The (Daily) Vent 2

(Tacit Admissions. . .) Over the course of the last couple of days, the Supreme Court has rendered several what are being called "landmark" rulings, gone is the current interpretation of Affirmative Action. What was also affirmed was the ability to exercise free speech and religious liberty, all done with 6-3 conservative based majorities. And, the Biden policy of student loan forgiveness has also been ruled un-Constitutional. The ruling on Affirmative Action is the most telling and was briefly discussed yesterday. The High Court declared that race can no longer be one of the primary factors in collage admission requirements, Going foreword, anyone applying to school will be judged on merit alone. That naturally dispels the myth that African-Americans have needed such assistance along because there has been systemic racism. So, if one fails acceptance, and complains it was due to race, the Supreme Court says that is no longer a viable explanation. Truth be told, affirmative a

(Fallacy. . .) First, a word on the Supreme Court decision that finally ended racial preferences in college admissions. In a word, the Court has ended Affirmative Action. This decision, the Dobbs case of some months ago, so this decision, authored by Chief Justice Roberts himself, led a 6-3 conservative majority that strikes down the practice racially weighted admission practices that have been in place for decades. The Supreme Court has removed the excuse of racism for academic failure. Going forward, any prospective applicant will need to rely more on merit, the SAT and other admission tests. A high school GPA, extra-curricular activities and so on. Now, this Decision is no accident considering the ideological composition of the Bench. President Donald Trump placed those three conservative Associates that contributed to the Ruling. So, the former President can still haunt the Halls. However, if one thinks Trump will be President again, there is diminishing evidence to support that th

( Feigning Ignorance ?) In entries past, June 28th was used to talk about how, in 1914, the Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo, sparking the First World War. Or, how in 1942, the Germans began the second year in the Soviet Union, the campaign that led to defeat at Stalingrad the following November. It is interesting that those same battlefields are in use today in the Ukraine War. But this June 28th, the terms will be more economic. The White House has been promoting what is being termed "Bidennomics." That is in marked contrast to so-called "Reaganomics' and there are precise reasons why. When he came into Office in 1981, he embarked on a series of economic reforms that included tax cuts, de-regulation, and a re-vitalized Pentagon. Those policies began an economic expansion that had persisted till recently. What President Reagan engaged was supply-side, the combination of cutting taxes, but increasing revenue and "lifting all boats

( Butterflies Get Less A Cocoon) Allow one to begin here. There are many reasons why people are leaving New York City but if the City forces the various pizzerias to adopt expensive new equipment for the ovens, turning what had been a New York-style dollar slice to something more expensive and probably not worth it, the resulting flight will make Snake Pliskin's "Escape from New York" seem like a leisurely excursion. When do people learn. In any event, President Ronald Reagan was called the "Teflon President" because he could not be definitively tied to the so-called Iran- contra scandal. President Biden, however, is facing evidence that he and his family are part of a pay for play deal from several foreign nations. That being said has to say that the President and his son have yet to face consequences and putting Biden back in the basement and away from outside influences. Like a debate. Robert F. Kennedy has declared his candidacy and is polling at 20%. But h

(Partners. . .) Wartime alliances can be crucial and that was never more evident than in World War II, the Atlantic Charter most crucially. Who can deny that President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prine Minister Winston Churchill were effective leaders. The same was also true of the Axis, namely Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. However, whereas Hitler was able to conquer Western Europe, the Italian armed forces were an abject failure. The Italian army was unable to secure Ethiopia. Mussolini did send troops into southern France, after the battle had already been decided. As FDR put it: " the hand that held the dagger plunged into his neighbor's back ."  attempted forays into Greece and North Africa were un-mitigated disasters. The fact is that Nazi Germany was forced to compensate in the Balkans and Africa with forces that would have been better served in other theaters. And, it was after completing the campaign in Africa that the Allies first seized Sicily and then main I

(Keeping Clear) One can begin with the collapse of that Wagner move against Moscow after its commander accepted exile in Belarus. The forces themselves re-deployed back to their Ukrainian bases. There has been some report of dis-content within the Wagner ranks. That is not necessarily unique. In the final drive on Berlin in April-May, 1945, there were two groups of Soviet armies, one to approach the Germin Capitol from the north, the other from the south. Stalin encouraged the two commanders to race each other and as a consequence, thousands of Soviet troops were needlessly sacrificed in the rush to be first. That could have been the sentiment for those Wagner fighters who could have marched to the gates of the Kremlin itself only to be called back ? Not good for morale. It is fortunate that the incursion was ended before Moscow because President Biden and his Administration would have to give its own two cents. That would have been the worse thing anybody could have done. Biden is a r

(News From The Front. . .) In May, 1942, Soviet General Andrei Vlasov was in command of an army among several others in an attempt to lift the siege of Leningrad. Vlasov's formation made progress against the captive city but the other armies failed to support it. Vlasov's army was eventually encircled and was gradually destroyed. Soviet aims at the time in Mau, 1942 were in the South so there was no ability to rescue Vlasov up north. The Soviet general felt embittered at what he saw as the callous dis-regard of the Soviet High Command and Stalin. Therefore, Vlasov defected to the Germans. The Germans saw fit to fit the former Soviet commander of what was termed the Russian Liberation Front (ROA). The ROA came to be filled with anti-Stalin elements and an army was eventually fielded with Vlasov in command. However, the ROA's only engagement with the Red Army happened as the Soviets were approaching Berlin in battles for Czechoslovakia. Vlasov's "army was destroyed a

(Another Rabbit Hole) Some months ago, it was remarked that the leak from the Supreme Court announcing that the abortion case, Roe v Wade , was to be overturned. And it was and GOP led states promptly issued various levels in banning the practice. The leak and the subsequent ruling were crafted before the 2022 Mid-Term and had the desired effect that Democrat turn-out exceeded expectations and limited Republican gains to just a small Majority in the House. At the time, it was remarked that the GOP got played. The pattern is repeating itself. House Republicans are drafting Impeachment Articles against President Biden. Of all the things that need to be addressed, another impeachment would not be one of them. It will be seen as an act of political vengeance and puts the rest of the nation's business on hold. Impeachment has literally been done to death. The Republican quandary is the same as the abortion debate. There are strong indications that Biden, through son Hunter, was an acti

(Looking For A Corner) How many work om jigsaw puzzles ? From a few pieces to a 5000+ work of art, getting started can be the most challenging. The advice is look for a "corner." Identifying that piece could start the process to eventual resolution, That being said, one can tell me where the "corner" to try to make sense of things. What sense does it make for Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) getting censured by the Republican House, for his role in promoting the Trump-Russia Hoax ? His election to Diane Feinstein's seat, when the time comes is all but assured. It had been Schiff that ran point in the Trump impeachments. Next only to Dr. Fauci, the California Democrat is most responsible for why Donald Trump is seeking re-re-election. What sense is it making for two IRS whistle blowers that have been chronicling the relationship with Hunter Biden investigations with new evidence of the involvement with his father ? There is audio evidence where the younger Biden is

(Preparations. . .) Today in 1941, Germany launched Operation BARBAROSSA , the invasion of the Soviet Union. It was the largest land campaign in history with almost four million men, over three thousand tanks, hundreds of airplanes and thousands of artillery. In Hitler's words, "when BARBAROSSA, opens, the world will hold its breath." And that perhaps was initially true. Then the world exhaled. BARBAROSSA was halted at the gats of Moscow when stiffening Soviet resistance and the worst winter in many years halted the Ostheer (Eastern Army) in its tracks. There were renewed German offensives in 1942 and 1943 but those resulted in the disasters at Stalingrad and at Kursk. The Battle of Berlin was only a matter of time. Whole libraries have been committed to BARBAROSSA and its failures. Now there is insufficient space here to match a library, but one can make certain conclusions as the operation failed in the end. Hitler was distracted in May when he had to take a rebelli

(Made Glorious Summer ?) By this son of York ? Or that son of  Biden ? The so-called plea deal between Hunter Biden that will keep junior out or prison, though lesser men would have been sentenced to terms. But because Hunter is his father's son, and probably the bread winner of the "family" and with the investigation a five years duration, the result, paltry as it is, was only the only possible outcome. Like the reception to Special Counsel John Durham. He was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee and conformed what was already known. That Hillary Clinton paid for as fake dossier and using FBI allies to do it. Then former Director Comey used his termination to initiate the Muller investigation. There was no legal justification for the FISA warrants against Trump in the first place as everything had been fruit form a poisonous tree, so to speak. As for Trump's exoneration ? All would seem to be taking place in the wake of the Chinese getting a foot-hold in t

( Crime & Punishment) While the Academy Awards season is months away, it be useful to see how "Oscar" identifies these days ?   A lot of people remember the Stanley Kramer classic, Inherent the Wind . This had been a dramatization of the Scopes' Monkey Trial where the teaching of evolution against the fundamentalist interpretation of the Holy Bible. It was Spencer Tracy  arguing in defense of a high school teacher who in giving instruction in evolution was against the law. The prosecutor was the similarly famous Fredrich March. In the end, the teacher was found guilty but was only fined a hundred dollars. That  is what has happened to Hunter Biden. He will be pleading guilty to tax and gun charges and will probably not serve any jail time. Biden Jr. has as much exposure to the bribery scheme as his father but, because he is Hunter Biden, who has been teaching evolution in high school in violation of the law but only being given a small fine. And, as has been mentioned

( Diminish ing The Wealth Of Nations) Some have noted that the anniversary of Adam Smith's birthday was a few days ago. Smith is known authorship of Wealth of Nations , published in March, 1776, just months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence the following July 4th. Smith's work has been recognized as the Bible for free market capitalism, which was appropriate because the soon to be newly constituted United States of America was to have a free market economy. Having such policies are generally the best in promoting economic growth. That being said, modern world wide economies seem less concerned with economic growth and more government involvement. In other words and contrary to Smith's prescription, what is being practiced is socialism. Karl Marx was as much an economist as Adam Smith but it has been his economic prescriptions that have been gaining traction. Socialism depends on the triumph of the collective over the free market that promotes the individ

(Sharing The Sandbox. . .) Happy Fathers' Day ! It has recently been revealed that the true source of the covid pandemic was that Wuhan spill and the Chinese government was less than forthcoming as to the nature of the virus and Beijing's silence did cost lives. But what has always been the argument of these pages was that the potential to remove President Trump was recognized early and the efforts of Dr. Fauci and the assist of a compliant social media and a determined Chinese Communist Party, crafted the narrative that the President was out of his depth and the choice was made for President Biden. For his part, the President is navigating" what the news is bringing. He wants a new tax hike (what else is new ?) His and Hunter's relationship with Burisma and what financial and other ties with which he and his son have exposure. That being said, it is the relationship with China and a new/old one with Iran. Who brings the toys ? One can only hope that this new rapproche

( Remarkable Piece Of Engineering) Who knew that President Biden was one imbued with such technical acumen ?  A man of clear vision, Biden is envisioning a railroad across the Pacific to a terminus in the Indian, a distance of over 8,000 miles. Not even the Moon landings could compete with what will surely be the largest thing to be seen, not only in space but all the way to Mars. One perhaps should have advised the President that both the Pacific and Indian Oceans are exactly that: oceans. With water. Lots of water. On the surface or an eight-thousand-mile tunnel, the concept is an impossibility. However, these would seem to be the days when the President keeps getting confused. In time, Biden will fade as an issue. So will Jon Fetterman who is having difficulty with the Senate dress code, meeting President Biden in a sweatshirt and hoodie. That being said, the worse Biden gets, the more Vice President Harris, If faith in the President is waning, there is none at all for the VEEP. The

(Realms Of Science Fiction) In centuries past, Imperial China once floated a fleet of enormous warships that were comparable in size to the largest vessels currently at sea. These ships were marvels of sea-borne engineering and could sail vast distances and there is even some evidence that these ships perhaps sailed across the Pacific and might have even discovered the west coast of North America, long before any Europeans could approach from the east, However, the Emperor at the time had a nightmare. He ordered those ships burned and ended what could have been China's chance to colonize the world. A new Chinese ship is making the news. As the pandemic has largely been revealed to have been a Wuhan spill, the Biden Administration is still getting played by Beijing with Secretary Blinken going back for some schooling and showing proper respect to Chinese "colleagues." But, let's examine this next piece of Chinese nautical technology. Truth be told, what the Chinese are

(Low Road From China) Radiation can be bad. It can give you cancer among other things. When one had to work around nuclear reactors, like Homer Simpson, certain protections need to be involved. Special suits and dosemeters. An non-protected exposure can result in horrible things for a human body. Look at the worse cases from Chernobyl. Exposure to China has been excessive and there is a movement to "decouple" the world's two largest economies. It is true that the Anglo-Sino relationship has been intertwined over previous decades but in that time the Peoples' Republic has prospered by its rampant theft of intellectual property and everything else for which Beijing has been under trade sanction. Those tariffs was keeping the Chinese in some sort of limits. But that had been an element from the last Administration. President Biden is being less aggressive than President Trump had been. Truth be told, no one has ever understood "Sons of Heaven," today known as t

(Fourth Estate Sale) The bread and butter of the national media in recent years has been Donald Trump. There has been a tag-team partnership between the media and anti-Trump elements within the Justice Department with charges being brought in one jurisdiction or another and the media rushes to cover, hoping that one more nail into the Trump coffin. These are not journalists, however. What is called the national media these days can be labeled as left-wing  activists with their unique anti-Trump pathologies. There is a palpable sense of frustration as Trump is under all this jeopardy but he is not acting as such. After his indictment in Miami, the former President went to a cafe. He then flew back to Bedminster in New Jersey and rendered remarks. That being said, the more desperate elements in the media are floating the possibility that all this Trump persecution could achieve the one result that so much effort is being applied to prevent, Trump's return to the White House. It had b

(Gallows' Humor ?) One can imagine Marie Antionette being marched to the guillotine for her inauspicious end. Nothing to lose a head over. Today, former President Donald Trump will be arraigned at a Federal courthouse in Miami this afternoon. The charges that have been leveled against him are serious and do carry prison time, terminal if the verdict proves to be guilty, on any count then the "orange monster" could begin sporting an orange jump-suit. Per his character, Trump will remain defiant and make a plea of not guilty. But this day of June 13th, 2023 will prove the point for Trump's zenith but the so-called "drip-drip" will begin and as the case progresses, Trump's support will fade over time. And, truth be told, one tires of all this is un-precedented. That at no time in American history as one Administration is seeking legal action against a leading opponent of an opposing Party. But, as has been explained endlessly, Donald Trump was never just an

(Moving On. . .) For Senate Republican Leader, both Majority and Minority, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Donald Trump was never a welcome addition to the GOP. During the 2016 Campaign, McConnell wanted the Republican candidate dropped like a hot rock. In the end, however, Trump won and he and McConnell were able to place new conservative justices on the Supreme Court but after that, Trump had outlived his usefulness and indeed, cost the 2020 Republican Senate the Majority because Trump-backed contenders generally lost. Now that the former President is under federal indictment, the Senate Republican Conference will be remaining quiescent and not be "rallying" in support of Trump and that is in contrast to GOP House members. Despite current poll standings. it is also McConnell's position that Trump cannot ultimately prevail. Iowa, the first Caucus state was mentioned and as far as that contest is away, next February or so, would Iowa Republicans still be willing to vote for Trump

(If One Keeps Her. . .) It had been on this day, June 10th. 1752, that American Founding Father and scientist decided it was a good idea to fly a kite into a severe thunderstorm to see if a lightening strike would light up a key, proving that is now known as electricity is the movement of electrons from one placed to another. Current, in others words. Mr. Franklin was also a member of the Constitution Convention. When the draft was finished he was asked what the Convention had wrought. Franklin replied "a Republic. If one can keep Her." It would appear that the efforts to preclude Donald Trump from ever serving again as President, the latest indictments on charges of obstruction, tampering and conspiracy and this time he cannot simply dis-miss these allegations, Trump was apparently caught on tape and the Department of Justice has legions of lawyers to prosecute the former President. In the process, every Constitutional guarantee had been by-passed. One has to say that Frankl

( Starts With The Cover-up. . .) Call it sins of omission. Former President Donald Trump received a seven-count indictment that came down from the Department of Justice. Unlike previous charges that have been leveled against Trump, the Special Counsel now is focusing on obstruction of justice, lying to investigators and even conspiracy. In the current documentation Trump apparently not only held certain papers and was not wholly honest and the DoJ has gathered witnesses that are coordinating testimony. The timeline for the prosecution of this case will fail to reach as resolution before Election Day next year. However, when people start to vote, when Iowa happens, will Trump still be a consideration ? As President, he was impeached twice and now there is evidence that Trump actually broke the law and could be convicted and sent to prison. And if elected, Trump could conceivably pardon himself. People can stop marveling at the unprecedented nature of this current episode. It is true tha

(Numbers' Game) The strategic situation of the Pacific War in August, 1945 was the total defeat of the Japanese Empire. Its navy had been eliminated, its remaining island garrisons were isolated. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both attacked with atomic bombs and Soviet forces were pouring into Manchuria. And yet the Japanese leadership were insisting on capitulation on their own terms. People always forget that there was a coup by certain junior Japanese officers who were attempting to preclude any surrender by the Emperor, and that the Nation should perish, man, woman and child. Death before dishonor. The Japanese Army would de-mobilize on its own terms. Any so-called "war criminals" would be prosecuted in house. Naturally, this was not sitting well with the Allies that were insisting on the Potsdam Declaration of unconditional surrender. Like those Japanese leaders who believed they could end the War on their own terms, certain House Republicans of the more conservative va

(On Longest Days. . .) Anybody who sees a calendar might notice that the date is June 6th, the 79th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Festung Europa , coming ashore on the Calvados Coast, Normandy, France, portion of the Hitler's Atlantic Wall. In an Operation named NEPTUNE/OVERLORD. With concurrent airborne drops behind the beaches, seaborne infantry assaulted five beaches: from west to east, the assault points were named Utah , Omaha , Gold , Juno , and Sword . Not to recount all the evets of the Battle but D-Day Historian, Stephen Ambrose provided a clear answer when he made his own assessment as to the success of the Invasion. The Atlantic Wall held up the U.S. 4th Division at Utah for less than an hour. It held the British and Canadian divisions on Gold , Juno , and Sword , for about an hour, The Wall held up the US 1st and 29th Divisions on Omaha for about half the day. In Ambrose's words, the Atlantic Wall has to be considered the worst failure of military h

( Where's Leopold ?) It can be uncomfortable to be at the top. Especially when that piece of leadership is not universally acknowledged. That seems to be the case with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, "Leopold" in other words. Just to briefly re-cap, Leopold was a dog in a Daffy Duck feature Birth of a Notion . Basically, Daffy is seeking room and board in the house of a Peter Lorre mad-scientist and Leopold was the dog that let him in. When Daffy and Lorre mix it up, Leopold says "some part I got in this picture. Phooey !" In any event, Kim Jong Un, despite the nuclear and ballistic technology, he apparently still does not feel appreciated. World events are passing the DPRK by and all he can do is observe. War between China and Taiwan is all but imminent. He is seeing a weakened America with President Joe Biden. Jong Un is like having to sit at the kiddie table while all the grown-ups sit at the big table. He is not taking things well. He has gained weight t

(Imponderables. . .) In warfare, there is always some quality that cannot be identified before events evolve. Today is June 4th, and in 1942, was the date for the Battle of Midway, The Battle is generally considered the turning point in the Pacific War, Midway, a two-island atoll about a thousand miles northwest of Pearl Harbor, was a key to a broader Japanese Plan, formulated by Combined Fleet Commander, Isoroku Yamamoto himself. The plan was to stage an attack on the American outpost in the hope that the remaining U.S. carriers would be forced to respond and sail into Yamamoto's trap. Then, an imponderable element emerged. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the American cryptologists had broken "Purple," the highest level Japanese diplomatic cypher, as well as "JN-25, " Yamamoto's staff level code. The Americans could read Yamamoto's plan and take steps to combat Japanese intentions. So, on the morning of June 4th, 1942, while the Japanese carrier force did

( Wall Writing) Every campaign, Presidential or otherwise, invariably will have a flavor of the month. That would be except if one is Donald Trump. In the past, when a new candidate emerges, there is a spike in the polling for that individual. In the 2016 cycle, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) saw his numbers bump when he announced. The same thing happened to Senator Ted Cruz. (R-TX). When New York developer and reality star Donald Trump came down that escalator in June 2015, he did not get an automatic bounce and had to wade through the process before he was elected in the end. The reason why Trump will not win again is becoming evident. Trump is that flavor of the month, for the time being. That apparently us changing. There is an evolving awareness that President Trump cannot win a year next November, and despite his numbers now, a gradual realization is materializing that an alternative to the former President should start to be considered. Will that be DeSantis ? The Florida Governor has

(No Tea From China ?) The phrase "not for all the tea in China" has been common enough over the years. It means that some things cost too much and one would not proceed even with all of China's tea. It could also be true that there are tariffs on Chinese tea. At least, one would hope so. And, not just tea, but a whole spectrum of products and services. The best way to deal with a foreign an admittedly hostile power would be to sanction its economy. Placing Beijing on a leash had been a primary aim of the Trump Administration and several trade accords were negotiated that included penalties if the Peoples' Republic demurred. It goes without saying that the Biden Administration has been very accommodating to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese government. There could be various reasons for that but President Biden seems to believe that he needs China to help combat climate change. As a consequence, he is less willing to antagonize the Chinese. The President's as

(Line Reading. . .) The House vote to raise the debt ceiling passed 314 to the rest. So much a wire finish and all the declarations of certitude by Republicans that they could never support. As it turns out, some 149 GOPers and another 71 opposed it. For Minority Democrats, their margin was 165-46. So, More Democrats than Republicans supported the bill but the so-called "No" vote is more an indication of a "gimme." Had there been real danger of the Measure actually failing and the slim Republican Majority would not be able to do this on its own. The same calculation was made for Democrat House members as well to where both Parties could benefit in this rare instance of bi-partisan cooperation. In other happenings, more Republicans are  joining the race for the Republican Nomination. Chief among them is former President Donald Trump. Trump is like a Boss with a series of capos that earned under him. Now, in what Trump is sure to consider dis-loyalty, former members