Comparisons, Contrasts and Conspiracies

The United States, the EU, and over 50 UN, free countries of the world have all condemned Vladimir Putin dear reader, and they are perhaps 25 times larger in gross domestic product than the Russian economy. And of course some are stronger militarily. The economic and political power of Russia is now stretched thin. It is not a fair fight but somehow Vladimir Putin keeps winning. Why? The only explanation right now might be that Vladimir Putin tossed some magic dust on to Donald Trump! There is no other rational answer that anyone can figure out.

Russia/Russia

Let's start with “Calmala” Harris. Would she have rejected Project 2025 and DOGE that are trying to get rid of our established American Institutions? She would not have approved. These Institutions were properly and legally established for the benefit of the people. The need however, according to MAGA groups like the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, Christian Nationalists, Fox News pundits, and many other groups said they were flawed. Why the need to revamp and actually destroy some of our Institutions? The MAGA group says it's because the “WOKE” community has turned them into an overgrown beast of regulations, taxes, giveaways and “waste, fraud and abuse”. So, it now became necessary to put the number one contributor to the MAGA Party, Elon Musk, in charge of using chainsaws and bulldozers to bring down and reduce the size of our Institutions? Was it well thought out, was it done professionally and legally? Not hardly, it was not done with the object of being “cool, calm and collected”. Kamala Harris used that method in her political career. Her sorority sisters used those 3C's to describe her. In her political career, few ever accused her of acting emotionally. Now did Elon Musk find all of that waste, fraud, and abuse claims that were thrown at our Institutions? Please fact check carefully dear reader! As usual, many political promises cannot be fulfilled if wrapped in such gross exaggeration. He came up with big savings figures that he couldn't substantiate. His whole premise was built on shifting sands as he tried to explain his mission. These kinds of things happen when you dislike your own government and want to be tough and critical. My Bible says, “honor your government and pay your taxes”. Can we now expect our “reformed” Institutions to be well run, efficient, and professional in every respect? The MAGA crowd remember received only 1.5% of the majority on the 2024 Presidential vote. So, are their economic activities at reforming with bulldozers legitimate? Using the rule of law? Hardly, because it was ideology over reason, that they used. If mainstream thought is overwhelmed by exaggeration, lies and innuendo, if our Constitutional values are discarded and flagrantly abused, what have the MAGA folks accomplished? There will be of course more resistance in the future if the laws of our Constitution are going to continuously be abused. Dashing toward jungle tactics is a proposition that the American voter has a right to resist.

So now the so-called “wokes” have to put up with preconceived notions about how bad our Institutions have become? Don’t forget Project 2025 was hatched by the Heritage Foundation mostly in secret, and it's intended use was withheld on the campaign trail so that the voter had no idea what was going to happen if the MAGA crowd won the election. Many key people were involved, the Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance, the Presidential candidate Donald Trump and others who wrote chapters in the printed edition of Project 2025. After the election it then became clear that the method of governing our nation would be by using Project 2025 and DOGE as a guide for blowing up our Institutions. Were their hopes at improving our government considered and constructive? No dear reader, it was like a flood or a runaway forest fire. Senseless layoffs of Federal employees, some with no notice. Some were told to leave, and they would be paid for six months. It was like chaos and mayhem being poured all over Federal employees.

Now we are faced with many other reforms, the Department of Justice, EPA reforms, judicial threats, weird immigration theories and wars with Ukraine and Israel to name only a few problems. Let's take a look at the Department of Justice dear reader, and I'm reminding you to fact check what I have to say. President Donald Trump suggests that his opposition tormented him constantly with false accusations in the past ten years, making him the victim, especially during his first term as President. Please note, he was fined $25 million for fraud in charging Trump University students for something they did not receive. This fine was paid in 2017, a week before the President was sworn into office. The Democratic Party had nothing to do with this problem. During his Presidency, the state of New York fined him $2 million for abuse of his Family Foundation and he was forced to dissolve that Foundation. The Democratic Party was not involved in this litigation. Because of all the accusations that the Russian government was involved in his campaign for the Presidency there was a special attorney appointed to look into the Russian connection. The Mueller report did find 100 Russian operatives had assisted in the campaign of electing President Donald Trump in 2016. He was not convicted in the impeachment. It should also be noted that one of his sons did suggest that they had gotten financial assistance from Russia in the past. Dear reader please fact check! Six times prior to being President, Donald Trump filed for bankruptcy including losing his Atlantic City casino. There were few Democrats involved in any of these situations. Also, he was involved in over 3,500 business lawsuits. There is no suggestion that an irregular amount of them were caused by the Democratic Party.

So now since being elected out-right, many of those types of people that he sought out (done with the Soviet style of choosing your followers often called: “dupes, stooges and willing idiots”) are now on-board and ready to assist him dutifully on all of his retribution and revenge promises he constantly makes. In 10 years of observing these activities, many believe Trump envies the power and money of Vladimir Putin, which explains why he is adopting the Russian's style. Trump also overtly admires the Hungarian strong man, Viktor Orban, who has been to Trump's home at Mara Lago and attended CPAC conventions. Now dear reader, don’t forget that after the January 6th, 2021 riot at the Capitol Building, there were no reliable facts or evidence found that Joe Biden or the Democratic Party were guilty of wrongdoing. There were 62 cases that went to court and MAGA lost them all. It should be known that even the “answer engine” on Trump’s social media site suggested there was no wrongdoing in the 2020 election. In fact, his “Truth Social” AI bot has rejected several of the President’s offerings as simply lies and disinformation. Fact check, fact check!

Now the President believes that crime is a mess in the U.S. and Sean Hannity, a Fox News pundit consistently declares war on immigrant crime. The truth is being sold improperly over these negative hostile suggestions. As I have said before, immigrants in the United States in any form, holding no green cards, no papers or any other form, when compared with American citizens, have committed fewer crimes than our established American citizens. Fact check! Now it has gone so far that the President of the United States is claiming a national emergency over American crime and immigrant crime, despite hard data showing otherwise. Now he has every intention of calling up more and more National Guard, Marines and other military, in other cities run by Democrats. Is he shadowboxing because he knows he is trying to sell disinformation? You betcha! For example, the Mayor of Los Angeles, the Chief of police, the two U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives all said they did not need the National Guard or the Marines to occupy Los Angeles. The Mayor of Los Angeles said it was a waste of taxpayer money. Dear reader, over $140 million is the expected payout for occupying Los Angeles.

Now with the National Guard occupying Washington DC by troops from Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina because of the President's contention of crime being out of control. But actually polling shows crime is down 25% in the past 15 months. Now dear reader, restaurant owners in Washington DC are at this very moment losing over 50% of their business because of all the military vehicles and uniformed military blocking the streets. Instead of spending all that money on the National Guard and recently cutting the budget of DC by $1 billion, why not add to the 3,500 employee Washington DC Police Department? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to help the District of Columbia! Using the military to advance political purposes is an incorrect and undesirable way to govern. Our tax dollars are being wasted. Please fact check everything I'm saying. Remember Donald Trump's first four years in government, he was not frugal. He set a record for a first term President by spending $7.6 trillion over budget. President Joe Biden also was over budget for four years by $2.6 trillion. Also know dear reader that your government in July of 2025 just spent $291 billion over and above the federal budget for that month. Fact check! And then fact check again!

The Judiciary

Now let’s turn to SCOTUS where five members favor more immunity for the Executive Branch of government on his or her decision making. Now, It's exactly like a gun owner who in some states if you are involved in an altercation and you feel threatened; you're allowed to shoot someone. Now as President, if the Executive feels there is a necessity to bring the weight of the government against certain situations, even though many might be questionable, you may be allowed to take action. The ability for anyone to appeal to a higher court if they question the Executives’ actions remains sacrosanct, for now.  Dear reader will our President now go on a spree of feeling threatened over groundless situations? I am not a lawyer, but it seems to me President Donald Trump has called out many questionable threats. SCOTUS has opened up a very dangerous situation and in my opinion now endangers the rule of law, and the legal Constitutional comfort zone for many attorneys and judges.

The Military

Dear reader I would like to add that I am 88 years old, a grandfather, a Christian, a retired small business owner, and an army veteran. Since President Donald Trump has taken over the military, I must voice my opinions. I have two older brothers buried in Arlington National Cemetery. William, the oldest was in World War II, he was shot in the shoulder by a German, he received the Purple Heart, a Combat Infantry Badge, and a Bronze Star. He stayed in the Army and fought again in Korea and Vietnam. Our President described those soldiers in World War II as “losers and suckers”. Please fact check dear reader. After his nomination for a second term as President he requested that Tuskegee Airmen P-51 Mustang pilots’ photos be removed from a prominent place in the Pentagon. He also requested first Lieutenant Jackie Robinson (the first black big league baseball player) also be taken down from a prominent place. The reason? They used the theory was that under DEI “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives blacks were given too much attention. The President also felt that all black generals were to be reexamined over their promotions. He also questions the 4,000 transgenders in the military to the point where a female, full bird Colonel, felt she had to go on television to defend her promotions and to defend her patriotism to her country and her military. Remember this is a President who obtained false medical reports to stay out of the service during the Vietnam War. Do his activities against the military now sound petty? You’re damn right. Dear reader, fact check, fact check! Please remember all military personnel take an oath to the U. S. Constitution, not to an individual. We are not in Germany in 1934, dear reader.

Russia/Russia

Dear reader, it's important to know that dictators in government practice two major things in their daily lives. More money and more power is the general rule and also remember that once they obtain a great amount of power, that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And remember they then often practice the theme of divide and conquer rather than trying to bring unity to all their citizens. Many dictators often have so much power that it creates in them a need for more territory, that often belongs to a neighboring country. Note well that President Trump was on a "power high" in November 2024 after winning the election. He saw our country owning Canada, Panama and Greenland.

The first time Vladimir Putin met Donald Trump he somehow sprinkled some magic dust on him. Meaning? Well, Donald Trump has been laudatory and deferential to Vladimir Putin for over ten years. There really is some special relationship between the two. According to the Mueller report for example, 100 Russian operatives assisted Donald Trump in his 2016 Presidential campaign. Fact check please, fact check! In May of 2017 President Trump invited the Russian ambassador to the White House with several other Russians and only the Russian press. Please note that the American press was not invited to the meeting. For some reason President Trump told his Russian visitors, “I took care of everything”. Dear reader please fact check!

And then at Helsinki in 2018 President Trump defended Vladimir Putin long and hard against all American Intelligence agencies. Fox News pundits, CPAC and many right-wing Republicans have shown that deference to Vladimir Putin. Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson have defended him regularly. Tucker Carlson visited Vladimir Putin in Russia and Viktor Orban in Hungary. Viktor Orban has visited Mara Lago and has had several meetings with President Donald Trump. When Donald Trump took over the Presidency, he never ever criticized Vladimir Putin. And he did so only slightly in his second term. He maintains his steady deference today. Now just 10 days ago before his trip to Alaska to meet with Vladimir Putin, President Trump said in a press conference that Russia, “… had never lost a war and had never given up land”. Please fact check! Dear reader, in 1989 Russia after 10 years of fighting, left Afghanistan. They had gone into the country to protect the Marxist leaders in Kabul. Why did the Russians leave after losing 15,000 troops? Well, among other military reasons, President Ronald Reagan had allowed the American made Stinger missile to be given to the Afgan underground. Remember that missile could be held and fired by one person from the shoulder. Most of their targets were the giant expensive Mi-24 Russian military helicopters. Now historically, please note about Afghanistan, 3,000 years ago Alexander the Great in conquering the Middle East did bypass Afghanistan. The British went in twice and pulled out. And of course the Russians pulled out after 10 years. President Joe Biden masterminded the pull out of the U.S., after 20 years in 2022. My point? President Ronald Reagan was often able to perplex and disturb the Russian empire via tough diplomacy and a great political resolve. Is this now a time for a repeat of that resolve from the 1980s? One would think so. Vladimir Putin wants more territory; he wants to retake lost territory from the former Soviet Union that President Ronald Reagan had assisted in breaking up. In 1987 while Ronald Reagan was in Berlin, he made his famous remark, “Mr. Gorbachev take down this wall!”.

Now would Ronald Reagan, had he followed the Presidency of Joe Biden, want to stop military assistance to Ukraine? Dear reader not in a New York minute would he allow assistance to Ukraine stop. Now domestically, President Donald Trump treats his American Democratic opponents like Joe Biden, and many Democratic Governors and unfortunately Volodymyr Zelensky using ridicule and disrespect on occasion. What's peculiar is that Vladimir Putin has never gotten any hostile threats from President Donald Trump. Meanwhile it's apparent that as I've stated before, that the Soviet style of how to treat your subjects is now often used by President Donald Trump, adopting the style of “dupes, stooges and willing idiots” to describe them. Is this all a riddle wrapped in an enigma? It sure seems that way. Donald Trump cannot seem to conjure up the attitude of President Ronald Reagan to defeat the current Russian aggression. It seems clear that Donald Trump has more respect for Vladimir Putin than our past Presidents George Washington, Ronald Reagan, or Abraham Lincoln. We are approaching our 250th anniversary year as a nation and every American should be hopeful that our political leaders follow American traditions and respect the rule of law. If our leaders cannot respect our American traditions and render patriotism to our Constitution, then what? Dear reader please note and fact check that in October 2024, most of the free world countries admitted envy over the economic strength of the United States of America, including the fact that our inflation was lower than that of the EU countries.

The President forgets that should we help Ukraine militarily with genuine resolve and assistance, he would no doubt be eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. He would no doubt have city squares and boulevards named after him in Paris, Rome and of course Ukraine. Remember that very thing happened to Ronald Reagan as he headed up the partial dismembering of the Soviet Union.

The United States, the EU, and over 50 UN free countries of the world have all condemned Vladimir Putin dear reader, and they are perhaps 25 times larger in gross domestic product than the Russian economy. And of course some are stronger militarily. The economic and political power of Russia is now stretched thin. It is not a fair fight but somehow Vladimir Putin keeps winning. Why? The only explanation right now might be that Vladimir Putin tossed some magic dust on to Donald Trump! There is no other rational answer that anyone can figure out.

We all must show empathy and sympathy for Ukraine. We must all pray for Ukraine and its citizens who are plagued by a dictator threatening to absorb their country into the Russian sphere. Let’s all remember Vladimir Putin has no rights to own Ukraine. He has no rights to kill, maim, and torture them out of rank territorial ambitions. It is deplorable and we must stop it. All moral freedom loving people of the world must demand that this plague in our midst be stopped.

Justice must prevail and Ukraine must be free, and it can only happen with the free world using all of its justifiable resolve to protect the freedom of that faithful, strong country.

Let us all lend our prayers to a just God for a quicker resolution, to stop the killing. And lets make sure President Donald Trump is listening. The President has recently suggested that he wants to get to heaven. Helping Ukraine defeat a mean spirited dictator may be the ticket to get there!

Opening Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images, Getty