Murder – Trial – Prison

Since September 2nd there have been at least 21 illegal strikes with at least 83 people extrajudicially killed and those responsible for these murders need to be held accountable. Those giving the orders along with those following them need to be tried in a court of law and judged by a jury of their peers otherwise it would seem that murder is now legal in the U.S. and Americans are Ok with it. For instance the guy that gave the order and the guy that pulled the trigger on that September 2nd double tap strike that killed the two survivors of the first strike on their boat should face a fair trial and serve a fair prison sentence if they are found guilty.

Is any significant portion of the U.S. population really Ok with murdering people on boats the Trump administration claims, without having provided any evidence, has drugs on them? Earlier this year when all those men were rounded up and sent to a terrible prison in El Salvador the Trump administration claimed they were the worst of the worst gang members however after just a little bit of good reporting we learned that many of those men had entered the U.S. legally and most had no criminal record in the U.S. or in their home countries. Fortunately thanks to continuous public outcry most of them were freed after suffering for 4 months in CECOT.

With that precedent in mind how do you know these alleged drug dealers are anything more than people who were forced onto drug boats after being promised a job on a fishing boat or after their families were threatened? Now that they’re all dead there’s no amount of good reporting or public outcry that can bring them back. Extrajudicial killings like these are unacceptable in any country that wishes to be seen as civilized. After all the abuse of power in this administration Americans, especially those who help put Trump back into office, need to remind their representatives that extrajudicial killings are unacceptable and the use of military force should be authorized by Congress.

No Kings 2

Tomorrow’s rallies aren’t about left, right, or any particular political party they’re about freedom, democracy, and the rule of law vs subjugation, autocracy, and rule by law. If there’s one principle that should unite nearly all Americans it’s that in America we will not tolerate kings, dictators, or anything even remotely like them. Visit the No Kings website to find out where you can join these peaceful protests and show the world that America, while seriously struggling through some dark and divided times, is still a beacon of freedom and hope.

https://www.nokings.org

Political Violence

If people aren’t free to speak their minds without having to worry about losing their heads then a free society cannot exist. Political assassinations like the one this week in Utah or the one last June in Minnesota should not be seen as an attack by one political party or one end of the political spectrum on the other they should be seen as an attack on anyone who wants to live in a free society.

Everyone who wants to live in a free society has the civic duty to keep their friends and family in check if they start getting violent with their rhetoric. If it becomes a possibility that someone you know could put their violent words into action then don’t hesitate to report them to the authorities while providing ample supporting evidence so they can be offered counseling and be put on a watchlist.

No War With Iran

Not one U.S. tax dollar should be going to a country with a per capita GDP of over $52,000 moreover the U.S. needs to start billing Israel for every missile it helps them shoot down. If Israel knew the U.S. wasn’t an unconditional ally that would save them from the consequences of whatever reckless or immoral actions they took then they’d probably try a little harder to solve their security issues diplomatically rather than with violence.

It was Israel that helped pull the U.S. into an unnecessary and destabilizing war with Iraq and now it’s trying to pull the U.S. into an unnecessary and destabilizing war with Iran and the only chance of stopping it is if U.S. voters, particularly those who voted for Trump, make it clear they want no more unnecessary wars and no more wasteful spending when the country is already so deep in debt and there is so much that needs to be fixed and invested in at home.

Iran isn’t the cause of the many problems facing the U.S. and it’s citizens and joining Israel in the bombing of Iran and attempting another regime change followed by another attempt at nation building certainly isn’t a solution. If you are a U.S. citizen who opposes U.S. involvement in Israeli wars and instead want to see the U.S. help deescalate the situation then contact your representatives and tell them you oppose this Israeli / Netanyahu attempt to pull the U.S. into another war.

Contact The White House

Contact your elected officials.

No Kings

With all mass protests there will inevitably be people participating that you don’t agree with however if you support what’s officially being protested I hope you consider joining and helping turn Saturday’s news into news about the peaceful anti-authoritarian protests taking place all over the U.S. on June 14th and turn Trump’s birthday party military parade into an embarrassing side note. Visit the No Kings website to find out what these planned peaceful protests are about and where you can join.

https://www.nokings.org

Free the Innocent

Since the shameless secretary and this shameless administration won’t do it the people need to demand and keep demanding that their representatives in the Congress and Senate work to ensure that the innocent people who were sent to CECOT are set free as soon as possible. If DOGE and the Trump administration want to cut government spending then tell them to start by not paying El Salvador to jail innocent people like Andry José Hernández Romero.

If you feel that this should not be happening in the U.S. or anywhere for that matter then please take a minute to contact the White House and your elected officials. Thank you for standing up and speaking out against this grave injustice.

End the Blockade

UNICEF 12 May 2025 Risk of famine for children across Gaza

“Families in Gaza are starving while the food they need is sitting at the border. We can’t get it to them because of the renewed conflict and the total ban on humanitarian aid imposed in early March,” said the UN World Food Programme’s Executive Director Cindy McCain.

This is a crime against humanity and Israel should be sanctioned and boycotted until it stops using food as a weapon. Israel has the right to defend itself but it does not have the right to starve children and massacre a mostly innocent population in an attempt to ethnically cleanse what’s left of Palestine.

Blatant Corruption

As our dishonest, corrupt, and incompetent president prepares to accept a 400 million dollar jet as a gift from Qatar I thought I’d post this talk given by Senator Chris Murphy regarding the blatant corruption of this administration over its first 100 days.

Judging by how furious and vocal all the drain the swamp MAGA warriors are about Nancy Pelosi’s insider trading and Hunter Biden’s corrupt dealings they are going to explode after seeing how Trump and family have taken corruption to a whole new level…

A May Day Mayday

After 100 days of poorly planned and incompetently executed policies from the full pardons of violent insurrectionists, to DOGE cuts, to ICE abductions, to “Liberation Day” and it’s ridiculously determined and rashly implemented tariffs America is having a Mayday moment. Those of us who sincerely care about the country and would like to see it continue working towards the ideals that until recently made it leader of the free world and a beacon of hope for many need to do all we can to show the world that these ideals are still alive and well and that we will not let them and whatever remains of U.S. credibility be destroyed by one severely flawed individual and his cult of personality.

I supported ending DEI policies but now key government positions are being filled with whoever can best flatter and brazenly lie in support of the dear leader who they along with the dear leader himself believes is on a mission from god. The government isn’t being staffed with the most capable and qualified it’s being staffed with the most flattering and loyal and not the most loyal to the country, the constitution, or a set of ideals like freedom of speech and the right to due process but loyal to an insecure man with an overwhelming fear of people ripping him off and laughing at him which he constantly projects onto the country. A country that by most measures was doing pretty good before he took office but not so good 100 days later.

Trump and his minions are removing as many checks on his power as they can and since the Democratic Party has proved itself basically useless and is largely responsible for what is happening we the people need to act. If the Democratic Party hadn’t pandered to woke radicals and allowed massive numbers of unvetted immigrants to pour over the border and allowed transgender people to compete against women and girls in sports and didn’t completely fail in its withdrawal from Afghanistan and hadn’t given Israel a blank check to massacre so many innocent people who had nothing to do with putting Hamas into power we could have avoided this. Instead the war Trump said he’d have settled in one day still rages on and the massacre which Trump said he’d have a ceasefire for before he took office continues.

As for the deportations I know throwing good people into a dungeon will persuade others not to enter the country illegally however this is utterly un-American as America is known for giving people freedom and not for unjustly taking it away. Those mistakenly caught up in a poorly planned drive to catch the worst of the worst must be freed. Maybe they don’t need to come back to the U.S. and at this point they might not even want to but they certainly can’t be locked in a dungeon for the crime of heeding the words written on the Statue of Liberty, seeking to escape violence and persecution, and trying to create a better life for themselves. Now is the time for Americans to drop their party affiliations, come together as independents, and tell ideologues and extremists on the left and right “Not in my country and not with my tax dollars.”.

Due Process

Hello, it’s been a while. I hope this post finds you in better shape than the U.S. credibility and moral standing in the world. Many of us knew a second Trump term would be bad but few of us expected it to get this bad this fast. Of all the “un-American” things Trump and the minions he has surrounded himself with have done over these past 77 days the most “un-American” of them all has to be disappearing people in the United States of America.

Regardless of immigration status the U.S. has no right to disappear someone into an El Salvadoran dungeon based on hearsay and tattoos which have nothing to do with gang membership or criminal history. Some of these people need to be brought back to the U.S. immediately so their case can be heard in a U.S. court and all of them need to be given due process before deciding if there are any among them that actually do deserve to spend the rest of their life in an awful prison.

If it turns out they aren’t violent criminals, which according to this 60 Minutes report appears to be the case for the vast majority of them, then they should at least be returned to their home country. If you agree and feel that this should not be happening in the U.S. or anywhere for that matter then please share this video and take a minute to contact the White House and your elected officials. Thank you for standing up and speaking out against this grave injustice.

Gay Venezuelan stylist sent to Salvadoran prison after a disgraced cop’s report

Harris 2024

Biden should have announced he wasn’t going to seek re-election a year ago and if he had there would have been time for a proper primary election and actual voters could have chosen the best candidate to face Trump however it looks like it’s too late for that so Kamala it is. Give her a chance because you know the alternative and another 4 years would be even worse with an aging Trump and his puppet JD next in line.

If a Harris-led ticket isn’t exciting enough for you just be happy the election isn’t a Biden-Trump rematch and if you want better choices next time you need to make more noise in the primary. Although I voted for and still wish Dean Phillips was the nominee I am all in for Kamala Harris. Tuesday November 5th is only 100 days from now so spread the word and help keep America moving forward towards a better future and not backwards towards some imaginary past.

Assassination Attempt

Political violence is a far greater threat to democracy than a second Trump presidency. Trump needs to be beaten again at the ballot box and not by an assassin’s bullet or any other violent means. In addition to accidentally murdering someone in the crowd the would-be assassin has boosted Trump’s already good chances of being reelected because photos of a bloody and defiant Trump surrounded by secret service with Old Glory waving in the background are sure to gain him sympathy and support.

Speaking of secret service it’s a disgrace that the limited number of roofs in the area of the rally were not secured. I want to know how a 20 year-old with a rifle could outsmart the entire secret service and police detail assigned to protect Trump. It’s hard to distinguish blatant incompetence from deliberate ignorance and this overt ineptitude of the secret service is bound to lead some to believe this gaping hole in security was intentional. Regardless those who planned that security detail should be demoted or fired.

Biden was already in trouble and now he’s sure to fare even worse against a Trump who just narrowly dodged death and has the scars and photos to show for it. The best hope for the Democrats and anyone else that doesn’t want to see Trump reelected is to run an open and fair Democratic Primary before the convention because the excitement and free publicity around selecting a new generation of Democratic Party leaders will provide the best chance of keeping Trump out of the White House.

Disgust and Hope

It’s too bad thousands of dead Palestinian kids do not get the same attention and generate the same public outrage as 7 aid workers working under a celebrity chef do otherwise the U.S. probably would have taken a firmer approach to Israel months ago. This long overdue approach of conditioning U.S. support on concrete and immediate actions to alleviate suffering and avoid civilian casualties is most welcomed but it is still too little too late as this should have been a starting point, a precondition to any foreign aid or weapons transfers, and not where we arrive after the deaths of over 10,000 kids and at least another 10,000 innocent adults.

U.S. tax payers should not be buying the bombs used to indiscriminately drop on innocent people even if there are a couple of terrorists hiding amongst them. Fighting a war like this where you are killing far more women and children than you are terrorists or even military aged men is only bound to create more terrorists than it destroys and make a solution to this decades old conflict even more allusive. It’s an absolute shame that the U.S. and Israel didn’t understand this before the post October 7th retaliation even started when much of the world was on its side and instead dealt with Hamas and justifiable Palestinian discontent in a much more effective way.

Akira Toriyama

On March 1st 2024 the great Akira Toriyama passed away while in the midst of multiple projects due to an acute subdural hematoma which is a type of bleeding near the brain. He was just 68 years old and is best known for creating the Dragon Ball series which was first published in 1984. Dragon Ball Z Kai Episodes 1-98, which originally aired between 2009 and 2011, is by far the best segment of the ongoing Dragon Ball series which has entertained and inspired generations of people around the world. I strongly recommend you watch these 98 episodes of greatness in the original Japanese audio with subtitles in your native language. Thank you Toriyama-sensei!

Dean Phillips 2024

I sent in my vote for the Michigan Presidential Primary on February 27th 2024 and was just notified that it had been received. I strongly encourage you to vote in your State’s primary elections and not simply allow your November 5th options to be chosen for you. The U.S. needs to move on from Biden and Trump and the only other choices we have on the Democratic and Republican sides are Phillips and Haley and that’s an easy choice for me as an independent voter who seriously considers every viable candidate.

I hope others will step up and say NO! to a repeat of Biden vs Trump because I fear the Trump cult and a weak Republican Party who doesn’t dare to criticize their orange demigod will ensure that he is the Republican nominee and as was the case with Hillary in 2016 the Democratic Party will do all it can to prevent primary challengers in order to take a chance, a chance that is looking worse by the day, with the candidate most entrenched and loyal to the party rather than the one that actually stands the best chance of defeating the dangerous and delusional Donald.

Trump must not be reelected therefore we must choose the candidate most capable of beating him in November and at this time that candidate is Dean Phillips. I thank him for having the foresight to see what will happen in a Biden vs Trump rematch and the courage to go against the Democratic Party establishment and their undemocratic system of coronations of party elders and loyalists in order to ensure the U.S. doesn’t have to endure another Trump presidency. The U.S. needs a sane, moral, and pragmatic president that puts country before party and personal interests and that is why I support Dean Phillips for President.

A Free Press

I thought it was suicide when Navalny went back to Putin’s Russia in 2021 after recovering in Germany from being poisoned in Russia so although news of his death is sad it’s not surprising. At the same time Assange is still in a U.K. prison and his extradition to and imprisonment in the U.S. would set a chilling precedent for the free world and that is why I sent the following to my representatives in government.

While it’s good to see the U.S. and other nations that claim to cherish the right to free speech and support a free press provide their condolences and criticisms of those responsible for Navalny’s death it’s quite hypocritical of them to do so when Assange, an Australian citizen, is still rotting in a U.K. jail as he continues to fight against extradition to the U.S. where he faces up to 175 years in prison. Regardless of what you think of Assange no journalist should be prosecuted for shedding light on the misdeeds of those in power as that is their most important job and it’s why good journalists, freedom of speech, and a free press are essential in a free society.

Assange did not obtain the material he published illegally and the person that did was tried, convicted, and spent 7 years in prison. Whether or not that is too long or not long enough is up for debate however Assange has done nothing other than publish material that was in the public interest. Imagine how the U.S. would respond if someone in Russia leaked classified information which documented Russian war crimes to an Australian journalist that was based in the U.S.? Do you think for a second the U.S. would even consider sending this person to Russia to face punishment? The U.S. needs to decide if it’s going to start standing for the values it purports to espouse or if it’s going to continue to act like Russia has with Navalny.

Never Again

Never again can we elect a president who blatantly puts themself above the constitution and country they were chosen to protect and serve and that has no qualms about incessantly lying in pursuit of personal gain. To the remaining Trump devotees: Wake up and free yourself from the cult. Wrong is wrong and unfit is unfit so dump Trump and choose a half-way decent Republican candidate. If the talent pool in your Grand Old Party is that shallow then just pick a name out of a phone book in a deep-red district and as long as they prove to be a decent or good person with average or above average cognitive skills and are willing to serve their country for 4 years then maybe I and other independent voters will vote for them as we aren’t looking forward to another 4 years of Biden either.

East China West China

Today is election day in Taiwan and I hope voters will shun any candidates or political parties intent on moving towards independence. The U.S. needs to oppose moves towards Taiwan independence as strongly as it does reunification by force and make it clear that if the voters of Taiwan do decide they want to elect pro-independence parties and politicians then they will be left to face the consequences on their own without any economic, political, or military support from the U.S..

The U.S. and the rest of the world must understand that the situation between China and Taiwan is not akin to Russia and Ukraine which are and have been separate countries. China and Taiwan are more like East and West Germany or North and South Vietnam. This is because their separation is a relic of the cold war and like these other two countries that had been divided over capitalist / communist ideology and U.S. / U.S.S.R. alliances China too will eventually be reunited.

The question is will it be reunified by force because of the irresponsible words and actions of politicians and the inability of the voters of Taiwan to see that the DPP is leading them towards disaster, or will it be reunified peacefully when mainland China looks and functions a lot more like Taiwan. The best thing Taiwan can do for itself, the rest of China, and the world is to maintain the status quo and continue to set an example of what kind of an open and prosperous society freedom and democracy can bring.

The UN Chief and Israel

It’s unreasonable for Israel’s UN Ambassador to accuse the UN Chief of “tolerating terrorism” and call for him to resign when all he said was “It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation” moreover he followed by saying “the grievances of the Palestinian people can not justify the appalling attacks by Hamas and those appalling attacks can not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. Ignoring the underlying causes of this century-old conflict will not help achieve any kind of long-term peace and any attempts by Israel to rewrite, cover up, or silence those who shed light on the history of this conflict will fail regardless of how hard they try to keep people ignorant of the crimes, past and present, that their nation was built upon and continues to illegally expand upon in the West Bank.

With that said Israel did return all of Gaza to the Palestinians in 2005 and instead of making the most of it while peacefully advocating for an independent and contiguous Palestinian state they elected Hamas in 2006 who was already well-known for their violent fanaticism. Although Hamas did not win a majority of votes in that election and although most of the people in Gaza were too young or not even yet born to vote in that 2006 election they have been stuck with them for the past 17 years. As for the West Bank while all Israeli settlements there are illegal it unfortunately seems that continued Israeli military control, NOT continued settlement expansion, carried out as respectfully as possible is necessary until the vast majority of Palestinians come to the realization that despite being unjustly founded Israel is here to stay and that the best they can hope for is a two-state solution and that can only come by renouncing all forms of violence and opposing any groups or political parties that advocate for it.

Better yet if they could all put their religious differences aside and agree to a unified secular state, something like a Singapore of the Middle East, then there would be no need to put up security walls and fight over borders within the same country. Unfortunately there’s no shortage of violent fanatics on both sides who would never accept living with each other within a secular state and under a modern constitution that gave everyone equal rights. Maybe one day when more people can breakout of their old tribal mindsets such a state will be possible but in the meantime it seems the only viable path forward is two independent states living side by side but I think this would only work if the Palestinian state disarmed and allowed Israel to secure the borders in the interest of both states while allowing Palestinians to govern and police a contiguous Palestinian state under Palestinian law and under what I would hope would be a modern and tolerant Palestinian constitution.