Troublemakers #214
by Hank Silverberg
Americans have been focused the last few weeks on what is happening in Ukraine and the impact the Russian invasion could have on the United States. That includes everything from gas prices at the pump to domestic politics to the potential for World War III.
The instability there has also brought out the world's troublemakers and reminded us all again how complicated international politics can get.
China has been walking a fine line. The Chinese have supported Russia with words while being careful not to get too involved because of the potential economic impact on them. Disputes between Russia and the West usually end up helping China in the long run.
U.S and Chinese diplomats are planning to meet this week in Rome to talk about the Russia-Ukraine war. The U.S. is already warning China that if they help Russia, China too could face similar global economic sanctions.
Then there is North Korea, perhaps feeling a bit left out. Kim Jung-un has had his scientists test-firing a powerful new long-range ICBM over the last two weeks, and they are warning that a full range test is coming up again this week. These are missiles that could reach the continental United States, and that gives the American military just one more place to keep their eyes on. In fact, the Pentagon has placed reconnaissance forces in the Pacific on "enhanced readiness" because of those tests. The North Koreans claim the launches are merely test cameras to be installed in a future spy satellite. But we know from the past they never say what they really mean.
https://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-testing-icbms-us-210058660.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
Meanwhile, Iran, which could benefit from the embargo on Russian oil, has also been creating trouble. On Sunday, they took responsibility for a missile barrage near the sprawling U.S. consulate complex in the northern Iraq city of Irbil. There were no injuries, but Iran claimed it was in retaliation for an Israeli air strike in Syria that killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who were advising the Syrians.
This all comes at the same time Vladmir Putin has been trying to recruit Syrian and Libyan fighters as mercenaries to help Russia in his invasion of Ukraine. He's already using battle-hardened Chechens.
Ironically, Israel has been among the few countries offering to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, though that was before Putin's call for mid-east mercenaries to join his invasion.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/597889-israel-faces-high-stakes-as-russia-go-between
There are thousands of Russian-Israelis, and Ukrainian-Israelis and deep concern for the 300,000 or so Jews who live in Ukraine. But Russia is at odds with the United States, a firm supporter of Israel. And Moscow is also a negotiator in the tense talks over a nuclear deal with Tehran, which Israel opposes. Like I said, it's very complex.
These are some rough balls for President Biden to juggle all at once, even as Republicans chip away at him over the economy.
We should all be thankful that we now have a man in the White House who is experienced in high- stakes diplomacy instead of a moronic autocrat who thinks of all negotiations as just another real estate deal.
Another Poll
Two polls released on Sunday put Mr. Biden's difficulties in focus. A CBS News poll found 77% of Americans support his economic
At the same time, 58% of those polled by ABC had unfavorable views on the President's handling of inflation. That poll number is at a 12-month high. It should be noted that much of this is split along party lines.
The one very surprising number in either poll? Sixteen percent place a great deal of blame on President Biden for the war in Ukraine. Call that the Tucker Carlson "big lie" factor.
The List
Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, Loren Boebert from Colorado, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Paul Gosar from Arizona, Jim Jordan from Ohio, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Ron Johnson from Wisconsin and Ron DeSantis from Florida.
These are all Republican officeholders, and they are all supporters of the DFP (Defeated Former President).
But they have one other thing in common. They all seem to have a basic misinterpretation of how the majority of Americans think about a lot of things.
They have all been on my "Dumbest Quote of The Week" list for something they have said, and they all seem to lack basic knowledge on how to do their jobs properly.
This is not a partisan thing for me. There are some Republicans I disagree with politically who are doing their jobs competently, if not always fairly. Senator Mitt Romney comes to mind.
In the case of those on the above list, it is a simple matter of competence.
Here are just some examples:
This past week, Congressman Cawthorn got arrested for the second time for driving with a revoked license. He was also charged with speeding-for going 89 in a 65 mph zone. This in the same week Cawthorn told folks in North Carolina that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a "thug."
This past week Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene complained she is not getting any salary for her service in Congress because it was all taken back in fines she accrued for breaking the rules and not wearing a mask on the House floor.
This past week, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who is also under investigation for campaign finance irregularities in both her original run for Congress and her current re-election bid, bragged at a fundraiser about shooting wolf pups. Wolves are an endangered species.
Last month Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville embarrassed himself by calling Russia a Communist country and claiming that Putin invaded Ukraine because he needed farmland. It was an indication Tuberville had no clue what is going on in the Europe of the 21st century.
This week, while supporting Ukraine, he criticized President Biden for being weak in his response and called for a massive build-up on the American military. He must have taken a crash course looking at the last 30 years or something, but he still doesn't understand the issue.
And then there is Congressman Paul Gosar who traveled this past week with a small group to pick up trash in the southern border city of San Luis. That small group included a blogger who has praised Nazi Germany, and a Congressional candidate who has already been removed from Twitter for calling for the execution of some election officials. Also in that same group was a speaker who was removed from the Republican National Convention in 2020 for sharing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. And these are just his latest incidents.
This past week Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been screaming for months about giving people freedom to chose on face masks and vaccinations, lambasted a bunch of high school students who had chosen to stay masked-up at an indoor public event. He pretty much ordered them to take the masks off. So much for freedom to choose.
I could go on with the others listed, but you get the idea.
Before you get the wrong message, this is not about Republicans vs. Democrats.
This is about morality, competence and honesty.
I just can't fathom how these people got elected or why people voted for them. They seem to be wrong on just about everything.
Copyright
You figure that someone who goes to Congress to make laws will have at least a layman's understanding of basic laws.
That's apparently not the case for Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri. He's been selling campaign mugs emblazoned with a photo of
The picture was taken by a photographer for E&E, a publication owned by Politico.
The problem is, Hawley never asked permission to use the copyrighted photo. And the folks who own it are threatening a lawsuit unless he stops selling the mugs. Hawley's campaign says they have no intention to honor the request.
Newspaper Asks Sen. Josh Hawley To Quit Using Its Photo Of Him On Campaign Merch (yahoo.com)
If it goes to court, it could be an interesting case. But usually, public figures such as a U.S. senator have no control over the use of their image taken at a public event. And the person who takes the picture owns it, and has copyright.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumbest quote comes from Ron Desantis, the Republican Governor of Florida who is on the list above.
Disney is Florida's biggest employer. And the CEO got himself in trouble last week for some comments he made about the state's new law banning any discussion in elementary school classes of alternative lifestyles. I was going to use that quote until Bob Chapek apologized to the LGBTQ+ community. He indicated his company would stop making campaign contributions to Florida politicians and others who support such bills in the future.
DeSantis, who backed the bill, responded to Chopek's apology this way:
"You have companies like Disney that are going to say and criticize parents' rights, they're going to criticize the fact that we don't want transgenderism in kindergarten, in first-grade classrooms. If that's the hill that they are going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China?”
It should be noted that Disney Corporation is one of the most conservative companies in the United States and does do business in China, but has also had some big copyright piracy lawsuits with the Chinese.
Because Disney is the biggest employer in Florida, it also contributes billons for the Florida state coffers.
(Your comments and suggestions are welcome)
(My book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:
HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature. )
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
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