Friends, I don't know about you, but, like Stalin in 1930, I'm feeling "dizzy with success"! Granted, Stalin was delusional, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. Well, 70% sure, anyway. 70% is good!
What has me so enthusiastic? Well, for one thing, Ukraine has accepted the concept of a 30-day truce with Russia. A truce would be a great start, I feel. It will be interesting to see how the Russkies respond.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2x5l8nv3mo
Today, the U.S. and Canada turned down the temperature in their incipient trade war. That's positive. Escalation serves no meaningful purpose, because the dispute itself is largely irrational. Unfortunately, at this stage bashing Trump is a major part of Canadian politics, so we probably haven't seen the last of this nonsense.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2y811g1dgo
What's more, Trump and Musk are delivering on their promise of scaling down the federal government, and it looks like the Department of Education might be a goner. Hooray!
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62zl638m71o
In yet more good news, Rosie O'Donnell has "self-deported" and is now residing in Ireland. Outstanding! Why won't more lefties follow through on their threats/promises to flee MAGA-land?
The House, meanwhile, has passed a funding measure that will keep the government flush with cash and open for business, well into this year. It essentially freezes current spending levels, which, in my view, is way too much spending! But assuming Trump can "impound" any excessive appropriations, that shouldn't be a huge problem.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/03/11/house-passes-cr-huge-step-forward-trump-agenda/
There's one lone piece of bad news today, and that's the fact that Romania's "Central Electoral Bureau" has disqualified the "far-right" candidate who won in the first round of voting. Could this signal further backsliding in Europe when it comes to genuine free speech and political pluralism? This bears watching!
https://unherd.com/newsroom/liberals-should-be-outraged-by-calin-georgescus-election-ban/
Dr. Waddy from Jack: A 30 day ceasefire would be a blessing especially for Ukraine. But I'm sure the Russians mean it when they say that their concern must be addressed for any lasting accord to be thinkable for them.
ReplyDeleteI maintain ,that single concern is the possibility of Ukraine entering Nato and it must be ruled out to Russia's satisfaction or there will be no peace Nato. The increasing distinctness of that fundamental threat and affront is what caused Russia to invade. They didn't wait for it to be formalized and then be compelled to face Nato head on.
We cannot sympathize with still brutal Russia, which in the 20th century did hellish wrong to Ukraine despite delivering it from the Boche. But for the good of all, we must painfully empathize with Russia's I think unwavering insistence upon a credible guarantee that Ukraine in Nato is an impossibility. They have suffered much too and it is fantasy to think they will settle for anything less. If they get it, I would think they will be accomodating in their way.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Ahh, good old Stalinist socialist realism art above. "Jubilant workers and peasants labor to build socialism in one country", naturally looking well fed and healthy.How redeeming to behold. Could be Ukrainians shown there, that is before their "breadbasket of Europe" experienced its inadvertently caused "food shortage" in the '30s courtesy of the reigning"Little Father of the Russians". Let us all thus inspired join in the "Internationale" as we carry out "revolution" in oppressive america, yes, comrades on the far left! Now where did I put my sickle?
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: Ehh, but Rosie does allow as how she would grace America with her return should it become worthy of her. But why? She'll soon find imperfection in Ireland requiring her passionate excoriation!. Back in college I knew an America hating guy who went on an exchange program to Ireland and summarily crept back unaccomplished. Why it had proven as imperfect as the detested U.S.! He was shattered.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile goodbye Rosie , we're glad to see you go.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Ok, since it was established by act of Congress the Federal Education must of right be disestablished by act of Congress. But since it is part of the Executive branch, the bossman of that branch can exercise, well, Executive discretion yes? And as is surely true, when a dep't. expands beyond the size and scope of that specified in the statute creating it, as that department surely has done , the Executive branch has the authority to, Ehh, "modify it.
ReplyDeleteThe dems in Congress are reflexively intolerant of any reduction of their presumptuous far leftist intent as faithfully carried out by their myriad unelected comradely factotums in the Federal bureaucracy and will use every legislative tactic to fight it. They will never vote to abolish it.
Ok, then let the Administration take the initiative and eviscerate the Education Dept. by reducing it to a miniscule caretaker staff incapable of managing America hating programs under the heretofore far left"expanded" aegis of the dep't. Then let infuriated radicals take their chances with a lawful Scotus and/or a GOP Congress. Filibuster don't count in such a situation, heh, heh, so good luck America haters!
Dr. Waddy from Jack: If made necessary by far left Dem shills in Congress, let the Education Dep't persist only in a nominal sense, as a withered husk. Such disingenuousness should be familiar to Dems who bristle at the elimination of 200 year old Social Security recipients.
ReplyDeleteThere is more than one way to skin a . . . .! And you "business as usual" Dem cynics are dealing now with a consummate player and one in whom you have fostered an implacable determination to disempower you, who with your amoral vicious attacks , sought to ruin him. Ya thought ya had 'im on the ropes didn't ya? Remember Ali's "rope a dope" tactic? DJT came off the ropes and he PUT YOU DOWN!
Dr. Waddy from Jack: English democracy was many centuries evolving.We benefitted from that productive process (thank God it was that tradition rather than that of France or Spain) but we still had much to learn and it took even a Civil War to get us back on track.
ReplyDeleteBut Romania lacks such history and democratic culture. They have yet to know whether democracy is a counterintuitive imposition on tradition or a doctrine which can become an essential element of their polity.
We should not be very much discouraged should democracy falter there . It would be regrettable but perhaps not very consequential. How do we know what credibility Putin might assume in Romanian affairs? He has a far more powerful authoritarian ally in China.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: On the 13th I opined here about Buttigieg's possible Presidential intentions and thought it might depend on the success of his presumptuous run for Gov. of Michigan. Today I saw commentary to the effect that he has dropped that idea but may seek a Senate seat from Michigan in an equally carpetbaggish manner. I am breathless with anticipation of his every monumental move.
ReplyDeleteI could not follow the complete trail as it was described last night on Fox but apparently Soros has helped to finance those callow youths lugubriously demonstrating for the redemption and continued sojourne in the U.S. of that Syrian America hater. What irony! Soros came here from without, brought his incomprehensible high regard for marxists with him and has backed it up with much moolah! He appears to have forgiven Marxists for raping his native Hungary in 1956. I mean, he's old enough to remember it! So why does he support their ignorant young acolytes here in America? Incurable nostalgia? I wonder if he is welcome in Hungary today?
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Reportedly Columbia "U"has actually expelled some virulent Jew haters. That's a start. . . . I don't doubt though that those so treated manifested aggravating factors such as 1.0 cumulative averages. And Columbia asserted that they will, NONETHELESS continue their cherished tradition of academic freedom and free expression.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sure! DJT hit 'em where it scalds by denying them their casually assumed Federal taxpayer gift of some $400,000,000! They'll make a hesitant and euphemistic feint at addressing comprehensive America hating far left bias on their once exalted campus but they will no doubt need more, ehh, prodding, yes? Alumni, prosperous parents of prospective students and even the general public which the Ivy League so disdains, may all assert their disapproval of Columbia's descent into incipient totalitarian radical disgrace and its undeniable regression into the neo Marxist swamp.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Its always informative to see the far left turn on its own. Its yet another affirmation that they are of a kind with their now mostly departed ideological comrades who actually possessed the unchallengeable physical power to thoroughly "disempower" any who doubted them.
ReplyDeleteWhy, Charles Schumer once stood on the steps of the Supreme Court building and threatened individual Justices by name. He has been a soldier for the incipiently totalitarian dem party. But he has dared to waver in the face of a brilliant GOP effort to paint him into a corner on an imminent gov't "shutdown". The dread judgement of apostasy is now leveled upon him by frantic dems! In far leftist conquered countries that had deadly consequences.
The dems are having the devil's own days; they can't get out of their own slue footed way and to quote an eloquently profane friend of mine they are "falling through their own keisters"! Keep devouring your own, you bumbling dems, just like the traditionally vicious marxists you are. Be good little factotums of Maxine Waters and AOC and the memory of Lenin.
Jack, ruling out Ukrainian NATO membership may be the easy part. For Russia, any Western European military presence in Ukraine must also be a "red line". After all, if British or French or German troops deploy to Ukraine, then that commits them to the country's long-term security no less than any formal treaty would. In fact, those troops could even pose an offensive threat to Russia. No, I think Russia will insist on no meaningful foreign contingents whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteJack, the main reason so many foreigners flee to Ireland is LOW TAXES. Rosie might never admit it, but this might have been part of her calculus too.
Jack, you would think that the president would have wide authority to (in effect) kneecap any department he wishes. He can order it to chase its own tail, after all. You would think that, but I know several hundred federal judges who seem to disagree.
Jack, I find events in Romania very troubling, not because Romania is important in itself, but because it is almost certainly a proving ground for anti-democratic tactics that will be employed in much more consequential nations in due course.
Poor Chuck Schumer. If the Dems keep abusing him, perhaps he would consider switching caucuses? It sounds like a stretch, I know, but we should never underestimate the Left's powers of repulsion!