The Latest Episode of, Leave it to Donald

 President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success resulting in a ceasefire agreement and the end of the 12-day war in Iran.

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, speaking about the American attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Really, Pete? The most complex and secretive military operation in all of history? You would think the guy who runs the Department of Defense knows the history of military operations a little bit better than that. The first instance of something a little more complex and secretive which comes to mind is what was known as Operation Overlord during WWII. It was the code name given the allied invasion of France in 1944. It involved troops from the United States, the UK, Canada, along with Free French units and the French resistance behind enemy lines. There was two years of planning and multiple veils of misdirection in order to keep the locations and date of the landings secret. By all accounts it was also a resounding success. 

More recently the Seal Team 6 hit on Osama bin Laden took a lot of planning and secrecy. Then if you want to go back into history once again and consider military operations not conducted by the United States there was that December Sunday on Oahu when the Japanese navy showed up unannounced. 

Well, what do you expect from an administration which has its very foundations in overblown hyperbole. (How many people attended Trump's first inauguration? According to his press secretary at the time, all of them. How many days would it take President Trump to end the war in Ukraine? Just how many cats and dogs were eaten by Haitians in Springfield, OH?)  

The moment Donald Trump walked in front of the cameras in the White House to tell the world all of Iran's nuclear capabilities had been forever, "obliterated," everyone with a brain knew it was absolute bull shit. In fact, the only surprising thing so far is he hasn't shown up on an infomercial saying, "That's right my fellow Americans, obliterated. Coming soon a limited number of miniature gold-plated B-2 stealth bombers with my portrait on the wings. They will be available for true patriots to purchase for a mere $999.99, plus shipping and tax. Make all checks payable to the Trump Organization."

One analyst pointed out the most dangerous thing about Donald Trump. He said, in effect, Donald Trump just doesn't lie. He makes stuff up that he wants to be true, then expects his people to go out and make it true. He considers his administration a TV show and every week the latest episode of, "Leave it to Donald," has to end all neat and tidy. He doesn't get that the real world isn't a television series.

He also gets really pissed off when someone points out that what he wants to be true might not be. The other day he was telling anyone who would listen he not only ended the war by obliterating Iranian nuclear sites, but America didn't even need to sign any sort of deal which would restrict Iran's future development of atomic weapons. Why? Thanks to our strikes they are incapable of it. Then CNN's Natasha Bertrand reported a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment indicated Iran's nuclear development hadn't been, "obliterated," but had been delayed for only a few months at best. Her story was later verified by the New York Times and--you gotta love it--Fox News. 

When Bertrand's report hit the President of the United States immediately went what is commonly referred to as, ape shit. In his words, Natasha Bertrand should be, "Thrown out like a dog." One presumes he meant her job, because he didn't really specify where she should be thrown out of. His press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt spent two minutes of a press briefing condemning Bertrand. According to Leavitt, "This reporter who has been unfortunately used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives." She also told the White House press corps that, "She should be ashamed of herself and that's not what reporting is." 

Actually, it turned out exactly what reporting is. Pete Hegseth admitted the assessment did exist, but claimed it was just one of several preliminary estimates of the attack's success. He told the press the damage was severe, which no one seemed to notice is a long way from obliteration. He seemed exasperated when he finally explained to the media the preliminary report of damage was incomplete and added that no one could know the full extent of the destruction unless they dug 300 feet down into the mountain which housed the facility in question. 

Good point, Mr. Secretary. So exactly how did Donald Trump know if the place was fucking obliterated while the bombers were still on their way home? Did he dig 300 feet down? Or, did he, "just make stuff up," and call it the truth?

It doesn't take much to figure that out.

No, the real world isn't a television show. Ending his war isn't up to the script writer in Trump's head. All those trucks moving in and out of that mountain facility in Iran during the days before the air strike proved that. Not to mention Iran's blood lust to destroy Israel and Benjiman Netanyahu's determination to preserve his homeland and job. Israel and Iran may have stopped heaving bombs and missiles at each other for the moment, but one air raid with what we now understand are questionable results, didn't end it. The two nations are, simply, as Donald Trump once urged the Proud Boyts, standing down and standing by.  

Tomorrow is the 106th anniversary of the singing of the Treaty of Versailles which was supposed to be the official ending of WWI. Legend has it that after French General Ferdinand Foch read the document he commented, "This is not a peace. This an armistice for 20 years." It turned out he was right.

Unfortunately for us and Donald Trump's fantasies, we all know things happen at a much quicker pace than they did a century plus ago. We'll be lucky if this, "armistice," lasts 20 days, no matter how many reporters are thrown out like dogs. 

sic vita est

6-27-25

A Long Afternoon, Then a Big Night in Oklahoma City

 It was a long afternoon in Oklahoma City. Even though the tipoff for the NBA finals game seven was set for 7pm, but one local TV station begam its pregame coverage at 1PM. By 2PM, a full five hours before game time, the coverage showed Oklahoma City Thunder fans beginning to line up outside downtown bars and eateries. Obviously, the pros (And not the ones playing the game later) and many talented amateurs had arrived on the scene. 

Their presence in such numbers that early caused some of us to begin speculating. I was asked what I thought would happen if the Thunder won the game. "Burning cars?" I didn't think so. Arson is the result of an overload of pent up frustration. This town and the fans are new to this sort of situation. The team had arrived from Seattle in 2008. 17 years of not winning a championship is a drop in the bucket to places like New York and Detroit. Hell, even the storied Chicago Bulls haven't won a NBA championship for 27 years and at one point it was routine for them. 

I believed if anyone was going to engage in random acts of old-fashioned rioting it would be the Pacer fans. They are an edgy lot, prone to conspiracy theories and their team moved to the NBA from the old ABA in 1976 and they've never won a title.  I was asked if I thought dipsomaniacs would be climbing street light poles. I said it was a distinct possibility. Then finally, "How about people jumping in the Bricktown Canal?" There was no doubt in mind there would be. In my younger years I would have been the first one to take the plunge. 

The crowd began pouring into the Paycom Center as soon as the doors opened two hours before tipoff. Possibly to escape the heat and increasingly out of control drunks who were partying as if there was no tomorrow. Another reason may have been the team was offering half price concessions up to an hour before game time, an offer no one in this burg will turn down. 

The place went mad with noise as the two teams went back and forth. At the end of one quarter the Thunder held a three point lead, but in a NBA game a lead like that isn't safe with anything more than 0.01 seconds left in the game. In the second the Pacers roared back and with just a few precious seconds before half took a one point lead. They had won the battle of the second quarter, but in one excruciating moment might have lost the war.

Indiana's magnificent magician, Tyrese Haliburton went down with a leg injury and stayed down. Haliburton had been favoring the leg the entire series and in truth should have probably sat this one out entirely. As one analyst said though, "In a game seven if you can walk, you play." Tragically it was found he had torn his right Achilles tendon--an injury so devastating, he might be gone all of next year.

In the third quarter OKC hammered the Pacers and the defense, no longer having to worry about Haliburton began to clamp down. A little under half way through the fourth period the lead built to as many as 22. The entire city was building to a crescendo of lunacy. Champaign was being ordered by good ol' boys who wouldn't know Cristal from Ripple with seltzer. 

But.

Proving it's never easy, especially against a great team, no matter if they are short handed, or not the lead began to shrink. When it dwindled to seven with plenty of time left--the fucking time clock seemed frozen at five minutes left to play for hours--desperation, no, flat out panic began to set in. Faces became swollen, eyes bulged, cardiac arrest became a real concern for some. Everyone remembered the nightmare last minute of game one when the Pacers ate into what seemed an insurmountable lead and stole one in Oklahoma City. 

The kids in sky blue responded though. The defense, which had taken a three or four minute coffee break, once again closed the door. As the clock finally wound down and the lead moved back to 12, the noise in the building became a physical force. TV cameras seemed to tremble from it. The deal was done. Hardly anyone left until after the awards ceremony. As the trophy was presented the crowd morphed into an 18,000 plus ecstatic choir singing, "We Are the Champions."

Outside jubilation rolled through the streets. No cars were torched, but there was one shooting in the park next to the arena. (Moving one local TV wag to say, "There is always someone out there trying to ruin the fun for everybody.") A person was wounded and there was a brief stampede of panicked revelers. A suspect was nabbed immediately and things quickly returned to a peaceful, if raucous normal. Just east in the Bricktown entertainment district a number of people did launch themselves into the canal.--an artificial large ditch lined with concrete and filled with about three feet of dyed water which is a tad questionable when it comes to purity. 

You probably had to grow up in this town to understand the magnitude of a NBA title on the citizens. When my family moved us to Oklahoma City in 1959 it didn't have any sort of professional sports franchise. It was a wind blown dusty burg of a little over 325,000 souls. The biggest sports venue in Oklahoma City was a WPA project seating about 10,000 called Taft Stadium. It hosted local high school football games and the occasional mini stock car race on the dirt track surrounding the field. The closest thing to big time sports was down in Norman where the University of Oklahoma played football at a rarely sold out 62,000 seat stadium. It was a town which hung its hat solely on the fact it was and is the state capitol. The place was so obscure many outsiders thought the capitol of Oklahoma was the better known town of Tulsa.

Even after sports teams arrived Oklahoma City dwelled strictly in the minor leagues. A brief flirtation with the National Hockey League died quickly when it was discovered the NHL brass was just using Oklahoma City to extort more money and better facilities out of bigger prospective markets. The fact is for decades Oklahoma City remained nothing more than an overgrown outback village where there was nothing to do.  

Thanks to some movers and shakers, but primarily the Thunder it's not that way any more. In this, the year of our Lord, 2025 we have something places like New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles doesn't We have--the NBA championship. 

Or, as the crowd sung last night, for the moment anyway, "We are the champions of the world."

6-23-25

Conspiracies, Bus Stop Busts, Pole Erection Gibberish, and the kids in Sky Blue

 Where to begin? Even in an age of madness this week has been an exceptional one. For example, it is the current rage among MAGA circles to claim accused Minnesota assassin, Vance Boelter of being not a right wing savant, but rather another ultra violent Marxist son of a bitch. This all started when the New York Post published a story Boelter had been a political appointee of democratic Governor, Tim Walz, Not only that, but according to the Post report, police found fliers in Boelter's car promoting the, "No Kings Day," protests held nationwide over the weekend.

MAGA Utah Senator Mike Lee immediately picked up on the item, then went on social media to post a security photo of Boelter standing outside one of the victim's homes prepared to wreck carnage. Lee posted the caption, "This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way." He later posted a second message with the same photo side by side Walz which read, 'Nightmare on Walz Street." 

What Lee didn't mention was Boelter's, "appointment," was to an obscure, unpaid, advisory board that, as near as anyone can tell, never met as a complete body and rarely, if ever, made any policy recommendations to the Governor. In addition, it obviously never dawned on Lee that Boelter might have had those fliers so he would know when and where to show up and open fire. It doesn't make any difference that Lee finally deleted the posts (Only after given a version of the, "Sir, have you no decency," speech on the Senate floor.) The word is out. Among the MAGA faithful the evangelical, Trump supporting maniac who was carrying a hit list of progressive leaders and organizations, is a liberal mole. As Elon Musk later wrote, "The left is murderously violent."

Meanwhile, out in Pasadena, CA Ice agents--at least people think they were ICE agents, they were wearing police tactical gear, but no insignia and arrived in unmarked vehicles--descended on a street side bus stop, then hauled off six persons waiting to catch a ride. As far as witnesses could tell, no ID, or warrants were shown as the group was cuffed and whisked away. One bystander filming the, let's say, abduction watched in horror when an, "officer," jumped out of one of the cars and aimed his weapon at him, or her. In certain countries victims of such gruesome scenes are known as, "the disappeared." The local ICE office refused to comment on the incident.  

Back in Pennsylvania an enterprising individual decided to take advantage of ICE's dubious tactics. He walked into a place of business in tactical gear, claimed he was from the agency, then restrained the Dominican born clerk who is here legally. He didn't disappear her though, he simply robbed the place and quickly made a clean getaway.

Finally we have the Israeli-Iranian war which roars to life every night. The main topic of discussion, as it is in the the United States is the possible intervention of American armed forces in the conflict. The issue has divided the MAGA base. The divide was never more obvious than on a pod cast last night featuring Tucker Carlson and Texas republican Senator Ted Cruz. Carlson, representing the isolationist wing of the base and Cruz standing for the interventionist side of things ended up angrily shouting at each other about who was more ignorant about the country of Iran and the definitions of, "we," and "us." It quickly became an absurdist, full volume, version of, "My Dinner with Andre." 

The Mango Mussolini, the master of disaster, the agent of chaos Donald Trump himself didn't clear things up a bit. At a flagpole erection ceremony on the White House lawn (causing Jordan Klepper to     quip Trump had learned he was lacking in polls) he answered a question about his intent in the conflict by saying, "You don't know what I'm going to do. You don't know. I may do it. may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do." Translation: Trump doesn't have a clue what he is going to do. He won't until someone he trusts tells him what will be best for him in the TV ratings and the FOX approval department. Hey, if we know anything about the guy, it is he doesn't give a shit about how many people die or suffer. He won't make a decision until he knows exactly what is in it for him.

Right now, however on the southern plains in Oklahoma City none of the recent lunacy makes a flying fuck. On this night in Oklahoma City and other parts of the state all anyone cares about is OKC's NBA happy band of young guns are 48 minutes away from winning the league championship. Tension has mounted all day. Drunks are already in the streets and the bars are packed. This burg is about to explode with joy and unrestrained celebration. 

Of course, those sharp shooting thugs from Indiana might have something to say about iit. Their backs are to the wall and they've proven there is no quit to them. The game is in Indianapolis and to win it all the Thunder will have to beat them for the third straight time. It is a tough nut to crack and the odds are the series will return to OKC for a game seven. At the moment though, hope abounds. 

So, despite crass political conspiracies, authoritarian police actions, and complete gibberish from the leader of the free world we remain optimistic. Not to mention anxiously, yea desperately, in need of a win tonight by the kids in sky blue. 

Hunker down and Thunder up.

6-19-25

Vance Boelter Becomes Another American Accomplishment

 He wasn't a hateful person. But he needed help.

David Carlson, longtime friend of Vance L. Boelter accused Minnesota political assassin. 

You think, Dave? Yes, it appears America has produced yet another deadly lunatic who for years was able to hide in plain sight before exploding into unrestrained and unexplainable violence. We've become quite accomplished at it.

According to reports Vance Luther Boelter was ardent evangelical Christian who had traveled to Africa on occasion, primarily the Democratic Republic of Congo to preach The Word of Christ to the locals. During these, "sermons," he talked about the evils of homosexuality and the agenda of the LBGTQ community. CNN quoted him once as telling the congregation, "There is people, especially in America, they don't know what sex they are, they don't know their sexual orientation, they are confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and soul." 

While definitely not pro gay, those words aren't exactly over the top anti gay either. Neither were any of his social media posts. While he was firmly a Trump man, his social media presence hardly was that of a fire breathing, MAGA type. His only apparent foray into politics was being named to a Governor's advisory board offering policy recommendations on small business legislation. Another member of the board was state representative, Melissa Hortman. Early Saturday morning Boelter murdered her and her husband at their home. It's unclear whether they even knew each other while serving on the panel.

Actually when it came to Boelter's small business things took a murky turn. He owned a "security," outfit called, Praetorian Guard Security Services. No one seems sure how many employees Praetorian Guard employed besides Vance Boelter and a woman listed as CEO who is presumed to be his wife. In photos, however he certainly looks the part, geared up in law enforcement blue with protective vest and dark visored riot helmet.

Boelter's pal, David Carlson told CNN, the "Director of Patrols,: for Praetorian Guard Security Services was drifting from one job to the other, at one point even taking a spot at a funeral home. It seemed all those evangelical missions to Africa were taking their financial toll. Not only was Boelter paying for them, but he was quitting jobs one after the other to make them. After the last one he found his prospects dim at the very best. CNN quoted Carlson as saying, "He was looking around, but maybe things just didn't work out and he just gave up and decided to go out in a blaze of glory."

Glory in this instance being defined as showing up at Representative Hortman's door in the middle of the night then shooting her and her husband multiple times, killing them both. Boelter then drove over to state Senator, John Hoffman's home. Hoffman and his wife were shot a total of 17 times, but somehow both survived. Local police were either called to the scene, or stumbled across it while on patrol and Boelter fled the scene on foot. Cops found a small arsenal of weapons in his vehicle (Hey, it's America and no matter how broke you are you can always get your hands on guns.) They also found a list of what is reported to be over 70 politicians, pro-choice activists, organizations, and medical clinics. It would seem Vance Boelter's hit list was a long one. How glorious it was remains up for debate. 

Minnesota state police caught up to Vance Boelter last night. He was hiding in a field of tall grass in Green Isle, MN about 50 miles west, southwest of Minneapolis. He was armed but gave up without a fight. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance this afternoon. 

The left is screaming about political violence incited by right wing rhetoric. MAGA Utah Senator, Mike Lee has been on social media with a snide post about Marxists, a favorite MAGA term used to denigrate democrats. 

Obviously it's hard to ignore the political connection. All the names, organizations, and places on the list were and are progressive in nature, spread out over several states. People like Mike Lee, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and other fetid souls who occupy the MAGAverse didn't make the roster. 

The truth though is when that unknown microchip out in the brain of Vance Boelter shorted out, politics didn't cause it, politics simply provided him with the names of potential victims. 

In the end, it was perhaps Boelter's buddy, David Carlson who said it in the best and maybe only way possible. As the interview with CNN drew to a close, Carlson said, "I have no idea what he was thinking."

6-16-25

Chaos in LA, Conspiracies on FOX, and Boners in Washington

 It is unknown at this time if the President, Donald J. Trump is walking around with a grin and an erection. However, despite his age, the odds are he is. If he isn't for some reason--perhaps a defective batch of Viagra--we can be assured his aide, the Director of the Department of Xenophobia, Stephen Miller is. 

Why shouldn't they? When they sent large numbers of ICE agents dressed in paramilitary gear into the Paramount and garment districts of Los Angeles they were hoping and praying for an angry and massive response from the Hispanic community. Then they got it. Indeed, crowds in the streets, objects hurled at members of law enforcement agencies, cars set on fire. It was exactly the media event they had planned. The perfect sort of photo op that would reinforce to white Americans everywhere that hordes of blood thirsty foreigners are out to get US.

FOX News was quick to pick up on that point last night when one of their street reporters ominously told the audience, "The crowd is carrying many foreign flags, but there aren't any American flags." There were many other hints at a broad conspiracy. Other reports on FOX were that unidentified, paid "organizers," were handing out baseball bats, gas masks, and frozen bottles of water to use as projectiles. Still others claimed the leaders were equipped with hand held radios and were in constant communications with roof top spotters who were advising them where and how many police they were facing and which streets to push the mob onto.  

Unfortunately, FOX didn't provide us with any photo evidence of the bats, or the roof top observers with radios, but it was assumed they were there, directing traffic and operations. There was one shot of a single guy waving a Mexican flag, but when to comes to the rest we will just have to take their word on it.

All this, "news," led the perpetually outraged, Sean Hannity and others to declare the protests a well organized and financed plot put together by some secret cabal of--well--someone. In other words, unknown persons paid off the crowd then armed them with the express intent of destroying America as we know it. Hannity and his pals demanded the DOJ track down the sources so they could be identified and prosecuted. That's right, all the anger out there couldn't have been provoked because of a raid on one clothing manufacturer which netted 44, or so arrests of mostly women working at sewing machines. Or when agents started arresting a bunch of guys looking for day labor jobs outside of a Home Depot.  

The whole pretense of going after foreign gang members was by then gone, although the rhetoric about murderers, rapists, and drug pushers remained. However, that line becomes a tougher sell when you haul off a bunch of seamstresses. As MSNBC's Lawernce O'Donnell pointed out last night, "Gang members don't sew." (The raid on the garment factory was so egregious one ICE official said his agents were actually there to shut the business down because of a history of tax evasion and the arrests themselves were simply a side effect. He chose not to explain how, or when Immigration and Customs Enforcement became involved with handling matters of tax law.) 

It doesn't matter. Trump and Miller got exactly what they wanted, chaos on the streets in a democratic controlled city. The howls of the mayor and governor just bolster their claim liberals are selling real Americans and the country as a whole down the river--that the, "lunatic left," wants us to be overrun by people who speak a different language and are a different color. 

One thing can be said of Trump and Miller, they know where to start a new age pogrom. The vast MAGA world ranging from Idaho to the deep south considers California a nightmare of liberalism, filled with Hispanics, Asians, and Hollywood elitists, not to mention scads of run amok drag queens. Most react to the name Gavin Newsom the same way they react to say, Hillary Clinton, or Joe Biden, or Nancy Pelosi. The President is dead on, the only way to reign these crazy fuckers in is to deploy the National Guard and Marines. 

Or, as Hannity said last night in a moment of faux compassion, "I pray for the good citizens of Los Angeles who are having to go through this violence." Left unsaid, but understood, was the violence that was tolerated and even encouraged by the city and state's elected leaders.   

This morning Donald Trump justified his order federalizing the California National Guard over Newsom's objections, saying, "If we weren't there that city would be in flames." In fact, Newsom has become such a pain in the ass to him, yesterday he suggested the head of ICE should arrest the Governor. Newsom told him in effect, come and get me. As of this writing the Governor remains at large.

In truth last night we probably learned more about the three major cable news networks than we did about what was happening in downtown LA last night. FOX, as we've seen went all dark conspiracies and civil war apocalypse while MSNBC shrugged things off to the point their Monday night hosts, Rachel Maddow and O'Donnell barely mentioned what was going on. Meanwhile CNN mixed street coverage of the events with a panel discussion between liberals and conservatives which more than a few times degenerated into all out screaming matches. Before it was over it became incomprehensible yet exquisite madness.

No wonder Trump and Stephen Miller are walking around today with boners. They've got the military in the streets and the rest of us right where they want us.

6-10-25

A Big Weekend for the People at CCLC

 For years the business, Corruption, Cruelty, Lies, and Conspiracy--also known as CCLC--was a local enterprise limited to the New York and New Jersey areas. It slowly expanded up and down the east coast and even expanded in a small way to the UK. It went nationwide sometime in 2015 and quickly became all the rage among Americans of all colors and stripes. (We are after all a nation of fads. (Remember the run on CB car radios in the 1970's?) 

Tragically, we are also a nation of hysterics who are driven into extended spasms of alarm, fear, and borderline panic. Think back to the rumors about the catastrophic melt down that New Years Day, 2000 was supposed to trigger tech disaster, or the whole , end of the Mayan calendar thing. Given these uniquely American, let's say, quirks it really isn't surprising the folks at CCLC have been able to run amok like they have been.

This weekend we saw a few prime examples. A few days ago, Iowa republican Senator, Joni Ernst held a town hall meeting in her state. During the get together she tried to explain to her mostly rural constituents--the people she is supposed to represent--why she is in favor of cutting hundreds of millions of dollars of medical assistance which a lot of them depend on. Ernst decided to lie. She claimed none of them would have their Medicaid and Medicare funding cut. The cuts, she said, were only being made to weed out the fraud committed by millions of illegal immigrants who were unlawfully collecting taxpayer funded medical benefits.

Few in the audience were buying it. She was met with boos and angry voices. In anguished frustration a 33 year old Iowa woman, India May shouted, "People will die." Ernst's instant response was, "People will not." Instantly realizing that bit prima facie bull shit wasn't going to fly either, she quickly added, "Well, we are all going to die. For heaven's sake folks." While it is not clear what the Senator expected after making the statement it obviously wasn't the one she got. 

After it was all over with, Ernst took to social media to tell the voters of Iowa, at least the ones in the Town Hall what that she really thought of them. In part it read, "And I made the incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood we are all going to perish from this earth. So, I apologize and I'm really, really glad that I didn't have to bring up the subject of the Tooth Fairy as well..." She ended the sentence by saying eternal life can only be achieved by embracing her, "Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." 

That's the style, Joni. Cut off their medical care while promising them eternal salvation if they believe exactly the way you do.

Speaking of illegal immigrants. The Milford, MA high school Scarlet Hawks boys' volleyball team is currently short a member. Marcelo Gomes da Silva and a few of his teammates were on their way to practice Saturday morning. Marcel is an 18 year old senior to be who, besides being on the volleyball team plays in the school band. His grades are reportedly good to excellent, and he doesn't have a criminal record of any kind. His family moved him to Milford when he was six years old. At the time his father was on a student visa which has since lapsed. 

We all know where this is going, right?

You got it. Marcelo Gomes da Silva was pulled over and arrested by ICE agents on his way to a school sponsored and supervised activity. He is currently being held at an ICE facility in Burlington, MA. When the news hit the school's volleyball coach, administrators, students, townspeople, the mayor, and the Governor of the Commonwealth were outraged. Acting ICE Field Directing Field Director, Patricia Hyde responded by saying, "When we go into the community and find others who are unlawfully here we are going to arrest them. We've been completely transparent with that. (Except for agents wearing ski masks of course.)  He is 18 years old and he's unlawfully in this country."

The agents claim they were actually after the kid's father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira. It turned out Marcelo was driving his old man's car simply by chance, so instead of the agents looking elsewhere, he instantly became one of the, "others" Hyde was talking about. Hyde attempted to make a big deal about the father not turning himself in after the arrest, but who can blame him? There is no evidence that if he does ICE will release his son, they'll just have another head to count.

And lately that's what counts. Last week Stephen Miller along with Kristi Noem told ICE and other agencies in no uncertain terms that when the Boss said he was going after the gangs, the worst of the worst he really meant he wanted to deport every immigrant in the country, except possibly the white ones. Miller let those département head know, if they didn't meet the 3,000 arrests per day quota they would find themselves unemployed.

Finally, over the weekend the founder and CEO of CCLC, Donald Trump, reposted this on social media: There is no #Joe Biden--executed in 2020--#Biden clones, doubles & robotic engineered soulless mindless entities are what you see. >#Democrats don't know the difference. #Steel #ussteel #MAGA #MAHA...

It's unclear if the White House has officially commented on the post. Most of MAGA, but certainly not all consider it just another example of Trump's droll sense of humor, although MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell considers it another overt sign the guy is bat shit crazy. While that probably isn't the case here--other signs abound--it can be argued the President of the United States, no matter what time of day, should probably be thinking about things other than poking jokes at a dying old man who served as his predecessor. 

But hey, humor is in the eye of the beholder. 

Yes, CCLC had a hell of a few days. And just think, I didn't even touch on Elon Musk's drug addled last appearance in the Oval Office.

sic vita est

6-4-25

Miller, Noem, and the New Quota

 According to Wikipedia Wolf-Lieb Glotzer and his wife, Bessie arrived in the United States in 1906. They had fled what is now Belarus because during those early years of the 20th century things in the old Russian Empire and Eastern Europe in general were not going well for Jews. When they arrived neither of them could speak English. Back in those days, however, immigration rules were few and simple. Basically, the main one was, if you could get yourself here, you were in. The only restriction was, as it is today, even after you become a naturalized citizen, no matter how successful you were, you could never run for President of the country, although your kids who were born here could and presumably still can.

Wolf-Lieb and Bessie caught a break One of their direct descendants, Stephen Miller has made it his life's work to make sure that people who desperately want and need to get here can't--and to throw out the ones who have made it. Especially the ones who can't speak English, or do wear caps and hoodies, or--and this is really important--have tattoos.

Miller's official title Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy. Wikipedia says he became a conservative during his high school years after reading a book written by former National Rifle Association CEO, Wayne LaPierre. (LaPierre would later be thrown out of the NRA after it was found he had nearly emptied their treasury to buy himself things like a yacht.) Apparently, another big influence on the young Stephen Miller was the book, "The Way Things Ought to Be" written by the Godfather of all right wing media, Rush Limbaugh. 

Conservative guru, David Horowitz was also an influence. Especially after he published an essay written by a teenaged Miller on his web site. It was titled, "How I Changed My Left Wing School." Proving he didn't think much of rules and traditions the young Miller invited Horowitz to speak at his high school, then again at Duke University when he was a student there. In both cases he did so without telling the people who actually ran the schools, and sanctioned guest lecturers.   

Last week Miller and Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem showed up at the headquarters of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency to give them some news. Neither was happy with the number of people being pulled off the streets and out of homes by ICE agents. Miller and Noem told them they had a new quota to fill or there would be hell to pay. From now on, they, said, there should be a minimum of 3,000 arrests made per day. 

That's right. Per day, seven days a week. That's more than triple the previous rate. Apparently Noem and Miller don't care where they find them. Home, work, school, the street, hell, maybe even church. Just arrest them all and stick them, well, somewhere. Don't worry about due process. The boss is working on that right now. To paraphrase the movie line, "We don't need no stinking due process."  

Recently courthouses have been productive locations to make the grab. Migrants who are desperate not to run afoul of the immigration system--unlike those savage gangbangers who are terrorizing the locals--are suckered into courthouses under false pretenses then scooped up by ICE agents. If any judge, like the one in Wisconsin, tries to interfere arrest them too. After all, in America, democracy isn't for everybody. Hey, not even the guy who wrote the words, "All men are created equal," actually believed it.  

None of this should be surprising to any of us. Noem has posed for photos in front of prisoners at an El Salvadoran prison. In ICE body armor, and on horseback at the southern border. She has become so enamored with her own images one Congressman told her all she did was, "fly around the country playing dress up." Miller was the architect of the infamous family separation policy during the first Trump term. It is rumored he was the author of the original letter to Harvard University which demanded the administration have effective control over the school's hiring, and disciplinary policies, plus have a say in the curriculum. He went on record during the first term saying, "The President's will, will not be denied." 

Right now, according to Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem the President's will is to arrest over a million people a year and deport them to places unknown. (Obviously no one gives a shit if it is their country of origin, or not,) And no one with even half a brain believes all those people are here to commit murder and rape. What a lot of us do know, however, if Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller somehow achieve their goal there are a lot things we take for granted right now that won't be around anymore.

Indeed. America get ready to say hello to that $15 Egg McMuffin.

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