05/16/25

President Trump’s Gigantic Syrian Bet

Donald Trump is remaking the US – Middle East power relationship in a four day swing through the region that includes a reapproachment with Syria after terrorist Abu Mohammad al-Julani became Ahmned al-Sharaa and interim President of Syria after defeating dictator Bashar al-Assad in a lightning quick 12-day military campaign that included seizing the capital, Damascus.

It’s hard to trump seizing your opponent’s capital.

President Trump greeted by MBS — defacto ruler of Saudi Arabia. Mohammed bin Salman. I still think of MBS as the guy running the show when that journalist got chopped up, Mohammed Bone Saw.

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05/14/25

Nobody Is Above The Law, Including Judges

Your Big Red Car was idling in the driveway, enjoying the warm Savannah sun, when the hot little Mercedes that stables with me muttered something about a woke judge in Wisconsin getting into some hot water. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued.

Let me paint the picture for you.

So, what’s the setup, Big Red Car? The backstory?

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan found herself in a boiling cauldron of stank recently. She’s been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice and concealing a person from arrest. Seems serious for a judge in particular.

WTF did I do? I just helped an illegal criminal evade the legal apprehension of ICE? WTF? I’m a bloody judge. I can do anything.

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05/8/25

The Iranians Are Producing Tritium — A Nuclear Weapon Enhancer

Today we learned the Iranians are producing tritium at a formerly secret plant. I suspect the United States has known this for years, but this is a significant development.

Tritium has zero involvement in peaceful nuclear power. It is only used in bombs. IT IS ONLY USED IN NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

The secret plant known as the “Rainbow Site” is located in Semnan Province — a long way from other known Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities — and was masked as a 2500 acre chemical production facility operated by Diba Energy Siba. Iran has never identified it as a nuclear site in any of their previous negotiations wherein they identified every nuclear facility.

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05/8/25

China, Tariffs, Negotiations, And Saving Face

One of the unique concepts of the Asian mind is the idea of “face.” It is a stew with reputation, honor, social standing, wealth, power, dignity, moral  character, and integrity being the main ingredients.

One may give face, lose face, or save face and the Chinese have been focused on face for more than 5,000 years. The rest of the world is not so fixated on face.

Why do we care about face, Big Red Car?

Because, dear reader, we are dealing with the Chinese in regard to tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade and face is a big deal with the Chinese.

The Chinese and the Americans — now having put the issue in the middle of the table and feeling the first impacts of the tariffs — desperately want to arrive at some compromise.

 1. The Americans — meaning President Trump — are more than willing to enter into discussions and already have. The Trump admin is looking for a deal to address tariffs and Chinese practices such as access to Chinese courts to address civil business litigation, the safety of intellectual property owned by Americna companies, access to Chinese markets for American goods, and other specific, substantive Chinese bad trade practices.

 2. The Chinese — desperate to maintain face and not to look powerless in the eyes of the world but dealing with a dicey economy themselves — want to export their many goods to the United States, the most powerful and robust economy in the world.

We are now seeing the impact of tariffs in American ports with a meaningful reduction in traffic. Continue reading

04/29/25

Germany — Trump Was Right

Germany has a difficult time with defense and its Nato involvement because of its collective guilt from World War II and the atrocities committed in its name by Hitler. They should.

The result of this has been an unsteady stance on defense — some would say a semi-pacificism since WWII — and their tepid participation in Nato — the defensive alliance that safeguards Europe from the aggression of Russia and Putin — a man cast on the Hitler model.

What does this have to do with Trump, Big Red Car?

Ahhh, dear reader, here it is.

During Trump 1.0, Trump had three main beefs with Germany: Continue reading

04/28/25

Voldomyr Zelenskyy — Global Hero And Freedom Fighter

It is 2:31 AM on 24 February 2022 and you and your beautiful wife are sleeping under a feather quilt in your warm bed in still wintry Kyiv when the phone rings. You look at the clock and rub your sleep shut eyes before answering.

Early in the war President Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska. They look fatigued and worn hard.

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