Ivanka Trump has been quoted as saying that her father summed up her first date with Jared Kushner in 2007 as “the best deal we ever made.” [Google, AI Overview.]

I don’t know how accurate that is, but it does sound like him.

Jared Kushner was born into a wealthy New York real estate family. His grandparents were from Poland/Belarus, and had survived and escaped the Nazi holocaust of World War II. His father, Charles Kushner — a first-generation American — inherited a thriving business from his father and continued to build it into the multi-billion dollar empire it is today.

Jared entered the family business, and apparently absorbed everything his father taught him — including a few extracurricular skills that landed him (Charles) in federal prison in 2005, convicted of making illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering.

But a little family scandal, and the need for Ivanka to convert to Orthodox Judaism, apparently were outweighed by the prospect of profitable deals to be made in the future, and the young couple were married in 2009.

On December 23, 2020, shortly before leaving office at the end of his first term, Donald Trump gave Charles Kushner the biggest, bestest Chanukah gift of all, in the form of a full pardon. Since then, Charles — formerly a Democratic party donor — has shown his gratitude by donating significant amounts to Trump’s campaigns.

And in 2025, Charles Kushner was nominated by Trump, and confirmed by a close vote (51-45) in the Senate, to serve as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco.

So it isn’t at all surprising that top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Finance Committee last week launched an investigation into Jared Kushner, accusing him of soliciting billions of dollars for his private investment fund while serving as special envoy for the U.S. Government in the Middle East and between Ukraine and Russia. [Sarah Ewall-Wice, The Daily Beast, March 21, 2026.]

In a letter to Kushner’s company, Affinity Partners, the legislators wrote:

“President Trump has given his son-in-law Jared Kushner an unprecedented level of control over U.S. foreign policy while remaining on the payroll of numerous foreign governments. Mr. Kushner is simultaneously being paid millions of dollars by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies while leading diplomatic negotiations with Iran and Russia.

“This corrupt arrangement is not only criminal but is endangering the lives of Americans and threatening our national security.” [Id.]

Well, why not? After all, he learned from the best . . . his own father first, and then his wife’s.

And they preach — with straight faces — about the need to overthrow other corrupt regimes?

Seriously?!!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/23/26

Having just survived another birthday, and feeling somewhat out of sorts today, I’m reminded of these words on aging:

“When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it.”

– Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain

I do so hope he was wrong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/22/26

A good man died on Friday. His name was Robert Mueller; he was an American patriot, a decorated Vietnam veteran who received a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and two Marine and Navy Commendation Medals for his service and bravery. He held a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a Master’s Degree in International Relations from New York University, and a Law Degree from the University of Virginia. Among other things, he served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys’ offices in San Francisco and Boston; he headed the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in Washington; and he was confirmed as the Director of the FBI on September 4, 2001 — just one week before the 9-11 attacks on the United States — and saw the country through one of the most terrifying, emotionally debilitating periods in its history, quickly shifting the Bureau’s principal focus from fighting domestic crime to combatting terrorism.

In case you haven’t already seen or heard it, this is what Donald Trump had to say when advised of the death of a great American:

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

Let that sink in: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.”

*. *. *

At his confirmation hearing in 2001, Mueller described the FBI as “vital to the preservation of our civil order and our civil rights. One could hardly overstate the significance of the FBI in the life of every American.” [Eric Tucker, AP, March 21, 2026.] Seven days later, the prescience of those words became tragically clear to us all.

Mueller served in that post until September 4, 2013, staying on beyond the normal tenure at the request of then President Obama.

In May of 2017, he was appointed as Special Counsel to investigate allegations of Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. True to his principles, he stood up to Donald Trump when others wouldn’t, refusing to whitewash his findings despite being accused of conducting a “witch hunt” (Trump’s favorite term for anything that makes him or his partners-in-crime appear guilty). And that, in Trump’s twisted mind, is sufficient reason to rejoice at Mueller’s death.

*. *. *

Former FBI Director James Comey said of Mueller on Friday:

“A great American died today, one I was lucky enough to learn from and stand beside.” [Id.]

And former Director Christopher Wray called Mueller a “consummate straight shooter,” adding:

“As everyone at the FBI who worked for, or with him, is well aware, Bob Mueller embodied the virtue of prioritizing service to the country over self, and he always put the mission first.” [Id.]

Thus far, current FBI Director Kash Patel — a Trump loyalist who is probably awaiting his instructions from the Oval Office — has remained silent, though the FBI Agents Association magnanimously noted Mueller’s “commitment to public service and to the FBI’s mission.” [Id.]

And as for Trump, well . . .

Donald Trump never forgets or forgives what he considers “disloyalty.” What he said about Robert Mueller’s passing was so heinous, so completely revolting — even by his rock-bottom standards — that I wanted to vomit when I read it, and still do. Thinking (and hoping) that he may have been misquoted, I fact-checked it, and found it to be accurate.

And that is why I am in despair today: because I find it impossible to accept that anyone — let alone the supposed leader of my country, or any country — could stoop so low, and be so revoltingly, disgustingly inhumane, yet continue to breathe the same air that I do.

The “innocent people” to whom Trump referred in his comment no doubt included the likes of Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, and Roger Stone — all friends and cohorts of Trump who either pled or were found guilty of various crimes as a result of the Mueller investigation.

Just like the “good people” who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, were later tried and convicted, and then pardoned by Trump because they were his supporters.

Those are the people he honors.

Yet, as of this writing, Trump has not even ordered the flags in our nation’s capital lowered to half-staff for a man who, by the standards of most people, was a true patriot and who served his country with courage, honor and dignity.

But politics aside, the simple fact that those words could come from the mind and the mouth of an individual who is supposed to represent the people of the United States defies belief.

Such a man is beneath contempt, and beyond salvation. From the depths of my despair today at what he has done to our great nation, my only consolation is in knowing that, eventually, karma awaits him . . . as it does all of us.

So rest in peace, Mr. Mueller . . . you’ve more than earned it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/22/26

On March 19th, the Belarusian government ordered the release of 250 political prisoners — including opposition activists and journalists — in exchange for the easing of U.S. sanctions on Belarus’ potash industry. As of this writing, it is unclear whether the release has actually taken place; but we certainly look forward to their homecoming.

Otherwise, it has been another quiet week with regard to those on our list of political prisoners. So once again, we send them greetings and assurances that they are not being overlooked during this time of crisis, not only in Ukraine, but now also in Iran and the surrounding regions. They include, among many others:

Prisoners of War:

The 19,500 Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Dennis Coyle (American)

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
— Oleg Antipov
— Artyom Azatyan
— Georgy Azatyan
— Aleksandr Bylin
— Roman Solomko
— Artur Terchanyan
— Dmitry Tyazhelykh
— Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/22/26

Amish Tripathi is an author, broadcaster and former diplomat from India, whose award-winning writings run the gamut from historical fact to mythological fiction.

In one of his best-known works, The Shiva Trilogy, he wrote of his views on our individual karma as it relates to the evil in the world:

“It is your karma to fight evil. It doesn’t matter if the people that evil is being committed against don’t fight back. It doesn’t matter if the entire world chooses to look the other way. Always remember this. You don’t live with the consequences of other people’s karma. You live with the consequences of your own.”

– Amish Tripathi, “Shiva Trilogy #2: The Secret of the Nagas”

Published in 2011, The Secret of the Nagas speaks to us in the context of today’s world events as never before. As individuals, we tend to think there isn’t much we can do to change things. But collectively, the good far outnumber the evil . . . and the will of the majority is how major political changes have always, ultimately, been achieved.

Don’t worry about the bad guys’ karma; it will come to them.

Consider your own.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/21/26

Donald Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent, Tulsi Gabbard, Mike Johnson, Stephen Miller, Kash Patel, Bobby Kennedy Jr., etc., etc., etc. . . . the presidential administration from hell . . . a roll call of mentally incompetent, morally impoverished butt-lickers seemingly lifted from the pages of a dystopian Dostoevsky novel.

There couldn’t possibly be any more of them waiting in the wings for top government positions, could there? Surely, that’s the lot of them.

Sorry . . . but if that’s what you believe, I have bad news for you. Just consider these two:

Markwayne Mullin: As the country was celebrating the departure of Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Trump trumped himself by nominating as her replacement Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin — as nasty a piece of work as can be found anywhere. (See my post of 3/6/26: “Now You See Her, Now You Don’t.”) His views align 100% with Noem’s (except that, as far as I know, he hasn’t been accused of murdering his pets); and so, if he is confirmed, we can expect more horror stories from ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the future.

As of this writing, Mullin has been cleared by a margin of just one vote (from Democrat John Fetterman!) in the Senate, and we can only pray that the House will have more sense.

*. *. *

But wait . . . there’s more.

Gregg Phillips: Still within DHS, we have Gregg Phillips — appointed in December 2025 to head the Office of Response and Recovery of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). With little or no background in federal emergency management, his qualifications for the position are questionable at best. But, believe it or not, that isn’t what I find most concerning about him.

Even when I read that he had become known as a far-right activist spreading conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud, and for his violent verbal attacks on political opponents, I was not surprised. After all, isn’t that true of virtually the entire Trump administration?

However, Phillips seems to feel no need for self-restraint when talking about people he doesn’t particularly like, as exhibited by this comment about former President Joe Biden from a January 2025 podcast with fellow right-wing whack-job Catherine Engelbrecht:

“I would like to punch that b*tch [Biden] in the mouth right now. He is a nasty, shitty, crappy human being, and he deserves to die. And I hope he does.” [Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck and Gabe Cohen, CNN, March 20, 2026.]

Nice. Really nice.

But I seriously began to worry when I read that Phillips had made bizarre claims of having been . . . wait for it . . . involuntarily teleported — not once, but multiple times.

In the same podcast, he described his alleged experiences:

“I was with my boys one time and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House. And I ended up at a Waffle House — this was in Georgia and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. And they said, ‘where are you?’ and I said, ‘A Waffle House.’ And ‘a Waffle House where?’ And I said, ‘Waffle House in Rome, Georgia.’ And they said, ‘That’s not possible, you just left here a moment ago.’ But it was possible. It was real.”

Then he added:

“Teleporting is no fun. It’s no fun because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t really understand it, it’s scary, but yet um — but so real. And you know it’s happening but you can’t do anything about it, and so you just go, you just go with the ride. And wow, what just an incredible adventure it all was.” [Id.]

He also claimed that on another occasion his vehicle “lifted up” while he was driving, carrying him about 40 miles before depositing him in a ditch near a church. [Id.]

From my standpoint, his hate-filled rants and his conspiracy theories are enough to disqualify him from any position of authority. But more seriously — and this is in no way a medical diagnosis — it appears that either he is a world-class b.s. artist, or he is truly delusional and needs professional help. It sounds as though he is losing blocks of time.

Equally alarming is the response to CNN by a FEMA spokesperson, who said:

“This is so silly it’s barely worth acknowledging. DHS, FEMA, and Mr. Phillips are focused on the critical mission of emergency management and ensuring the safety of the American people. Many of the comments cited are taken out of context or represent personal, informal, jovial, and somewhat spiritual discussions made in the context of barely surviving cancer; in a private capacity prior to his current role.” [Id.]

Taken out of context, possibly. But silly? Jovial? Spiritual?!! Not so much — and definitely not in a private capacity, as they were statements made in a widely-distributed podcast.

Methinks the Federal Emergency Management Agency could use a bit of emergency management itself.

Bottom line? The inmates are truly running the Washington asylum . . . and Congress is enabling them. But you already knew that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/21/26

This one was inspired by yesterday’s ludicrous “briefing” by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi before the Congressional House Oversight Committee, and requires no further explanation or comment from me:

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/20/26

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was notorious for its spying activities, which included everything from intelligence-gathering to cold-blooded murder. And, though the Kremlin may deny it, those activities never really ended after the collapse of the communist regime and the establishment of the Russian Federation; they have simply shifted focus and methodology as necessitated by the changing political, technological, and societal realities of the new millennium.

The dreaded KGB did not cease to exist either. Effective December 3, 1991, it was simply bifurcated: the SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service), like the American CIA, is in charge of foreign espionage activities; while the FSB (Federal Security Service) mirrors the American FBI in handling domestic security and counterintelligence.

But don’t let the change of names fool you. In May of 1993, a year and a half after the official restructuring, an agent in Moscow — apparently assigned to keep an eye on our U.S. humanitarian aid organization — still identified himself to me as being with the “KGB.”

And since the onset of Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022, there has been a notable increase in disparate, seemingly disconnected attacks on Western nations. These have included localized explosions, fires, severing of undersea cables, and the occasional targeted abduction or assassination — all designed so as to offer deniability, but nonetheless bearing the undeniable trademark of the old KGB methods. These activities have become known as Putin’s “hybrid war.”

*. *. *

But sometimes, even the best covert agents screw up — perhaps overlooking that one little detail, or underestimating the skills of their adversaries. And that is what recently happened to a top-secret unit of elite Russian intelligence agents known as Center 795.

According to an investigation undertaken by The Insider, Center 795 had been “designed to function as a ‘shadow army’ and given full autonomy, allowing the unit to bypass the Defense Ministry’s cumbersome and ineffective bureaucracy.” [Meduza, March 13, 2026.]

Consisting of some 500 carefully-selected and specially-trained officers, Center 795 is led by one Denis Fisenko, a veteran of the FSB special forces Alfa Group. According to The Insider, it was “designed to carry out everything from military assassinations and abductions targeting Kremlin critics abroad. However, the recent exposure of one agent is ‘bound to create lasting problems.’” [Id.]

That agent is Denis Alimov. He was arrested at the airport in Bogota, Colombia, on February 24, 2026 (ironically, the four-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), by Colombian authorities in cooperation with Interpol agents. He is being extradited to the United States in accordance with an arrest warrant issued by a U.S. court on December 18, 2025, charging Alimov with conspiracy to kidnap and commit murder, and with providing material support to terrorists. [Sania Kozatskyi, Militarynyi, February 26, 2026.]

What led to his downfall was a bad outsourcing decision. He has specifically been accused of planning assassination attempts against two or more prominent Chechen dissidents based in Europe, recruiting a triggerman to do the dirty work: one Darko Durovic, a Serbo-Croatian speaker living in the United States. Durovic was offered $1.5 million for each target successfully “deported to Russia,” dead or alive. [Meduza, op.cit.]

But there was a problem: Alimov and Durovic spoke different languages. Although their email messages were sent via an encrypted app, they had to rely on Google Translate to bridge the language gap, which created a plain-text trail on Google’s services . . . thereby enabling the FBI, under a U.S. surveillance warrant, to monitor their communications in real time. [Id.]

Genius.

*. *. *

Gone are the days of passing handwritten messages written in disappearing ink. Modern communications have allowed business — whether legitimate or dirty — to be conducted quickly, remotely, and (sometimes) anonymously.

Sometimes . . . but not always.

Everyone — well, everyone but Denis Alimov, apparently — knows that in today’s cyber world, there are no absolute guarantees of privacy. And as clever as you may be, there will always be someone smarter.

So, for all of its years of experience, intensive training, and outlays of cash invested in its “elite” Center 795, the Moscow intelligence community has been dealt a hugely embarrassing blow to its dignity . . . not to mention the once-secretive nature of its “top secret” corps of assassins.

Whether this revelation will result in any sort of setback to Center 795’s future operations is unknown. But at the very least, it leaves Vladimir Putin with a trace of egg on his face.

And that always cheers me up.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/20/26

The writings of Winston Churchill contain a never-ending trove of wit, whimsy and wisdom. And today’s quote is being passed along for the benefit of all of those Cabinet members and other Washington insiders who might not already have learned from Kristi Noem’s experience:

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

– Winston S. Churchill

It also might be good advice for those world leaders who haven’t yet figured it out.

Take a hint, people: The crocodile’s appetite is insatiable.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/19/26

It’s difficult to say, as the organization itself seems to remain out of the headlines except during their annual summit. But some of their individual member nations have been very much in the news lately, in ways that would appear to be giving the bloc a substantial boost in achieving its ultimate goal — which is nothing less than the establishment of a new world order to replace the existing Western-dominated political and economic systems.

And Donald Trump’s misguided war against Iran is playing right into their hands.

Last year, on February 24, 2025, I posted an article titled “BRICS is Dead; Long Live BRICS,” which read in part:

*. *. *

What he (Trump) said last week — after threatening the BRICS member nations with 150% tariffs if they attempted to promote an alternative currency to the U.S. dollar — was this:

“BRICS states were trying to destroy our dollar. They wanted to create a new currency. So when I came in, the first thing I said was any BRICS state that even mentions the destruction of the dollar will be charged a 150% tariff, and we don’t want your goods and the BRICS states just broke up. . . . I don’t know what the hell happened to them. We haven’t heard from the BRICS states lately.” [NDTV.com, February 21, 2022.]

It’s difficult to separate the truth from the imaginary in anything said by someone who can’t remember his own words. Because in January, Trump had threatened — not 150% — but a 100% tariff if the BRICS nations wanted to “play games.” [NDTV.com, February 14, 2022.] At a press briefing at that time, he was asked whether he wanted to dismantle BRICS or become a part of it, to which he responded:

“I don’t care, but BRICS was put there for a bad purpose and most of those people don’t want it. They don’t even want to talk about it now. They’re afraid to ask about it because I told them if they want to play games with the dollar, then they’re going to be hit with a 100 per cent tariff. The day they mention that they want to do it and they will come back and say we beg you, we beg you not to do this. BRICS is dead since I mentioned that. BRICS died the minute I mentioned that and now I remember when Obama and Biden, in particular, I guess he said that oh, they have us over a barrel.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

I just want to know one thing: What on earth has Donald Trump been smoking?!! Because there is not one phrase in all of that gobbledegook that makes an ounce of sense.

To begin with, BRICS is neither dead nor dying. If they were, would they have added five new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates — since last year, doubling their size? And would they have added a new membership category — “Partner States” — in 2024 to accommodate the integration of prospective members?

Those Partner States are effectively observers, not yet officially part of the BRICS bloc, but guaranteed of support from the full members. Thus far, some 22 countries have been invited to become Partner States. Only three — Algeria, Turkiye and Vietnam — had not yet confirmed their status as of mid-January.

And if, as Trump would like to believe, BRICS were indeed finished, would they even now be busily planning their 2025 Summit in July, to be hosted in Brazil?

To be sure, Donald Trump is not wrong in considering BRICS a threat to U.S. supremacy — in fact, to the entire structure of the Western world. It was founded by Vladimir Putin in 2009 for the sole purpose of building an organization strong enough to run counter to NATO, the EU, the G7, and — who knows? — possibly even the United Nations.

But if Trump thinks throwing tariffs at the member states is going to cause them to put their chairs back on the table and slink home in defeat, he is living in an alternate reality.

Because, with Vladimir Putin at the helm, it isn’t going to be that easy.

*. *. *

That was then. Fast-forward to March 2026, with the U.S. and Israel bombarding Iran and killing off its leaders, and Iran retaliating by attacking U.S. and Israeli interests throughout the Middle East . . . and, perhaps most significantly, closing the Strait of Hormuz to virtually all oil shipments — normally 20 percent of the world’s supply — thereby plunging international energy systems and markets into total chaos.

Do you remember the French uprising of 1832 as depicted in Les Miserables . . . and how the opportunist innkeeper and his wife benefited by robbing the dead of their valuables? It was a vivid illustration of a fact of life: that from every tragedy, someone finds a way to profit from other people’s misery.

And today, it is BRICS, and a number of its members, that will reap the benefits from Trump’s fiasco. Case in point:

In a futile effort to mitigate the worldwide surge in energy prices resulting from his disastrous actions, Trump has already eased sanctions against Russia, allowing it to continue selling oil to China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia and others. Russia thereby profits financially, enabling it to refill its war chest and continue its brutal invasion of Ukraine. And the purchasers obviously benefit from the availability of that cheap Russian oil.

As for China, they received an added boon when Pakistan made a deal with Iran to allow a Pakistani tanker, the MT KARACHI, through the Hormuz Strait on the condition that payment be made — not in dollars, euros, or any other Western currency — but in Chinese yuan.

Note that Russia, China, India, Brazil and Iran are all members of BRICS, and Pakistan has applied for membership. The fact that Chinese yuan are now being accepted — in fact, preferred — as payment on the world market cannot be coincidental.

BRICS is far from dead; on the contrary, it would appear to be making significant progress toward its ultimate goal. And, intentionally or otherwise, Donald Trump is helping to accelerate the process by creating the perfect conditions for its growth.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/19/26