles Koch's. But, then, there's inflation, which cannot be denied. It did happen on Biden's watch and as Harry Truman said, 'The Buck Stops Here.' But the corporate world isn't helping with escalating prices in oil plus food and more. 

And then there's the Russian invasion of Ukraine where the president had to juggle

that with the Covid pandemic and his new SCOTUS nomination. The New York Times reports the administration was in a quandary with his State of the Union speech coming up, which is today. Here's the scenario...

"All presidents are confronted by episodes that are out of their control, forced to react to the world around them more often than they are able to shape it. But the dizzying events of the past week have for now pushed to the sidelines the congressional squabbling over Mr. Biden’s domestic agenda, and are already redefining the arc of his presidency."

So how popular is President Joe Biden today? One of the most credible polling organizations, FiveThirtyEight. has Biden's approval at 40.7%, a disapproval of 53.6%. Compared to Trump's first year of just 38.8% approval, a disapproval of 54.3%. Something's not right and it smells like the radical right again.

 

UK's Boris Johnson Placed Animals Over People

 

Great Britain's Prime Minister may have done some dumb things in England for which his position is barely surviving, but he did something thousands of miles away that will endear him to animal lovers all over the world. Here's the scenario...

"Sifting through the rubble of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, they [his enemies] allege that he facilitated the airlift of 150 sheltered animals during the evacuation of Kabul, filling a plane intended to ferry refugees to safety with dogs, cats, and donkeys."

Everyone agrees, of course, that refugees should also be taken to safety, but in today's world animals are important too. The Boston Globe's Alex Beam feels that "There is plenty of evidence that animals are just as worthy of rescue as human beings." I could not agree more and will add that, in my opinion, animals are much more worthy of rescue than some human beings. To carry this a bit further, I know some people who prefer the company of animals over people.

I did a blog post back in 2021, "Animals to Humans: All we want is to live." To date, that post has had 1,676 readers, indicating some modicum of agreement with this premise. Yet, we still see animal cruelty on a regular basis. Only a coward would pick on an animal, many who can't defend themselves and won't fight back. Ezra Klein in the New York Times said, "We Will Look Back on This Age of Cruelty to Animals in Horror." Many will, unfortunately, many won't.

Have you ever read "All Creatures Great and Small," by James Herriot? I haven't and it will be my next read on my Kindle. Herriot wrote...

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”

China is doing its part and animal advocates are becoming frustrated with "official failure to ban animal cruelty." Xiaoyang was shocked as were many other dog owners over a series of animal-cruelty incidents and...

"he has been tracking a fierce national debate about whether dogs should be guaranteed better protection in law. (Cats and other companion animals, too, he acknowledges when asked.)"

Watch this and you'll never abandon your pet...

This Washington Post article by Christian Shepherd and Alicia Chen reports on the state of pets in China...

"But legislating to prohibit animal cruelty is an oddly controversial topic in China. While there are tens of millions of dog and cat lovers, their calls for change are often drowned out by a relatively small but vocal crowd of conservative thinkers who believe caring for animals is elitist, undermines China’s development and infringes upon the traditions of those few Chinese who still eat dog meat."

Peter Li, a China policy specialist at Humane Society International and an associate professor of East Asian politics at the University of Houston, says the animal welfare problem in China comes off mostly as a "Civil War." Here's a shocker, Chinese conservatives undermine what they consider an elitist issue, plus they feel it "infringes upon the traditions of those few Chinese who still eat dog meat." Here's the scenario...

"These sentiments, combined with concerns from farmers and slaughterhouses about welfare provisions undermining profit and city governments’ fears of areas being overrun by pets, have thwarted progress on an animal protection law that was drafted in 2009 but has never made it onto the legislative agenda."

Back to the U.S. and a subject that explores how states around the country stack up

in their legislation protecting animals. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has a nationwide ranking for "The Best And Worst States For Animal Protection Laws" that should interest animal lovers. Number one is Maine, number 50 is New Mexico. Take a look at your state and see how it fares after which you can decide if you need to work on laws at home. 

And finally, a "California lawmaker proposes 'Dog and Cat Bill of Rights' for family pets. Here's what it involves...

• The bill would provide the following rights to dogs and cats in California:
• The right to freedom from exploitation, cruelty, neglect and abuse
• The right to a life of comfort, free of fear and anxiety
• The right to daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise
• The right to nutritious food, sanitary water and shelter in an appropriate and safe environment
• The right to preventive and therapeutic health care
• The right to proper identification through tags, microchips or other humane means
• The right to spaying and neutering to prevent unwanted litter

This is only in California and isn't even law there yet, but hopes are high and it's a good sign that should be considered nationwide.

The Agony of Stupidity - Ron DeSantis is Killing Florida

 

The Florida House passed a bill designed to allow parents to sue schools if staff speak to students about gender identity or sexuality. What we have here, courtesy of the state's governor, the demented Ron DeSantis, is a case of open white supremacy that is beginning to mirror Donald Trump's reign in the White House. The Parental Rights in Education bill, it's called, "is about defending the most awesome responsibility a person can have: being a parent."

This, from the moron Florida legislator, Rep. Joe Harding, is pretty actionable...

The legislation, which advocates call a "Don't Say Gay" bill, says parents can take legal action against a school district if Florida teachers speak about LGBTQ topics like identity and sexuality that do not fall under "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate" guidelines for students.

Pathetic but READ MORE... 

Can Florida's data on Covid-19 deaths be trusted? The report for cases seems to

be in the ballpark but not deaths. As an example, for the week of February 14, 2022, the state reported only 10 deaths. As an example, California, although with 17 million more residents registered 501 deaths. That's a telling difference and what it says is Ron DeSantis is a liar. READ MORE...

The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin says, "Ron DeSantis is following Trump’s white supremacy playbook." Yes, we seem to have a clone, although the two could be head-to-head for the Republican nomination in 2024. The only thing that comes close to being the worst president ever is if the deranged DeSantis went to the White House. Trump repeatedly showed his colors on white supremacy protecting Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in 2016 and in 2017 the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. But here's her take on DeSantis...

"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who apparently longs to inherit the mantle of MAGA leader, has paid attention. In his state, images of a Nazi flag-waving group shouting antisemitic slurs in Orlando flooded news coverage over the weekend. The governor’s press secretary tweeted (and soon deleted) a bizarre suggestion: “Do we even know they’re Nazis?”"

'Bulls**t': Don Lemon fires back at Ron DeSantis' masks comment...

 

READ MORE... 

But DeSantis' lackadaisical attitude toward the Orlando Nazi organizers was not overlooked by the Miami Herald. Here's their proposal to the governor...

“Denounce the Nazi demonstrators in Orlando, Gov. Ron DeSantis," the board wrote. "It’s that simple. Say they are abhorrent. Say they are despicable. Say they have no part in this society or this state. But no.”

The paper also called out his railing against Democrats while the Nazis protested. He called the Dems "jackasses" but completely failed to chastise the radicals. To cap it off, the governor's press secretary, Christina Pushaw, released a tweeted statement on Sunday night suggesting Democrats might have been involved in the planning of the Nazi demonstration in Orlando. DeSantis is beginning to spread lies like Trump. READ MORE...