“America First”

Hints Of Split Between Trump And Vance, Reminding Us Of Other Such Splits Between Presidents And Vice Presidents!

Ronald 1 Comment

There are growing signs of a split developing between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance over the Iran War.

Vance has been unusually quiet and in the background, since the now 18 day war against Iran began on February 28.

Of course, Vance is NOT stating his disagreement over strategy and tactics openly, but his demeanor and public utterances hint at a growing distance of Vance from Trump.

Vance was clearly an isolationist in his brief term in the US Senate, and made public statements for years of an “America First” mentality, wanting America to step out of a major role in world affairs.

Vance was quick to condemn Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2025 when he was at the White House, but now he sits mostly silently at White House meetings, and his body language indicates discomfort.

Vance is certainly thinking ahead to the thought of the 2028 Presidential election, and trying to figure out how to manage a likely challenge from someone he calls his “friend”, but clearly is very ambitious and desirous of running for the Presidency.

That person is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been promoting the intervention in Iran in a major way, although consistently changing the reasoning and strategy of that war.

This is not the first time a President and Vice President have been at odds over policy and approach to governing.

Earlier examples are:

Thomas Jefferson under John Adams 1797-1801
Aaron Burr under Thomas Jefferson 1801-1805
John C. Calhoun under John Quincy Adams 1825-1829
John C. Calhoun under Andrew Jackson 1829-1832
Thomas Marshall under Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921
Charles G. Dawes under Calvin Coolidge 1925-1929
John Nance Garner under Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1941
Henry A. Wallace under Franklin D. Roosevelt 1941-1945
Hubert Humphrey under Lyndon B. Johnson 1965-1969
Al Gore under Bill Clinton 1993-2001
Dick Cheney under George W. Bush 2001-2009
Mike Pence under Donald Trump 2017-2021

The first four situations in the early years of the American Republic were major issues, as was Garner under FDR, while the others were more hidden or “behind the scenes”, more recognized after the fact.

It will be fascinating to see how this growing division between Trump and Vance play out, and whether it will have an effect on who Trump endorses for the Republican nomination in 2028, assuming that Trump does not leave office by incapacity or death before that election.

Growing Concern About Hegseth Meeting With All Military Leadership In Virginia: Is Its Purpose A Danger To American Democracy?

Ronald 14 Comments

There is growing concern about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling for hundreds of Generals and Admirals around thw world to leave their posts, and all arrive in Quantico, Virginia this coming Tuesday for a meeting, without announced purposes, and now, with President Trump stating he would attend.

This endangers readiness and preparedness for our national defense and national security, and there is the potential threat that enemy nations could attempt a potential attack on this mass group of military leaders from all the military branches being in one location that is known publicly.

It may seem hysterical to some, but the idea that Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran, could coordinate a potential December 7 or September 11 type of attack by drone warfare or otherwise, is not believed by some observers to be outside of possibility.

We must all pray that such a horrendous event, underminining our national security, would never happen, but it is concerning.

There is also the thought that this meeting could be a stepping stone to an isolationist turn in American foreign policy and national defense, toward the concept of “America First”.

This could lead to the feared idea of our militery being turned on Americans in so called “sanctuary cities” and on implementing much greater mass ICE raids on immigrants, and even American citizens, therefore undermining and threatening American democracy itself!

83rd Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor, And Donald Trump Foreign Policy Views The Greatest Threat Since Then!

Ronald 7 Comments

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, the 83rd Anniversary of the Japanese attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which brought America into World War II.

Isolationist and “America First” mentality had brought America into a naive view about world affairs, and America was caught off guard.

We are now in danger of that occurring eight decades later, with the isolationist and supernationalist mentality of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Just as many public figures before 1941 made excuses for Japanese aggression in the Pacific and Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe, to our detriment, now we have Donald Trump and his lunatic followers who would rather “trust” authoritarian dictators than to enforce alliances against them.

So we have apologists for Vladimir Putin and Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, who wish Ukraine to just surrender.

And we have belief that other authoritarian dictators around the world can be our “friends”, while moving toward aggressive reactions to our territorial shared neighbors of Mexico and Canada, and are ready to use protective tariffs, which were a major cause of the Great Depression against major trade partners other than Mexico and Canada.

And the signs are that after having formed NATO in 1949 which kept the peace and promoted stability in Europe, as well alliances with Asian nations that did the same, that now we are ready to repudiate such alliances, and promote being close to authoritarian leaders around the world.

This is pure suicide and insanity, but Donald Trump and his minions are totally ignorant and clueless on international affairs and national security.

And we seem ready to put a dangerous woman, Tulsi Gabbard, in charge as Director of National Intelligence, who has cozied up to Vladimir Putin and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, undermining our ability to defend our nation.

The prayer is that America will wake up from the repeat of history of 80-90 years ago, and secure American national security, but the likelihood is just the opposite, to the detriment of all Americans!

Barack Obama And Kamala Harris Speeches Will Stand Out As Models In The Long Run Of American History!

Ronald 5 Comments

When one feels despair at the horrific situation America is in during this crucial year of 2020, and when we look back in the future at this year, the Democratic National Convention speeches last night, on the third day of the convention, will stand out as among the greatest public oratory moments in the long run of American history!

Both the first African American President (Barack Obama), and the first African American and Indian American soon to be Vice President (Kamala Harris), demonstrated full command of the issues of this election for the nation in 2020, and for the long term survival of American democracy!

The fact that both Obama and Harris could rise to the pinnacle of power and leadership is testimonial to how far we have come in the journey for a “more perfect Union”, but also a reminder that there is is much work still to be accomplished!

The fight against Fascist authoritarianism and tyranny that Donald Trump and his ilk represent is the greatest crisis for the nation since 1940, when Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned for a third term in office, in order to deal with the Fascist threat of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

This was a time when the misnamed “America First Committee” was out to avoid the need for the ultimate confrontation with totalitarianism to keep American democracy alive and thriving.

A third of the nation was willing to accept Fascism’s takeover, and even had a charismatic leader who praised Hitler, the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. So FDR, despite the strain of eight years in the Presidency, felt committed to steer the nation to the proper course in a time of danger.

The same now falls upon Joe Biden, who has devoted a half century of his life to the advancement of American democracy, and he has been called upon to lead the nation in the fight against the threat of the modern hero of the extreme right, Donald Trump!

Just as FDR prevailed, Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris by his side, and with Barack and Michelle Obama backing him up, will succeed in dealing with the most serious set of crises, both domestic and foreign, since the time of FDR!

The Time Has Arrived For Republicans In Congress To Denounce, Repudiate, And Abandon Trump: Will They For Their Reputation In History?

Ronald 1 Comment

The time has arrived for Republicans in Congress to denounce, repudiate, and abandon Donald Trump, after the double whammy of the guilty plea of Michael Cohen, and the conviction of Paul Manafort, within an hour of each other yesterday.

There is no justification, none, for Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, and all other GOP Senators and Congressmen, even if they are running for office this November, to continue to back a President clearly involved in corrupt actions.

Either they do this now, or they will go down in history as collaborators.

One could say that they felt party loyalty before these events, but now there is no way to defend supporting Donald Trump.

Yes, they accomplished a massive tax cut for the top one to two percent.

Yes, they accomplished a massive attack on government regulation, trying to destroy the New Deal, Great Society, even Richard Nixon reforms, and Barack Obama’s healthcare law.

Yes, they managed to force right wing judges on us hurriedly, but should not be allowed to foist Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on us, at a time when the President is under investigation.

But now, the game is up, and they need to put America ahead of their own positions, and they still would be likely, in many cases, to win their seats again, particularly the House Freedom Caucus membership.

America First, NOT Donald Trump and party first!

First Thoughts After The Inauguration: How Nasty, Mean Spirited, And Lacking In Compassion Donald Trump Really Is!

Ronald 12 Comments

I had said I was taking a day off from commentary, and will write in greater detail tomorrow, but I felt a need to comment just before midnight on Inauguration Day, so here goes!

Donald Trump in just 12 hours has made clear just how nasty, mean spirited, and lacking in compassion he really is!

He claims that he is in the White House for the average American, but he has painted a picture of America which is very dark, very pessimistic, and very lacking in truth.

He claims there is a “carnage” that has gone on, even though Barack Obama presided over more employment gains than any President in history, and starting from a economic disaster known as the Great Recession, and in danger of falling further into another Great Depression!

He claims concern for mothers and children in the “ghettos” in the cities, but has never once indicated what he will do.

He declares “America First” without any understanding of the history of that term.

He has no knowledge or understanding of history or science, as he declares war on the environment, with lack of concern for our children and grandchildren by putting profits ahead of health and safety in the future.

He is basically telling our allies in Europe and Asia to go to hell, and promoting isolationism, protectionism, super nationalism bordering on Fascism.

He talks about America being great again, when it already is, but is willing to destroy all progress accomplished under his predecessor, who he spent five years destroying, and now will put the final nails in the 44th President’s legacy.

He says he cares about the “forgotten people”, but he is taking steps to harm these same people, including many who voted for him.

How can this man sleep at night, have no conscience, and be almost gleeful at destroying all of the great social and economic progress from Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama?

It as if the devil is in him, Satan in a way, a man with no ethics, morals, or scruples.

One has to believe in divine retribution in the next world, or “what goes around, comes around”–Karma!

Pearl Harbor Attack 75th Anniversary: Reality Sets In, Now Threatened By President Who Has Zero Understanding Of International Relations!

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Today is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which crippled our navy, and brought America into World War II.

This was the greatest military disaster in American history, with over 2,400 soldiers, sailors, and airmen killed, and ended the isolationism of the United States.

From that point on, it was clearly understood by Presidents and Congresses of both political parties that we needed to have strong alliances with other nations, and that putting America First, the old line of the isolationists, was detrimental to our security.

But we now have an incoming President, who touts America First, and is upending all traditional American foreign policy doctrines, to our detriment and potential danger.

A man who was willing to accept a Purple Heart from a soldier, and avoided military service on flimsy grounds, and thought being in a military high school was equivalent of military service and sacrifice, is now going to be Commander in Chief of the armed forces, something to worry about.

The reality of Pearl Harbor, and the more recent reality of September 11, must not be forgotten, but international relations is now again in danger of massive crisis, as our unstable, unhinged, ill informed, and Twitter provoked future President makes the whole world situation much more unpredictable, a threat to our military and to our entire population.

The Greatest Generation, as the World War II generation, rapidly declining in numbers, is known, needs to be remembered and respected on this solemn anniversary, and Americans must make clear they will NOT tolerate a narrow minded, isolationist foreign policy in the 21st century!

“Law And Order” Domestic Policy, And “America First” Isolationist Foreign Policy: The Coming Of Fascism To America Under Donald Trump!

Ronald 5 Comments

Donald Trump last night delivered a 75 minute speech accepting the Republican Presidential nomination with a sense of humility and gratefulness (yeh sure)!

The longest acceptance speech of modern times, he promoted fear and trepidation about the condition of America and its future, and declared that he, himself, will resolve the problems of terrorism, crime, and crumbling infrastructure all by himself.

He declared that he will be the President of “Law and Order”, reminding people of the last President to utilize such a term, Richard Nixon, who proved to be the most lawless President in American history. He made it seem that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, was for lawlessness, much like Richard Nixon and third party candidate George Wallace in 1968 made it seem as if Hubert Humphrey was for lawlessness.

He declared an “America First” doctrine, reminding us of the isolationist group of 1940-1941 of that precise name, promoted by many naive isolationists, most famously Charles Lindbergh of aviation fame, who wanted to keep us out the war in Europe as Nazi Germany took over most of the continent.

He argued that only he, alone, could resolve the issues of terrorism and crime, as if by magic, he would solve them, without considering the role of the Congress and the courts, and the fact that we are NOT a Fascist dictatorship with one man rule.

Face the reality that Donald Trump is a clear cut Fascist, and a danger to American democracy and the US Constitution, and all efforts must be made to prevent this monster from becoming our 45th President.

A major job of education is needed, as too many people have no clue as to what Trump is doing, manipulating emotions and fear as he strives to become our leader, despite no experience, no knowledge, and with a constantly confrontational persona!