The (Daily) Vent 2

(Barbarian At The Gate) This phrase represents the time when barbarians found themselves, literally, at the gates of Rome. More recently, it was the title of an HBO docudrama, Barbarians at the Gate , about the fight for cigarette giant, RJR Nabisco. President Trump, still a New York developer at the time, was not involved in the RJR negotiations but he was aware of the principals. Now, as President, Donald Trump is presenting himself as looking to make a deal to put Greenland in America's orbit and for President Putin to make a bigger contribution to ending the Ukraine War. Greenland is more white than green. A more reasonable name would have been "iceland" but that name is already taken. President Trump wants to make the island an American protectorate, with or without input from Greenland residents or Copenhagen. Trump is not necessarily ruling out a use of force in acquiring Greenland. In a central regard, the President is correct. Greenland could be a critical piece ...

(A Failed Education) The Right to Vote is a Constitutional guarantee. That does not necessarily mean that all those eligible should actually go and pull a lever. People who watch the news. People that monitor political podcasts. People who know the issues and when a choice of candidate is selected, it is nor some boob that one gets off the streets. Like all those protesting Musk and Trump. They do not seem to be those who impress. Any idiot could compare the two men to Hitler and that is what one has one the street. What is the reason ? Musk is attempting to slash government spending and because of that he has to be so savaged ? He and Trump ? Fault not in the stars but in themselves ? Either man could be revealed as the Second Coming and there would still be these protests would continue. For the sake of protesting. That is not a sign of sophistication or finesse, It is a blunt instrument and is unwieldly. It is a virtue signal alone and has no broad based appeal. However, a lot of pe...

(Presage. . .) Society is replete with people who take themselves too seriously and or have too much time on their hands.  These are people who latch onto some issue. and in order to "make things right," days of rage or action. There probably no less boring words in the English language than action or rage. Action against what ? Rage, against what ? The target in these circumstances is Tesla, car, company and CEO. Elon Musk. As one would know, Tesla is an electric car company, founded by Musk. If climate change is the issue people say, one would an electric car with no emissions is a desirable quantit0. However, Musk made an alliance with the Devil. The Devil is asking Musk to cut wage fraud and abuse, the DOGE mandate, Such an effort is offending sensibilities of those who "call to action and rage and burn and otherwise vandalize Tesla products. The burnt cars. The attacked dealerships. Even Teals owners are being harassed. There is even a movement to sell all Tesla mod...

(House Bets. . ) There is something to be said for intrinsic value. In assembling his Cabinet, President Trump had picked a few Republican House Members to fill key positions. Michael Waltz, previously a Florida Congressman, is, for the moment, the National Security Adviser. Matt Gaetz, also from Florida, had been selected as Attorney General, but that nomination imploded. Elise Stefanik had been tapped to be U.N. Ambassador, but the President had to withdraw her nomination, so she could still stand in Congress. In some fashion, the GOP Majority in the House is an artificial creation. The Gaetz and Waltz seats could be filled by next Tuesday, hopefully with two more Republicans, or at least what the RNC would be expecting. It must also be remembered that Speaker McCarthy was forced out by Congressman Gaetz and he left for California. And George Santos from New York could have been allowed to retain his seat. None of these options were explored, however and assuming two Republicans get ...

(Bomb Damage Assessment) The latest incarnation of The Joe Schmo Show ran its season finale last night. Basically, and this has been done before, some individual and he or she play a series of contests in the belief that a grand prize can be won. With this caveat. The Joe Schmo Show is fake. Aside from the "mark," all other contestants are actors. At the end of the show, it gets revealed to the mark, in this case it was an electrician from Baltimore named 'The Greatest of All Time" a fictional international contest. When it was revealed that show was fake, and all the other players were indeed actors, fun was had by all and Ben walked away with $200,000. Houthi targets have been struck over the weekend and damage has been re-ported. Houthis were killed and infrastructure has been destroyed but like The Joe Schmo Show , reactions have been fake or more specifically it is faux outrage over Democrat hysteria as to who was and who was not on that SIGNAL communique. Lis...

(A Retained Focus) To begin, President might have cause to dismiss a member of his Cabinet. National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz could have inadvertently copied a memorandum to a journalist at Atlantic magazine, The subject of the material had been targeting lists of Houthi positions in Yemen. As far as anyone knows, operational details were not compromised. That being said, members of the Trump Administration are being handled to the point where access might be accidentally granted. So far, Waltz is not resigning, and President Trump has indicated that Waltz is staying, For now. In politics, it is best for one Party to allow the other Party to implode as the case seems to be with the Democrats these days. But Republicans are in Office not to mull Democrat destruction but to work on their own agenda. There has been serious discussion that Democrats will be un-able to recover in two years and Republicans could buck tradition and keep their Majority. In doing so, however, it would be b...

("THE MARCH 24TH OPERATION") Of all the thousands of books written about the Second World War, one of the best would be from the Supreme Commander himself, General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his excellent volume, Crusade in Europe . In one of the concluding chapters, the General was making the point that by March 24th, 1945, Germany's fate was sealed. That was the Rubicon where any sort of recovery on the part of the Third Reich was no longer possible. On March 24th, virtually the entirety of the Allied host was finally on the far bank of the Rhine. All that remained was pursuit and final reduction. The Germans did finally surrender on May 7th. The difference is in options. The Allies could, and did, strike at will, while the Germans could only watch. That has been the story for President Trump's opposition and like the Germans facing annihilation, like those judges or politicians who think Trump is acting as an oligarch, the President is displaying a flexi...

(Things To Know. . .) In talking with President Trump, he will make things clear. He will tell you that he won all swing stats. He won the popular vote by millions. Trump has been saying that he is dealing with horrible people. That President Biden is incompetent and Truup has been cleaning his mess. Paet of that mess were all the criminal illegal aliens. Some are being sent to El Salvador. But some federal judges. Trump has said that these jurists are un-fair and should be impeached. The President can seem thin skinned at times. He is imposing tariffs because the United States is being treated so un-fairly by other nations like Canada and Mexico, China, Europe and so on. His mission seems to be a personal slight rather than policy. Like because he was almost killed, twice, because he had been impeached, twice, Donald Trump believes that he is on a Mission from God. Someone should tell him this is not The Blues Brothers . To be honest, it can be dangerous for a politician to believe he...

(Always Forty-Seven) The history of aviation from the Wright Brothers to today has been one of technology advancement. Generations of aircraft have been developed over the decades. For example, when the military utility of the airplane was recognized in the First World War, so-called Generation 1 airplanes like the Sopwith Camal took to the skies. In the Second World War. Generation 2 airplanes like the P-51 Mustang took to the skies. For Korea and Generation 3 meaning jets like the F-86 Sabre or the F-4 Phantom in Vietnam. After Vietnam and the lessons learned from that War, technology began to have a greater influence in combat plane design and several excellent like the F-15 Eagle or the F-14 Tomcat , Generation 4 airframes. When stealth technology became practical, Generation 5 fighters like the F-22 Raptor or the F-35 Lighting II achieved operational capability. But technology doesn't stand still, and innovation is an ongoing process. The other day, President Trump and D...

(Bad Apples) People can get emotional. These days, such emotions can evolve to irrationality. Like burning a Tesla or their dealerships. Vandalism committed on their facilities. Why ? One would think an electric car would be praised in this climate of global warming. But the CEO, Elon Musk, has joined the Dark Side and has been working with President Trump to cut government spending. This generated a rage that has yet to be assuaged. One can easily blame the education system for these actions. People cannot read or write but they know of a menacing Tesla when they see one and those responsible will be charged with domestic terrorism. What do people learn these days ? For the last few decades, that has been a question posed to the Department of Education where it has been less important. An educated population is a less compliant population. The Department in recent years has focused on its bureaucracy and resistance to altering the status quo. Cemetaries are full with plans to reform t...

(Warmer Weather ?) So, this is Spring ? For those who had a brutal winter, your deliverance is at hand. There are those this season will experience more warmth, however and those that are still with Winter's chill. Who is being favorably reviewed and who is not ? Who is looking forward and who still wrestles with the past ? So, one is enjoying glorious summer and one is still in the winter of dis-content. President Trump seems fearless. He is promoting his tariffs is watching the sell-off on Wall Street. He is dispatching criminal migrants to hell on earth and is facing wannabe Judges who are complaining. Trump and Elon Musk are making their cuts to government spending, itself a big thorn. Consequences be damned. There are consequences to be had, however. Along with the President, the current GOP House Majority is also enjoying favorable ratings. But the Republican Conference has an expiration date. The Trump tax cuts need to become Law, meaning the House and Senate need to come to...

(Interfering With Interference) Remember that Donald Trump was the "interference" candidate and then President. There has always been resistance against Trump like the endless lawfare from the previous campaign. The truth be told, President Trump remains a convicted felon. Now that he is back in Office, and attempting to effect policy on deportations and spending cuts, the Trump Administration is being sued by activist judges who think the Election is not over, that the proud traditions of Alvin Bragg, Leticia James, Fanny Willis. and Jack Smith, even Judge Merchan. President Trump is holding high level phone calls with the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine. The most dangerous gangs are in the process of being deported into one of the harshest prisons on the planet. Is the maintenance of these criminals in this country really what these Judges are promoting ? Trump has issued a ban on transexuals serving in the Armed Forces that was also blocked. There seems to a difference of...

(Background Noise. . .) The 70's bend, Steely Dan had a hit with the song "FM (no static at all). In deference to these 'Anti-Heroes" of that Decade. However, static is all one is hearing as confluence of events are taking place simultaneously. Israel has renewed its offensive against Hamas after the collapse of the cease-fire, civil war has erupted among Democrats, and sometime today, President Trump will be calling Russian President Putin to discuss a possible cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. In the pausing of hostilities in Gaza, ostensibly to re-cover remaining hostages. Hamas demurred, however, and Jerusalem was given the green light to continue the anti-terror campaign. Air strikes resumed. IDF ground forces could also be re-introduced. The choice for Hamas had been simple and that was to let the hostages depart. That apparently was a bridge too far and the group is out of options.  As are the Houthis. That campaign is also not under abatement and dozens ...

BLARNEY: Irish For (expletive deleted) Happy St Patrick's Day ! Enjoy all the Irish beer, Irish coffees. St Patrick's Day Parades And mind the blarney, One knows of the infamy of he Blarney Stone where, kissing it, bestows the subject with a so-called Gift of Gab, or the ability to speak what is oftentimes nonsense. What is also nonsense. Like a federal judge ordering the halt of a flight of criminal illegal aliens when they were already in the air. Similarly, Columbia Hamas sympathizer, Mahmoud Kahlil might have his Visa revoked and could be expelled by a 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Finally, in another attempt to shield illegal migrants against ICE apprehension efforts. Anyone see a theme ? There is such a thing as criminal defense but the people involved in these cases perform rape and murder as a matter of course. They stand with the slaughter of innocents. Of redeeming qualities, theirs are few. As it happens, most of those involved will end up incarcerated in facilities that ...

(Fire For Effect. . .) It is a growing casualty list. In Iraq, a remaining leader of the Islamic State, Ab u  Khadija, was  eliminated by Iraqi assets with American assistance. Houthi rebels that have been harassing shipping in the Red Sea were also taken under fire. Finally, the fracturing of the Democrat Party continues.  Whenever artillery fire is requested and the targets get clustered together, a "fire for effect" order could be received. This is what President Trump has had. Hargets un the open and he has been firing for effect. The Islamic State arose during the Obama Administration and captured significant territory, a Caliphate in other words, in Iraq and Syria. This had been the so-called "JV team" by Obama. When he came into Office. Trump made short work of the Caliphate till now Abu Khadija was found in Iraq and he was also killed. President Trump can add another notch on his gun. Houthi rebels have been camping on the coast of the Red Sea, bringing comm...

(Caesar Got Off Easy !) Beware March 15th. otherwise known as the "Ides." So was the warning delivered to Roman Dictator, Julius Caesar, On the floor of the Roman Senate in 44 BCE, Caesar was stabbed close to thirty times by other Senators in the Pompey curia , the Senate chamber.  After the deed was done. the Dictator wrapped his bloody togs around his body as he expired. But the Dictator got off easy. After the event, Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman military hero and consummate politician and it fall to Octavian and Mark Antony, Caesar's heirs, fought for dominion over the Roman Republic, soon to be Empire, when in the victory of Octavian over Antony, adopted the name Augustus and became Rome's first Emperor. In a sense, there is blood on the Floor of the United States Senate, which would leave a horrible stain as the floor had blue carpeting. Blood was spilled, nonetheless. Instead of one victim left bleeding on the Senate Floor, Senate Minority Leader Schumer in his, w...

(Marooned. . .) The film Marooned , a 1969 release from Columbia was a bad film but with an A-List cast, like Gregory Peck or Gene Hackman. The basic plot was that a three-man astronaut crew, after some time at a space station, their Apollo Command/Service Module (CSM) main engine would not light. Maneuvering thrusters proved in-sufficient to achieve re-entry. The three astronauts were thus "marooned." Like the two astronauts that have been on the International Space Station for the past nine months. Like Gilligan ' s Island , where a "three-hour tour" turned into years on a desert island, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, launched back in September for the ISS but technical issues with the Boeing ascent vehicle, mandated that the crew should remain in space, marooning the astronauts. President Trump made the comment that he hoped Williams and Wilmore get along. In any event, a recovery mission is being launched from Kennedy Space Center, from the same Pad that ...

(Media Darlings) Or bad apples. Like Lewis and Martin or Hunt and Brinkley, President Trump and Elon Musk are proving agents of chaos in their own right. And it is beyond their influence. Tesla dealerships and vehicles are being torched. To show a measure of solidarity with the DOGE Director, Trump bought a brand-new model Tesla, he plans to loan to his staff. It has been the Musk efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency in the first place. That is why the Senate under Democrat instigation will close the government this weekend. Musk and Trump are like Horsemen of the Apocalypse. President Trump is still leveling tariffs, the latest a 200% rate on European spirits, wine and so on. Wall Street has been volatile as a result. The President has been making assumptions that the plan with the levies will accrue benefits and that the tax plan will pass. House Republicans passed the budget the other day but Democrats, in order to keep the lights on, they would need to make bread with...

(Sick Jokes. . .) It had been on March 11th, 2020, the China virus, covid 19, was declared a pandemic. What has followed has been a comedy of errors. People were told to wear masks. They had been told to keep six feet away from a person in front. Large gatherings like schools or religious services were discouraged. Application of the various vaccines became mandatory, refusal resulting in adverse consequences. Most damaging of all however, was the closure of the American economy. At first, it was a two-week closure to "slow the spread." But the interval was lengthened and the economy remained closed for months. The Covid 19 pandemic was also the most politicized. In Democrat-led areas, the measures were most draconian, where masks, distancing, Schools and churches were closed. Failure to get vaccinated did carry sanction. How many small businesses, salons, restaurants and so on had to close permanently in California but also in Chicago and New York ? So called red states migh...

Heroes (just for one day) Most should remember David Bowie's anthem. "We could be Heroes, just for one day." A hero in this context would be one who might find stability in the age of chaos. That will not be President Trump as he is the chief chaos agent himself. An alternative to perhaps inject some normalcy rests with the House of Representatives and its slim GOP hold. Tuesday they could pass a Budget and prevent a government shut down.  Speaker Johnson has seemed confident in recent days that the Republican Conference could pass the Legislation and be in position to advance to the more critical piece of the tax reforms. As the tariff effect is becoming pronounced, and talk of contraction is no longer being dismissed, President Trump is calling the situation one of transition and Commerce Secretary Luttnick, is dismissing he idea altogether, it would fall to the House GOP to finally coalace and, in part, add some certainty that is so required at this time. If there is n...

(Losing Sleep ?) On the night of March 9-10, 1945, Tokyo was subjected to one of the most intense fire raids of the War, rivaling even the atomic missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The City was razed and millions were left homeless. In any event, this morning is the time where one loses an hour of slumber as the "Spring Ahead" goes into effect. For all those who are necessarily up early, this lost hour could be telling. One has to also say that some degree of anxiety that would go beyond a loss of sleep. In the Near East, what is the dis-position of Hamas ? Or Iran ? The President did send a letter to the Islamic Republic where Trump re-iterated the U.S. demand that Iran never become a nuclear power but Trump did offer alternatives. Which the Ayatollah has outright rejected. The destruction of Tokyo was total, but Hamas and Iran could perhaps avoid such a fate. Like the requirement that Iran never become nuclear capable so Hamas will need to surrender control of Gaza. Pres...

(Wilderness Campaign) Two days in May, 1864, the Union Army of the Potomac under General Ulysses S. Grant faced off against the Rebel Army of Northern Virginia with General Robert E. Lee in command. The action was indecisive but some 29,000 casualties were incurred by both sides. Since then, the term "wilderness" has come to mean some kind of exile or political banishment. That was President Trump, 1.0, when he had been discarded.  Democrats ran the tables that year and had a couple of moderate Senators not played ball, the plan had been to nationalize voting, eliminate the Senate filibuster, make Puerto Rico and D.C, new states with four new reliably Democrat legislators where the Biden Agenda could be passed by simple Majority. No body would ever vote for a Republican again. Now, just four years later, it is the Democrat Party that is entering the wilderness. Joe Biden, as President, was to be a figurehead only as the Senate with its acquired powers would make the Executive...

(Over The Bridge ?) In the Allied advance across Europe during the Second World War, the Rhine River would prove the most difficult physical barrier that would have to be negotiated any drive into Germany. In the north British General Montgomery and his meticulous Operation PLUNDER was designed to put the British on the far side of the river. Further south, on March 7th, 1945, the U.S. 9th Armored entered the town of Remagen and saw that there was an intact Ludendorff Railway Bridge that spanned the Rhine. With expectation at Eisenhower's Headquarters that the crossing would not be practical for some weeks or until Montgomery was ready, a bridge would considerably accelerate the Campaign. On this March 7th, the Remagen there are two span ends. On the west bank is what is left of the Biden Administration. The Friday jobs report while not stellar did come in below expectations. The reason President Trump is so aggressive with tariffs is that the offending countries had free rides un...

(Prelude & Prologue) When Ferris Bueller took his "day off," the history teacher, Ben Stein, was giving a lecture on the Smoot Hawley Tariff. It was imposed in 1930, causing the collapse of the international trading system and possibly accelerated the Great Depression. The American economy at the time was contracting as the Roaring 20's came to a crash in the 1929 Wall Street sell-off. The addition of the Tariff only exacerbated the situation and all but guaranteed the election of Franklin Roosevelt. He of course instituted the New Deal that in the end proved less affective in its assigned role. It was only after the American entry into the Second World War that economic growth recovered. President Trump has been initiated tariffs of his own that as this stage could prove as problematic as Smoot-Hawley. The economy today is still the Biden economy and while Biden-omics is persisting, inflation is still elevated, the trade deficit is at $150 billion and with new Trump ...

(Talk & Tariff) True to his word, President Trump announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 10% on China. Reciprocal retaliation is being promised. As policy, imposing levies runs the risk that the longer the stoppage persists, conditions invariably worsen. Unless some accommodation is discovered, a change in behavior is elicited. The main complaint President Trump has with the two North American neighbors has been immigration and fentanyl. However., there have been immediate, and indeed negative, results by the adding of these tariffs. Wall Street has sold off across all Indexes for the past two days and prices have increased in some sectors. The Trump theory has been that the American economy is so much larger than its competitors that any levy against any other nation and its diminished GDP, terms will be rapidly arrived. Therefore, in what could be called a form of extortion, in the end, Trump's terms will be met. And, truth be told, despite in place...

(Political Officers) This entry will be composed in English. A constant component in the Red and then Soviet Army was the presence of a Commissar, a political officer in other words. They were the eyes and ears and mouthpiece of the Communist Party. These officers are the equivalent of Internal Affairs in most municipal police departments, not even a necessary evil. Elon Musk is employing DOGE "representatives" across the government. Like political officers and they will answer to Musk and by extension President Trump. The "what have you done lately and name five items." That is meant to identify those who are still on the payroll and those that might be no-shows.  This measure is deemed necessary because government employees is such a monolithic edifice and who is who and who gets paid and who shouldn't. As it happens, Russian President Vladimir Putin, previously a KGB case officer, would be familiar with political officers. The 5th Directorate of the agency sp...

(Hands Dealt) On March 1st, 1942, in the Battle of the Sunda Strait, the cruiser USS Houston was sunk along with Australian destroyer, the HMAS  Perth . This action effectively ended Allied attempts to prevent Japan from seizing the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). There were numerous factors involved, not the least of which was Japanese control of the air but beyond that, the Japanese at the time has superior doctrines, equipment and tactics. The Japanese march through the Indies were like the tentacles of an octopus. It had been bad strategy that hindered the efforts of the initial Allied confrontation with the Japanese. But it was a strategy imposed by Japan and all the American, British, Dutch. and Australian navies could do was suffer defeat. In other words. the Allies were dealt a bad hand. In the heated conversation President Trump had with Ukrainian President Zelenski, Trump that the Ukrainian leader had no cards. Which was true. Ukraine was never going to prevail over Russi...