Listening to the news about the Iran war, as well the peace deal that’s been on and off, coupled with the ongoing tension between Trump and Netanyahu is like watching an out-of-control tennis match with the players leaping over the net and tennis balls wildy flying about the court.
Who can keep up?
The pundits are analyzing the reasons why things are going so poorly and point out the reality that neither party wants to resolve this in a totally peaceful and amicable way. Both Trump and Netanyahu are more concerned about what is now called “political capital” and how their actions and decisions have to reflect a willingness to go along with the opposing pressures. Politically, they have to raise their approval ratings and give the constituents what they think they want to garner their support for themselves and their respective parties.
One thing that’s clear about the Iran War is that Trump had no idea of what he was getting into, and Hegseth was just so eager to fight that nobody listened to anyone who may have voiced concerns about whether entering into the war was a wise decision. They both seemed to be under the delusion that it would be as easy as what was done in Venezuela, again with no understanding of the difference between the countries and the people and the cultures and the strength of the Iranian government.
So it’s really all about the politics and getting reelected and maintaining total control over the governments, which allows Trump in particular to trample over the other branches of the government. It is truly so disheartening to see that for most politicians it is all about reelection – reelection – reelection. As for Hegseth and his bungling of the whole thing, that shows how unqualified he is to hold that important cabinet position. Renaming his title was a most telling moment. It’s all about war. Not defense.
Trump’s move on Wednesday, refusing to sign the bill that passed both houses in Congress with huge bipartisan support, is just another example of him doing something that is all about protecting his power and working for the GOP, not the people all across the country who struggle to buy a home. He’s holding Congress hostage until they pass his horrible Save Act is just another indication of he will do anything in his power to scuttle what is good for the average American, including interfering with people’s ability to vote. His motive is perfectly clear in this statement he made in a recent interview, “Without the Save Act, Republicans won’t get reelected in the upcoming midterms.”
If you’re not familiar with the bill, here is a brief explanation from the Vote.org website:
“The bill was introduced in the House by Representative Chip Roy of Texas and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Both have described the bill’s primary purpose as ensuring election integrity and preventing noncitizen voting. Senator Mike Lee has also publicly connected the bill’s passage to Republican prospects in the 2026 midterm elections. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate Majority Leader, has said that if the bill does not pass, it will become a campaign issue in the fall. Voters can draw their own conclusions about what those statements say about the bill’s underlying goals.”
The article continued with information about whether noncitizen voting was actually a problem:
“Utah recently completed one of the most comprehensive citizenship reviews ever conducted at the state level, examining more than 2 million registered voters. They found one confirmed instance of noncitizen registration and zero instances of noncitizen voting. Federal data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shows that just 0.04% of voter verification cases flag as potential noncitizens, and even within that small group, many had already provided proof of citizenship when they registered.”
So interesting that Utah has 100% mail in voting. What are they going to do if the Save Act does get passed?
It’s abundantly clear that what Trump is trying to do with this latest move has about as much basis or consideration of reality as the decision to go to war against Iran.
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Now to end on a lighter note. I’m so grateful to Slim Randles for generously sharing his columns with us at no charge to me, or the thousands of newspapers across the country that carry his byline. I first met Slim when I was the managing editor of WinnsboroToday.com, and online community magazine for a small E. Texas town, and his content seemed perfect for the rural area that had lots of farms and ranchers who could relate to the fun stories about life out in the country.
So I’ve known Slim a long time and he was kind enough to let me continue to use his columns here on the blog. If you enjoy his stories, perhaps you could thank him in a comment. He’d appreciate that, I’m sure.
Now, here’s today’s story, perfect for all of us who are starting to roast like the veggies I just took out of the oven:
“Wonder what the count is today,” said Herb. “Sure is hot.”
We sipped simultaneously, as is our wont, and stared at our friend. “What count would that be?” asked Steve.
“The btu count, of course,” said Herb. “Those are British thermal units, you know. It’s how heat is measured.”
Leave it to Herb. There doesn’t appear to be any coffee-drinking topic that Herb can’t make completely obscure.
“I was just getting used to the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius,” our cowboy, Steve, said.
“I always eat my Celsius with peanut butter on it,” said Doc.
“Doc made a joke!” came the coffee-counter chorus. That was unusual because Doc was considered by most of us as the chief justice of the supreme court of darn near everything because of all the initials after his name.
Windy Wilson got up slowly and stiffly, walked over to the phone sitting on the cashier’s counter, and dialed a number. He nodded and came back to the other members of the world dilemma think tank.
“97,” he said, taking a sip,
“97 what?”
“Degrees. Right now. Outside. According to that girl’s voice on the hotline number I called.”
“Fahrenheit?”
“Don’t know,” Windy said.
“Kelvin?”
“Kelvin who?”
“Rankine?”
“She didn’t say. Just a recordin’ on the phone, you know…”
“Number of British thermal units?”
“I don’t care how they do it in Britain,” Windy said. “Hotter right here, anyway.”
“Might be Celsius,” said Herb.
Doc looked up from the depths of his coffee. “Not without peanut butter it isn’t.”
Some onlookers just enjoy a short stack and try to figure out what we’re talking about. It could become a passion or trend or something.
Looking at the thermometer? When ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.
That’s all for today from me and Slim. Hope everyone who is experiencing these blistering days can stay cool, especially my friends in the UK, who are not used to the Texas-style heat. I’m sorry if someone thought sending it over the pond would relieve us here, but it didn’t.
Whatever your weekend plans are, have a good one. Stay safe. Be happy. Be kind.