John

Clear as a bell to me, Trump is on his way to kissy-poo with Putin again. After tough talk about increasing sanctions on Russia, he is now ready to carve up Ukraine. Putin has something on Trump and we wonder about the Epstein thing. There is something about meeting in Alaska, perhaps a better distraction. Pray for Ukraine.

Sending National Guard into Washington is D.C. is another political stunt. Trump is in a jam and needs to create a distraction.

Also on Monday 8/10 a court in Florida denied his effort to unseal the Epstein/Maxwell Grand Jury. Secondly a trial started in California where Trump is accused of violating the Posse Commitatus Act by Federalizing the California National Guard and using them against U.S. citizens, overriding local control, when there was no emergency. This follows another court loss in California which prohibited racial profiling of immigrants for deportation. This could very well apply nationally.

And finally, Trump is about to go kiss ass Putin in Alaska and abandon Ukraine. D.C. is about distraction. However I fear another demonstration of Trump’s cruelty, because of his mention of homeless and squalor. I remember how he did not want disabled veterans at events during his first term. Doesn’t like the look. He can’t act the victim in the presence of people who are disabled or in difficult circumstance.

So maybe that is why MAGA seems really upset about the Epstein issues. Sex trafficking of hundreds if not more than a thousand underage girls. Pedophilia by the rich and powerful. So why is Trump resisting release of the files and playing patty-cake with Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein created the conditions where this could happen, probably participated, but Maxwell was the mastermind and primary sex predator and pimp. Epstein and Trump were friends for decades and Trump is hiding something, a cover-up.

And also disgusting, I search for words, sick at heart, sick to my stomach, at the continued cruelty, masked ICE agents grabbing people off the street, gardeners, housekeeping workers, farmworkers and sending them to impoverished countries where they cannot even speak the language.

Moving submarines closer to Russia looks mostly like distraction to me. Yes someone in Russia mouthed-off, a diplomatic complaint is the first appropriate step, not sabre rattling.

Election suppression in the name of “integrity”. I trust our local registrars of voters over whom there is already oversight. Fire the statistician who produces the employment figures. Censor the Smithsonian and National Parks of U.S. History Trump does not like.

This post was a you tube video, Bernie Sanders, “My view of the Epstein Files” I recommend it on line but it occupied too much space on my web site.

So a couple this morning, George Conway has referred to Ghislanine Maxwell as a “moral maggot” which I think is right. Apparently trump is thinking about pardoning her, thinking perhaps that it will minimize his own exposure in this mess.

Meanwhile ICE is arresting people when they show up for court ordered immigration hearings. The absolute, flagrant cruelty continues. Children are starving in Afganistan, Gaza and Ukraine because of the cut off of U.S. food aide Trump is golfing in Scotland.

Whole families lost and many children. 120 dead and counting with 160 still missing in the Texas flooding. The terrible duty of the responders finding and recovering the bodies. No one has been found alive since last Friday. This was avoidable.

There is an expanse of the American landscapte in the west that has a history of flash floods. The Guadalupe River in the Texas hill country has that history. There are also flash floods occurring in New Mexico. Did the river rise higher or more quickly than in past ….. could it be a result of climate change? I don’t know. From the size of trees uprooted it appears to me it had not risen so high in a long time. One has to look at Global averages which is why the NASA Earth Science program is so important. Trump is ending it.

I saw the weather reports and flash flood warnings from the National Weather Service. But who was supposed to go door to door telling people to evacuate in the middle of the night? If the river came up 26 feet in 45 minutes would there have even been time to get people out, unless action had been taken on first warning from NWS. One thing I’m sure, we need FEMA and we need NoAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) the scientific backbone of the National Weather Service.

Franklin Roosevelt knew that he did not understand science. He did not understand atomic energy, rocket trajectories or why volcanoes erupt. But he knew it was important enough to appoint a scientific advisor to explain the forces of nature to him.
Trump is an ignorant man who seems to believe cruelty and political theater creates reality. He is destroying our country.

Exclusively Republican legislation. Republican obedience to Trump. And their usual false mantra about attacking fraud and waste. So root out the fraud and waste rather than ripping off the people and abandoning the most needy.

Near trillion dollar cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. How can our Country be so divided about something so universal as health care. Big cuts to food stamps and school nutrition programs. Call it MAGA cuts, all to fund a huge tax break for the wealthiest Americans. Ronald Reagan believed that when the rich get richer they take care of everyone else, trickle down economics, and Republicans have been swimming in this fantasy ever since, not because it works which it does not, but because they are the fat cats.

And the still bigger lie that Republicans care about reducing the National Debt. The Big Beautiful Bill, aka Rip Off, Big Beautiful Betrayal will raise the National debt by $3.5 Trillion over the next ten years. Republicans continue to sell out future.

I would make a list of every tax schedule since WWII, choose the fairest and work to get it through Congress. See my previous posts about making government more efficient.

Also happening the Fourth of July.

North Korea sending 30,000 more troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

Masked men grabbing people off the streets across the country in cruel and lawless immigration raids, Republicans do nothing.
The “Alligator Alcatraz” ine Florida Everglades is political theater but I wonder about humane conditions.

Shock and outrage over Brian Kolberger plea deal, while mass shootings hardly make the news anymore, two this week.

The Supreme Court continues to ignore harm and cruelty to the people while supporting the unitary executive Trump.

This 4th of July, God Bless America and God Help Us All!

I am re-posting my 6/1/25 letter to the Supreme Court because today they allowed Trump to continue to deport people to third countries apparently without due process, to strife torn countries where the deportee may not speak the language and may be in mortal danger.  Is the Court blind ….. masked ICE agents, refusing to show identification, violently snatching people off the streets, breaking up families, deporting veterans and sending them off to any damn hell hole place they, ICE, wants.  Absolutely inhumane, cruel, lawless and being backed up by U.S. military!

Dear Justices:

If there is really any question that District Courts may issue nationwide injunctions, surely it must be in cases that involve our actual persons, our bodies and those of millions of individuals all across the country.

I did not agree with the District Court ruling in the Mifepristone case but I never doubted that this issue had nationwide impacts. Other issues which, without exception, involve everyone’s body are birth, air and food. We must breathe and eat.

In several recent cases, it appears you have allowed serious harm to continue, “for now”, toward many thousands of people; lives upended, careers destroyed, likely socio-economic distress. I’m talking about DOGE mass-firings and layoffs for alledged “poor performance”. Trans persons in the military have always been there. And now ending humanitarian parole for 500,000 people who are in this country legally, vetted, sponsored.

Why were these “emergency” cases at all?

How can you be so distant from people’s lives? It appears to me you are complicit in the cruelty.

John LaBoyteaux

I would have tried to talk to the leaders of Iran before dropping bombs.  I know the diplomatic negotiations about the nuclear program were not getting anywhere, but I would have made a personal effort to persuade that they did not need nuclear weapons.  And maybe save some lives.

So now it seems we are at war with iran.  There has been no Declaration of War and Congress was not fully informed.  Only Republicans were briefed.  For a real Congress, this could be an impeachable crime by the President.

It seems we are at war with Iran and possibly a broader war in the middle east.  You saw all those people in the streets of Tehran.  They can hardly back down under these circumstances.  But it will likely be an complicated and imbalanced war.  So Americans everywhere are less safe.  I would have personally tried to talk to the leaders of Iran.  Maybe it would not have worked  but I would have tried.

The public lands are the birthright of every American.  From the tip of Florida to the extremes of Alaska the public lands are open for every American to visit, recreate and enjoy the grand open vistas.  It is one of our nation’s best ideas and greatest values.

The public lands are not owned by the United States government, rather they are held in trust for the benefit of all Americans.  These lands are managed according to the general principle of Multiple Use and Sustained Yield.  Every modern nation understands the need to combine conservation with resource extraction.

Behind the flash and bang of Israel/Iran and the cruelty of immigration arrests, the Republicans and Trump are proposing through their budget bill to sell off 250 million acres of our public lands.  Approaching the combined acreage of all the National Forests.  Another big give away to the wealthy at the expense of all Americans.

Our nation’s history, the heritage of the American West. These are the places that I know and love, America the Beautiful.

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain

America! America! God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

After briefly saying over the weekend that ICE would not arrest farm workers, food processing and hotel industry wokers, Trump reversed himself and ICE raids continue.  Glenn Foods in Nebraska is now out of business.  I suppose this is his reaction to the “No Kings” protests over the weekend.  Continued cruelty all across the country, the great majority of immigrants being arrested have no criminal record, just hard working people.  Can’t imagine anything more dumb than arresting farm and food workers.

Utah Senator Mike Lee immediately began the conspiracy posts about the political assassinations in Minnesota, somehow the shooter or the victims were Marxist inspired.  Wacko.  Fortunately the killer has been arrested.  He had a hit list of 70.

A man was killed during the “No Kinds” protest in Salt Lake city, supposedly by a “peacekeeping force” at the demonstration.  Not sure who they were or why they started shooting.  News says someone had at AR-15.

Trump left the G7 meetings early, supposedly because of the Israel-Iran war.  I think it might have more to do with the chilly reception to his tariffs he received in Canada and their refusal to allow him to dominate the opening news conference attacking Democrat controlled cities and his anger about the “No Kings” protests.  Also back praising Putin.

I’m really of mixed minds about Israel’s attack on Iran, they believe Iran was rushing to build nuclear weapons, maybe so.  US-Iran talks were going nowhere, maybe Trump was being used as a shill.  The most telling thing for me is that Iran has no need of a nuclear weapons for their own defense.  The only likely use is against Israel.  Will Trump now join Israel to bomb the deeply underground uranium processing facilities.  And of course will Israel overdo it.  Question answered this afternoon, Trump demands Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.  Always ready to pick and unnecessary fight abd further trash chances of peace in the region.  Maybe we should bomb the underground uranium processing,  but like the Youthis, give diplomancy a chance first, maybe save a few lives.

In spite of the barbaric attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 last year, 1200 dead, I can’t comprehend what has happened in Gaza, over 50,000 dead, even in justified retaliation, the proportionality of it makes Israel the monster.

A president should de-escalate conflict within the County, and the world where possible, and try to unify the country.  Trump is creating and amplifying conflict on the nations’ streets.

My favorite link for this weekend.     https://variety.com/2025/music/news/nezza-dodgers-spanish-star-spangled-banner-national-anthem-1236432536/

Check out also the Karoline Leavitt–Harrison Ford debate.  Some months ago and Leavitt is now Trump’s main spokesperson.

We cannot be throwing rocks. lighting fires, or otherwise interfering with immigration officers in their work.  Peaceful protest only.  As a Californian, the protests in Los Angeles are much less than seen in past issues.  Local police are doing the right things.  I do believe the situation is being inflamed for political purposes by bringing in National Guard or Federal Troops.  Lawsuit coming this morning I understand.

According to the BBC, the protests in Los Angeles are have calmed overnight.  Trump is sending more National Guard and Marines but they are not there yet, he is taking credit anyway.  When Trump ordered water released for the Los Angeles fires, none of it ever made it to LA because that lake and canal do not go to Los Angeles ….. it was all political theater.  Sending the National Guaard and Marines is more political theater, the Los Angeles police and other California Law Enforcement have controlled the situation thus far.

The President of the United States should work to de-escalate situations like Los Angeles, not inflame them.  Arresting honest working people, breaking up families, even where some members may be in the country illegally, is a gross cruelty.  Congress should be stepping forward to stop these abuses.