Hail Trump 6-28-2017

28, June 2017                               Hail Trump

The Trump cabinet has stooped to new lows in pledging their undying loyalty to the “dear leader”.

A few examples: Vice-President Mike “serving a president who’s keeping his word to the American people” is “the greatest privilege of my life”.

Others gushed that his presidency has “thrilled” crime-fighters.

Rick Perry, the energy secretary, who was unaware that such a department existed lauded: “My hat is off to you!” who earlier in 2015 vehemently criticized Trump as a “cancer on conservatism”.

 Reince Priebus “Oh sire we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing to serve your agenda.”

Trump reveled in the idolatry and boasted that he was the most “active” and productive president since Franklin D. Roosevelt”.

Sadly, none of Trump’s sycophant cabinet members dared to voice criticism of his prevarications, flip-flops and policy blunders. In a clear effort to mock the “court jester and proceedings” at the White House, a production of “Julius Caesar” opened in New York in Central Park. The Roman emperor is played by a blond, Trump-like clone in a suit and flaming red tie. The close parallels between the Trump White House and Shakespeare’s tragedies invoked a predictable angry twitter response.

The craven behavior of Team Trump was a disgusting spectacle which ill-serves the American people but does provide rich material for late night comedians.

Torture in Yemini Prisons 6-22-2017

22, June 2017                                    Torture in Yemini Prisons

Explosive new reports on a secret network of prisons run by the UAE in southern Yemen have just been published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Associated Press. Dozens of people, including children have been have been "arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and abused" in these prisons.

As a close ally of the UAE, American forces reportedly participated in these interrogations. US special operations forces were dispatched to Yemen shortly after Trump became president. Former inmates describe being crammed into shipping containers smeared with feces and blindfolded for weeks on end. They said they were beaten, trussed up on the 'grill,' and sexually assaulted. The ‘grill’ is a barbaric torture device where the detainees are strapped and rolled over a fire like a rotisserie chicken.

HRW stated that US forces witnessed the abuses but did not intervene.

Tragically, we have lost our moral compass and our very soul. The Trump administration is obsessed with enriching the profits of defense contractors by flooding the Middle East with billions of weapons, totally unconcerned by the enormous civilian toll. One can only imagine the rage of surviving family members who watch their loved ones blown to pieces by US weapons. This is raw terrorism and we have been complicit in Middle East war crimes for decades. President Trump has just concluded sale of $110bn of weapons to the Saudis who continue to slaughter thousands of Yeminis with impunity. This must stop.

Trump’s unconcern over hacking? 6-20-2017

20, June 2017            Trump’s unconcern over hacking?

The unprecedented hacking by Russia in our election process is getting lost amidst the high drama investigation of the Trump family and their campaign associates. Thus far, Trump has shown little interest in the hacking scandal.

The extent of Russian intrusion is still unfolding. It now appears their tentacles extended to voter databases in at least 39 states. They also tried to alter or delete data and tried to take control of more than 100 local computers prior to the Nov. 8 vote. Trump continues to downplay the hacking and according to The Wall Street Journal, he instructed the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael Rogers, to “question the veracity” of Russian interference.

This must be very disheartening for the Intelligence agencies who have invested considerable amount of time and resources in probing the Russian hacking.

The only aspect of Russian interference that interests Trump is the perceived legitimacy of his electoral win. The possible collusion between the Trump campaign team and the Russians is slowly gaining traction with high-priced lawyers jumping into the fray.

As Trump squirms and wriggles away from the Mueller squad, the million dollar question which remains to be answered is why he was “pleading” with Comey to drop his investigation of Michael Flynn? Is Trump so fearful of what Flynn might say under oath?

Let us hope that Mueller quickly uncovers the sordid details between the Trump family, his campaign associates and the Russians.

Mueller 6-15-2017

15, June 2017                                    Mueller

The character assassins, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, radio talk show hosts, Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin are planning their next victim. After disposing of G-man Comey who refused to buckle to Trump’s request to drop his investigation of Michael Flynn and Russia, their next target is special prosecutor, Robert Mueller. Trial balloons have been floated challenging Mueller’s credibility based on his friendship with Comey. Trump’s is working on the near certainty that sycophants in the House and Senate will fall in lock step with the tyrannical policies of their “dear leader”.

Not surprisingly, other Trump’s conservative allies who earlier lavished praise on Mueller’s selection (including Gingrich), have begun attacking his credibility. Trump’s “friend”, Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media, released the trial balloon on the PBS Newshour. This appears to be a veiled threat to Mueller – dial back your investigation or risk being fired. Trump is well-known for floating trial balloons as a way of demanding unbridled loyalty. This has created a great deal of nervousness even to his inner staff who are always kept on a short leash.

Trump’s actions are becoming more and more erratic and he has become obsessed with watching cable news unable to fathom why he has generated such revulsion. Perhaps, this was the reason he provided the Russians some of our most valued intelligence as a way of bonding with them.  This is truly frightening.

Ivanka Trump 6-14-2017

14, June 2017                                     Ivanka Trump

Determined to monetize her new association with the Chinese government, Ivanka Trump secured three new exclusive trademark deals. This happened the very same day she and her father had dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump’s private resort in Florida. Ivanka‘s company has since filed numerous additional Chinese trademark applications to maximize her penetration into the Chinese market. Although Ivanka no longer manages the company she retains an ownership stake and still benefits from the company profits.

To prevent revelations about poor working conditions at the factory manufacturing her brand of shoes, the Chinese government arrested three activists who were investigating labor conditions at the factory.

They activists were working for a New York based non-profit – China Labor Watch. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the Chinese government has interfered with the activities of the non-profit. Amnesty International is demanding the release of the three activists.

The non-profit was planning to release its report about working  conditions at the factory - Huajian International, next month. An early draft describes workers being verbally abused, forced to work excessive overtime, and paid below minimum wages.

It is shameful that Ivanka or a spokesperson of her company failed to demand the immediate release of the three activists and better working condtions at the factory. This is shameful. The bad seed seems to have been handed down from father to daughter.  

Eric Trump 6-10-2017

10, June 2017                               Eric Trump

The Trump family seems determined to monetize the presidency.

In a devastating expose’ Forbes reported that charity work by Eric Trump’s Foundation raised approximately $16 million claiming that there would be no charge using Trump Golf courses where the venues were held.

Ian Gillule, former membership and marketing director of the Trump National Westchester golf course, recalled Trump saying, “I don't care if it's my son or not — everybody gets billed."

The Trump family then charged huge sums of money to host the vents – misleading the public and profiting from donations intended for the sick children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Forbes commented that “Golf charity experts say the listed expenses defy any reasonable cost justification for a one-day golf tournament,"

Forbes also reported that additional sums of money were directed to several of Trump golf course clients. Who are the loser’s – the children of St. Jude. Sad!

Qatar 6-7-2017

7, June 2017                                              Qatar

In yet another bizarre twist in the Sunni-Shia divide, Saudi Arabia has declared a fatwa on neighboring Qatar accusing it of aiding and abetting (Shia) terrorism.  Following Saudi Arabia’s lead, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen broke diplomatic and commercial ties.

What profound Saudi hypocrisy! For decades, Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of the 19 9-11 hijackers, have used their oil money in funding madrassas (religious schools) all over the world which serve as launching pads for terrorism.

They have waged war on neighboring Yemen using British and US weapons slaughtering thousands of civilians making us complicit in Saudi war crimes.

Never losing an opportunity to be at the center of attention, Trump thrust himself into the bitter Persian Gulf dispute boasting that he had orchestrated the Saudi-Qatar divorce proceedings unaware that Qatar is a US military partner, headquarters of the US Central Command. It serves as a major intelligence hub in the Middle East and the base where the US plans and carries out airstrikes on the Islamic State.  Qatar also has strong academic ties to American Universities providing funding for six prominent university Middle East campuses. “Professionals” at the Pentagon and Defense Department were stunned at Trumps’ insistence on hurling a nasty curve ball at a close strategic partner. Meanwhile, news reports cite Russia might have planted false articles exaggerating friendly ties between Qatar and Iran. Saudi Arabia is also trying to neutralize Qatar’s enormously popular Al Jazeera Arabic media.

Terror in London – Again 6-6-2017

 6, June 2017                          Terror in London – Again

Lurking below the surface of the latest attack is a serious problem. In a British Muslim population of 3m there is a staggering number who are in danger of committing violence. According to British security services, there are 23,000 Muslims who are in serious danger of becoming radicalized. That is a very sobering number.

May’s government is under intense criticism for her decision to cut 20,000 police (1/6 of the police force) including 1,300 armed officers who were sent to Libya. The British and the US are committing the same blunders over and over again. Attacking or sending arms to Muslim countries will invariably cause a backlash. Remember, the bomber of the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester was a British Libyan. Weston governments, including the US, have flooded the Middle East and Afghanistan with billions of weapons to enrich their defense contractors. The Trump administration has boasted signing a $110 billion of weapons with Saudi Arabia which exports its extreme Sunni ideology all over the Muslim world. This is sheer madness and must stop. May also visited Saudi Arabia and signed a huge weapons deal, the details have been buried by British authorities.

What other factors drives young Muslims to violence? There are two principal sources – the Internet and the harsh passages of the “kill infidels” religious texts. The British would do well to elicit the help of Muslim religious leaders (perhaps a simple survey requesting an anonymous feedback on the root causes of radicalization might be helpful).

White Extremists 6-1-2017

1, June 2017                              White Extremists

Did Trump’s campaign rhetoric of anti-immigrant rantings of Muslims precipitate the recent death of two “good Samaritans,” on a Portland train? Three men tried to rescue two teenage girls by a knife wielding white terrorist who was spewing anti-Muslim racial slurs. The attack came attack came just six days after 23-year-old Richard Collins III, an African-American student at Bowie State University was fatally stabbed by a white supremacist Facebook group called "Alt-Reich: Nation."Heidi Beirich, the Intelligence Project director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, accuses Trump and his supporters of unleashing a barrage of neo-Nazi, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hatred during the presidential campaign. This tragic event comes on the heels of discussions by top Republicans who are considering using militia groups as security for public events. Multnomah County GOP Chair, James Buchal, told The Guardian that Republicans would likely make their own security arrangements rather than relying on city or state police, including groups like the “Oath Keepers” and the “Three Percenters”. A video has recently surfaced of Buchal lamenting what he called "open borders." He has expressed his intense hatred of people from Third World countries who “would destroy everything that is special about America.” Clearly he is no shining example of what is so special about America.