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Imagining A Harry Truman-Donald Trump Meeting!

Ronald 6 Comments

It has been 80 years since Harry Truman ascended to the Presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945.

Truman stood up for the accomplishments of FDR’s New Deal, most notably Social Security and labor rights.

Truman also faced the challenge and threat of the Soviet Union, and by utilizing the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and challenging successfully the Berlin Blockade of 1948-1949 with an Airlift, he upheld the promotion of democracy from the totalitarian threat of Joseph Stalin.

Truman was known for speaking his mind, and had the nickname “Give Them Hell Harry”, and could use salty language against those he saw as detrimental in their ideas and policies, including for example, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin of the infamous “Red Scare” during Truman’s second term!

So try for a few minutes to think of what it would be like had Harry Truman had the opportunity to meet his “namesake”, meaning another future President whose last name had the first four letters shared—meaning Donald Trump!

The verbal confrontation and stern, glaring demeanor of Truman toward Trump would have been legion for the ages, as he would not be tolerant in any fashion of the personality, views, or actions of Donald Trump, which are diametrically opposite of Truman!

Truman would be very voluble and outspoken in the extreme and “give Trump hell”, as Truman did in his Presidential campaign of 1948.

And had, in theory, Truman had Trump as his opponent, he would have verbally “slaughtered” him nationwide, and put him back where he belongs, in obscurity as a totally failed President, who has been rated absolutely last in the American Political Science Association Poll that ranked Presidents in 2024!

Trump Tariffs Cause Biggest Stock Market Decline In Five Years!

Ronald 8 Comments

Donald Trump’s lunatic tariffs have caused the biggest Stock Market decline since March 2020, in the early days of the COVID 19 Pandemic!

Stocks declined about 4 percent, and the effects of Trump tariffs are reverberating all over the globe.

But a few Republicans are starting to revolt against them, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and even President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

A movement is starting to take away the President’s assertiveness to control tariffs, when historically, it was Congress that determined tariffs.

The question is, though, will House Republicans revolt in enough number with Democrats to join the Democrats and the few recalcitrant Republicans mentioned above in the Senate, to bring action?

If not, America is on the road to a potential Second Great Depression, and total disarray in international affairs, as Trump makes NATO nations, Asian allies, and China, Mexico, and Canada victims of his maniacal behavior!

It is time for joint action to restrict and limit Donald Trump, and prevent him from becoming a totally authoritarian dictator!

Imagining A Theodore Roosevelt-Donald Trump Meeting!

Ronald 8 Comments

At a tumultuous time like now, in late March 2025, after two months of the second Donald Trump Presidency, it seems appropriate to make a comparison between a past President, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, and Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President.

First, the similarities:

Both TR and Trump were Republican Presidents, although massively different in philosophy and outlook.

Both TR and Trump ushered in massive change, revolutionary in many ways.

Both TR and Trump were attention grabbers on a daily basis, constantly creating news and publicity.

Both TR and Trump were egomanics, having an element of insecurity that required them to insist on “rocking the boat” on a regular basis.

Both TR and Trump could be described as “characters”, highly outspoken more than any other combination of Presidents.

It has been said that TR wanted to be “the bride at every wedding, and the groom on every wedding cake”, and that Trump wanted to be equally admired and noticed constantly.

TR was toasted by Great Britain as a great man during and after his Presidency, and loved every minute of it, while Donald Trump was toasted as a great man during his first Presidency by the Saudi Arabian government, and loved every minute of it!

Both TR and Trump were born to wealth and in New York City, with TR in Manhattan, and Trump in Queens County, and with TR’s vacation home in Nassau County, Long Island, at Oyster Bay, and Trump’s vacation home in Palm Beach County, Florida at Mar a Lago.

As former Presidents running again for reelection in 1912 for TR and 2024 for Trump, both were victims of assassination attempts, with TR more seriously wounded than Trump, but both showing a defiant spirit at the time of their being victims.

Now, the massive differences between TR and Trump!

TR was our youngest President ever at age 42 and ten and a half months of age in September 1901, while Trump was our oldest inagurated President age 78 and 7 months in January 2025, and he will be the oldest President when he leaves office in 2029, surpassing Joe Biden in that statistic if it occurs.

TR believed in a need for a stronger, more engaged national government, challenging the conservative, laissez faire philosophy of the Republican Party, and proudly asserting he was a “progressive”.

Trump has declared “war” on the federal government, wanting to cut down the involvement of the national government in a wide variety of ways, promoting a return to state and local government control as in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century.

TR was the promoter of environmental reform and conservation of natural resources, regarded as the single most significant President in that area of policy.

Trump has made clear his desire to shut down most environmental and conservation efforts, and promote more drilling and more industrial use of natural resources, despite the reality of climate change and global warming. He is attempting to cut back on national parks, national conservation lands and national monuments in a dramatic fashion.

TR believed in the need for federal government regulation for consumers, regarding food and drug protection, while Trump has allowed himself to appoint a Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who is reckless and unstable, and has created great concerns about the protection of health for the American people.

TR promoted openmindedness on workers’s rights, while Trump has demonstrated that he is unconcerned about the average working man and the significance of labor unions.

TR believed in the concept of corporate regulation and responsibility, while Trump has the belief that corporations should not be regulated, and corporate taxes should be cut, both in his first term, and now in his second term. So TR utilized the anti trust laws, while Trump has not and will not do so.

TR and Trump both were involved in the issue of the Panama Canal, with TR promoting a revolution in the area of Colombia which broke away, became independent with US support, and agreed to the building of the Canal, while Trump is now promoting US takeover the Canal, which was given back by treaty in 1977 under Jimmy Carter, and returning to Panamanian control in the year 2000.

TR was aggressive in his relations with the rest of Latin America, promoting the “Big Stick” policy, with intervention in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, while Trump has created tensions in the entire Western Hemisphere, and including our Canadian neighbors to the North, as well as the nations south of the US.

TR cultivated good relations with Japan, while looking down on China, while Trump is being aggressive in his policies toward China, and ready to use tariffs against all nations, including those in Asia.

TR wanted good relations with Europe, particularly with Great Britain and France; was suspicious of Germany; and critical of Russia and its mistreatment of Jews and other minorities. Trump, on the other hand, seems ready to abandon NATO and our close alliances with Western democracies since World War II, and is cozying up with our traditional antagonist, the Russian Federation..

TR won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to negotiate the treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War, while Trump is hoping for a Nobel Peace Prize by resolving the Russia-Ukraine War.

It is very clear that TR, were he alive today, would be a major critic of Donald Trump, and would have no issue in confronting him openly and “in his face”.

The question is how would Trump react to such scathing and extreme criticism!

Donald Trump, The Full Blown Imperialist! :(

Ronald 40 Comments

Donald Trump was thought to be an isolationist in his foreign policy views in his first term.

But now in his second term, Donald Trump is a full blown imperialist, who has no concern for our relations with nations that have been America’s allies since after World War II.

So Trump is making clear that he intends, even by military force if necessary, to seize control of the Panama Canal, which was legally handed over by treaty in the Jimmy Carter Administration, effective in the year 2000, and with Republican and Democratic backing in the signing of the treaty in 1977. Such action will cause a major rift with Latin America.

So Trump is continuing to assert that Canada will be the “51st state”, and is imposing heavy protective tariffs, and acting aggressive and abusive toward our northern neighbor. This is causing great stress and the rise of antiAmericanism in Canada, which has no intention of giving up its sovereignty.

So Trump is claiming that Greenland, which has been semi-autonomous from Denmark for a long time, will become a territory of the United States, causing hostility and alarm in Denmark, the European Union, and among our NATO Allies.

So Trump is claiming that the Gaza Strip needs to be emptied, and redeveloped with American investment, a totally loony idea, which would cause the spread of Middle East terrorism to all Americans who would work or live in territory that America has no right to claim.

Donald Trump is, clearly, a full blown imperialist, similar in many ways to authoritarian leaders, including Vladimir Putin of Russia, with his attempt to justify invasion and seizing of territory in Ukraine!

This makes the 47th President “a clear and present danger” to international peace!

Republican Congressional Sycophants: A Disgrace To Their Oaths! :(

Ronald 6 Comments

It is shocking and a disgrace beyond all belief that the Republican Party in both houses of Congress is acting in a totally sycophantic matter!

No matter what Donald Trump and Elon Musk say or do is accepted without protest, except by a very small number of Congressional Republicans.

No matter how cruel and inhumane and uncaring Trump and Musk are, it has little to no effect on the party that once stood for strong conservative principles, but now has become the equivalent of a Fascist Party!

History will not look kindly on these Republicans who seem to have no concern about the damage perpetrated daily and long term on both the American economy and all domestic programs, and the terrifying swing toward a pro Russian foreign policy, unprecedented in American diplomacy.

Trump and Musk have no issue with antagonizing our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, and the European Union and NATO, as well as our Asian allies.

This is a literal nightmare with no end in sight!

Trump’s War On Federal Government: Young Civil Servants, Higher Education, Veterans, And More! :(

Ronald 30 Comments

Donald Trump’s war on the federal government is an attack on the future and on so many other areas of life.

It is a war on young people who have and wish to enter public service, with many thousands of probationary workers now unemployed, due to major cutbacks in many federal agencies.

It is a war on higher education, cutting funding for training and educating an intelligent work force in the sciences, the humanities, and all other areas of public knowledge.

It is a war on our patriotic veterans, who are losing many government jobs, and a cutting of programs to help veterans who risked their lives, and now are being denied adequate consideration of their health and welfare needs.

It is a war on protection of our national security, with mass purges of dedicated intelligence, foreign policy, and defense personnel who have dedicated their lives and careers to protecting the homeland from foreign threats of authoritarian government, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

It is a war on health care, science, and medicine, and endangers all Americans when it comes to threats from many diseases worldwide, that now will not be dealt with in an efficient matter, and will cost a multitude of lives.

It is a war on the environment, conservation, and the realities of climate change, guaranteeing worldwide disasters that will threaten human existence in the future.

It is a war on our long held alliances with democracies in Europe and in Asia, and antagonizing, unnecessarily, our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, and inciting anti Americanism in Latin America. It is causing our closest allies in NATO and in Asia to reconsider sharing intelligence information.

It is a war on public virtue, with a certainty that we will witness the greatest level of corruption and concentration of wealth in the hands of a few evil individuals, ever seen in American history, far surpassing the earlier corruption that took place under Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and even the first term of Donald Trump.

The Trump Presidency is setting America back to an earlier time before all of the great reforms that took place from the Progressive Era of Theodore Roosvelt and Woodrow Wilson; the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt; the Fair Deal of Harry Truman; the New Frontier of John F. Kennedy; the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson; the movements forward under Republicans Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon; the accomplishments under Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; and the advancements under Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Trump State Of The Union Address: Highly Divisive And Lies, Lies, Lies! :(

Ronald 14 Comments

Donald Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech ever delivered last evening, about 9,900 words lasting about 100 minutes, surpassing Bill Clinton’s State of the Union speech in 2000.

The speech was highly, extremely divisive, unusual as Presidents usually try to promote a sense of unity when giving the State of the Union address, even with the opposition party, but instead Trump was gloating about his victory, which he exaggerated regarding its magnitude.

Trump, as usual, lied, lied, and lied some more, distorting and exaggerating reality, facts, and truth.

Trump lied about Joe Biden’s record, calling him the worst President in US History (which was an example of projection about himself).

Trump also took a dig against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the primary promoter of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that became law under Barack Obama, but now is on the chopping block.

Trump also claimed that there are people over 100 years of age, up to 300 years old, who are collecting Social Security, a clearcut attack on that program that has existed for 90 years since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. There is fear that Social Security may not be paid in future months, due to the claims of waste, fraud, and abuse that are totally preposterous, and with layoffs of civil service employees in that agency.

Trump also promoted the idea of seizing the Panama Canal and taking over Greenland from Denmark, which will antagonize Latin America and NATO respectively, as Trump promotes “imperialism”.

Watching the smirks of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance was infuriating, as the nation clearly is evenly divided, but there was no interest in crossing the aisle and promoting cooperation, with the Congress more divisive and the majority unconcerned about compromise and negotiation.

Trump’s promotion of tariffs with Canada, Mexico, and China will raise the cost of living dramatically, and soon, and goes against the record of history, that tariffs are counterproductive.

Plaudits to newly elected Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union, and introduced herself to the nation as a legislator who should be respected and paid attention to in the future of the Democratic Party.

The battle ahead for the average American taxpayer and families will be a long, bitter struggle, but the Democrats must not sit on the sidelines, but instead march, demonstrate, organize, and vigorously fight with every bone in their bodies against the extreme right wing tilt of the Republican Party, which has repudiated so much of their heritage over 170 years of their history from Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan!

Shocking Confrontation Of Trump And Vance With Zelenskyy In Oval Office Indicates “Sellout” Of Ukraine And Europe!

Ronald 14 Comments

In an event that will reverberate for the long term future, Donald Trump and JD Vance had a shocking public confrontation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in the Oval Office yesterday, repudiating US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began with a massive invasion by Vladimir Putin’s military forces three years ago.

Nothing like this incident has ever occurred before, and certainly, not in the public eye for all to witness.

It made clear that Trump is abandoning the close relationship the US has had with European democracies since World War II, and instead is embracing a close friendship with the aggressor, and major threat to world peace, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation.

This presents a threat to the survival and viability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has keep peace and stability for 75 years since 1949.

Shockingly, most Republicans are backing Trump and Vance in their “ambush” of Zelenskyy, and the idea that Vice President Vance would interject himself in the confrontation so directly, was beyond the pale, clearly designed to promote his own Presidential candidacy to succeed Trump in 2028.

Vance has now made himself the most despicable Vice President in modern times, surpassing Spiro Agnew and Dick Cheney in being a confrontational second in command.

All good, decent people will support Zelenskyy and Ukraine, and reputiate the despicable, corrupt, and authoritarian orientation of both Trump and Vance, and of their sycophants in the Cabinet and elsewhere in the US government.

And already, people who had been strongly anti Russian for good reason historically and contemporarily, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and others have clearly decided that they will advance their own agendas, and give up their principles.

If Rubio in particular had any guts or ethics, he would resign, but that clearly is NOT going to happen.

America is in a very dangerous time in so many ways, and this after less than six weeks in office in the second Trump Presidency.

There is a lot of “buyer’s remorse” apparent among voters, who allowed themselves to be bamboozled by a man who was already impeached twice, had 86 indictment charges in four cases, and was convicted on 34 felony charges of those counts for falsifying business records in New York State.

The anarchy and chaos being promoted in both domestic and foreign policy is mind-blowing, and puts the US in a very dangerous condition for the future under Donald Trump!

The Republican Party And Russia From Joseph McCarthy To Donald Trump!

Ronald 18 Comments

The Republican Party has completely reversed its long held stand against Russian aggression, from the time of the Soviet Union’s founding in 1917; through its decline and collapse and the end of the Cold War in 1991; and through the rise of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation in the year 2000 to the present.

Whether Democratic or Republican administrations, the US Government has stood against the imperialism and expansionist urges of the Russian government for more than a century.

No longer though, now, as Donald Trump has embraced Vladimir Putin’s three year war on Ukraine, and called Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy a “dictator”, totally upending all reasonable assessments of the worst destruction and bloodshed in Europe since World War II and Nazi Germany.

Trump has hijacked the Republican Party, silencing most members of the party in the Congress and in the states, who have instead of doing the right thing, condemning Russia’s imperialism and threat to all of Europe and the NATO alliance, rather become the cheering squad for Trump’s destructive relationship with the western democracies, and his embrace of authoritarianism.

Despite the overall negative view of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led the Second Red Scare from 1950-1954, he was certainly right on the menace of the Soviet Union, while tragically destroying the reputations of many Americans in his quest for power and influence.

Richard Nixon was also a promoter of the Second Red Scare, along with a multitude of others, but the one consistency in the midst of horrendous abuse of their attack on Democrats, liberals, and decent Americans, there was recognition of the dangers of Communism and the Russian control of Eastern Europe and the desire to expand further.

But now, we see people in the Republican Party who know better, going along with Donald Trump’s destruction of the basic traditions of American foreign policy, in order to advance their own personal agenda and ambitions.

Now, we have Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, keeping silent on what Trump is doing regarding Russia, and the same for other Cabinet Officers and House and Senate Republicans.

Only a few are willing to speak up and condemn the switch in attitude toward Russia, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Congressman Don Bacon from the Second District of Nebraska.

But Tillis and Bacon are in danger of being opposed for reelection by Elon Musk recruiting opponents, and most Republicans are unwilling to speak up, in fear of losing their seats, which is, sadly, more important than having any principles!

So the Republican Party is a disaster, with the old traditions thrown out, and instead, embracing a war criminal, Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB Spy in the latter years of the former Soviet Union!

It can be assured that Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and other hardline critics of Russia, are tossing in their graves!

Donald Trump Is “Neville Chamberlain” Appeasement Of Nazi Germany In 1938, Repeated In 2025 Involving Ukraine And Russia!

Ronald 7 Comments

In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, wishing to preserve peace, made a deal with Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler, agreeing that half of Czechoslovakia should be handed over to the Germans to preserve peace in Europe.

Chamberlain horribly misjudged Hitler’s intentions, and within a year, World War II began, and Chamberlain’s reputation was besmirched for all time, as a naive leader who was tricked by Hitler, and Chamberlain’s name has been synonymous with the term “appeasement” ever since!

The lesson learned the hard way was that one does not make deals with authoritarians to give up territory for so called peace, as such dictators are manipulating and fooling their opponents into believing peace is assured by making such deals.

But then, we have now Donald Trump, the new “appeaser”, the new Neville Chamberlain, who is willing to make a deal with the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin, who has waged the worse war and destruction in Europe since World War II, in his three year invasion and destruction waged on Ukraine.

The United States under Joe Biden and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been valiant in their support of Ukraine, but now Donald Trump and his treasonous administration is ready to abandon Ukraine and trust Putin, who is, one must remember, formerly a KGB agent in the former Soviet Union, with a clear aim to restore the old Russia which collapsed with the end of the Cold War in 1991.

Putin is vicious, bloodthirsty, deceitful, and manipulative, and has found the “perfect fool” in Trump, and one has to say that Trump clearly has some kind of hidden reason to have embraced Putin from the beginning of his pursuit of the Presidency ten years ago.

No matter what one might deny, it is clear that Putin manipulated and helped elect Trump in 2016, even though Trump lost the popular vote by 2.85 million votes. There is clearcut evidence of collaboration, and one has to wonder why Trump is so intent on embracing authoritarians, although it is now clear, if not earlier, that Trump wants to be like a Putin, an authoritarian dictator!

International affairs is being upended after 75 years of NATO and support against totalitarianism, and lies about the Russia-Ukraine War are being spread to manipulate public opinion.

It is not just Ukraine which is in danger, but all nations and their citizens who care about democracy and freedom. It is clear that Putin, if allowed to succeed in taking over Ukraine, will next move to attack the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Poland in his desire to dominate Europe.

Clearly, Trump is a traitor to American values and national security, and we are in a massive crisis of whether our nation and the world will be secure and stable moving forward! For Trump to “blame” Ukraine for the invasion by Russia and call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator, is an outrage!