I’ll tell you what the problem is — it’s 50 more days of bombs, missiles, drones, and ground assaults . . .

. . . 50 more days of civilians — women, children, the elderly and infirm — being killed or wounded in their homes, in schools and hospitals, or on the street . . .

. . . 50 more days of Vladimir Putin sitting in the Kremlin, strategizing with his military leaders about the best way to take control of a country in seven weeks . . .

. . . and 50 more days for Donald Trump to turn his attention to more “important” matters, like herding immigrants into concentration camps, taking revenge on people who have dared to disagree with him, and causing maximum disruption to the essential services of the very government he swore to protect.

It’s also 50 more days of Vladimir Putin and his flunkies laughing at the United States in general — and Trump in particular — for having handed him yet another gift: the gift of time.

And make no mistake . . . they are laughing.

Publicly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to make the West think that they consider Trump’s threatened 100% tariffs a “very serious” matter, telling journalists yesterday:

“We certainly need time to analyze what was said in Washington.” [Matthew Chance and Benjamin Brown, CNN, July 15, 2025.]

Sure, take your time, Dima — you’ve got another couple of months.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the other hand, was more direct, saying that further sanctions are not that much of a problem:

“We already have an unprecedented number of sanctions against us. We are coping and I have no doubt that we will cope.” [Id.]

And other Kremlin insiders are confident that 50 days will be enough time for their ever-increasing assaults on Ukraine to finish the job . . . or for Trump to completely reverse his Russia “strategy” (such as it is) yet again. One Russian legislator, Konstantin Kosachev, posted on social media:

“In 50 days, oh, how much can change, both on the battlefield and in the mood of those in power in the US and NATO. But our mood will not be affected.” [Id.]

And that sums up the problem. I’ve said it before — just yesterday, in fact — but it bears repeating: Donald Trump does not have the slightest inkling of what Vladimir Putin is really about. Trump is mercurial, reactive, and impetuous; whereas Putin, in typical Russian fashion, is proactive, plays a long game, studies his opponents to find their weaknesses, and plans his strategies in minute detail. But he is also cunning, and able to adapt to changes in circumstances when necessary.

Trump expresses frustration and “disappointment” in Putin; yet he continues to enable his adversary’s manipulations, because his self-interest is more important to him than the lives of the people of Ukraine. He wants desperately to be able to claim success in brokering an international peace agreement — perhaps to offset his massive failures at home — and thinks that he will eventually wear Putin down with sanctions.

But the odds are stacked against him; and until he recognizes and admits it, the people of Ukraine will not know a moment’s peace.

That’s what the problem is.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/16/25

When I came down south to live with family five years ago, I was looking forward to meeting Dixie the dog . . . and we quickly became good friends. The fact that she would also befriend Attila the Hun if he offered her snacks is irrelevant; all that matters is that she likes me.

I was not, however, prepared for the Cat. That’s “Cat,” with a capital “C.”

We are a family of animal lovers, so a resident feline wasn’t really going to be a problem . . . or so I thought. But I’m more of a dog person, and had never lived with a cat before, so there were bound to be some surprises. I just never anticipated having to deal with the Queen of Sheba.

To begin with, she doesn’t have a name. That’s because, when she was rescued from the local shelter years ago, my son decided there was no sense in naming someone who wouldn’t respond to being called under any circumstances — and he was right: she doesn’t. I call her “Miss Kitty,” but that’s more for my own sake than hers.

She’s an older cat, and mostly just lies around, or wanders about the house checking things out, having a little snack or a drink, and looking for her next resting spot. Trying to play with her is futile — she’s simply not interested, or too tired, or perhaps considers herself above such nonsense.

So when toys didn’t work, I began gently approaching her from time to time, ignoring her haughty expression, and letting her sniff my hand to become acquainted. And one glorious day, she allowed me to stroke her for just a few seconds before standing up and slinking away.

Whereas Dixie can never get enough love from her humans, I’ve learned that cats are much more protective of their personal space. And they make the rules as to when they may be approached. So when Miss Kitty signals that it’s all right, I am now allowed to give her a nice, gentle petting. And sometimes — when she’s in an extremely generous mood — I’ll even be honored with a tiny kitty kiss.

But she still won’t approach me. Sometimes she’ll wander into my den while I’m sitting here, but not to see me — merely to sniff around, checking things out, only to stroll out again without so much as a nod of acknowledgment.

And occasionally, I’ll spot her walking by and into my bedroom, where she either does a routine check and walks out again, or finds a cozy corner in which to hide from Dixie for a while.

So when I caught her in my peripheral vision heading for the bedroom yesterday, I looked up from my reading in time to see her pause and look directly at me with an expression that clearly said, “I’m going in there, so don’t try to stop me.” As though I would have dared.

After about 15 minutes, I got up to go to the kitchen, and thought I’d look in on Miss Kitty, as I hadn’t seen her leave the bedroom. And when I turned toward the open door, there she was — sitting up in all her regal beauty in the middle of my bed, surveying her kingdom and giving me that look that said, “I know it’s your room, but it’s my house, so everything in it belongs to me. And this is a great bed.”

And that was that. She had staked her claim, and I felt that in doing so, she had bestowed upon me a great honor: the honor of acceptance.

And it’s only taken five years.

But that’s cats for you.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/15/25

It can’t be easy — especially if you’re a self-styled “stable genius” with an ego the size of Cassiopeia — to suddenly find out that your wife is not just a pretty face, but is also smarter than you.

And that perhaps if you’d listened to her in the first place, you might actually have been able to put an end to the war in Ukraine as promised.

After all, she did grow up in Slovenia, once a part of communist Yugoslavia. If anyone would be expected to understand the workings of a totalitarian regime and its leader, she would.

You probably know by now that I’m talking about first lady Melania Trump, who keeps a very low public profile and rarely comments on political matters. But it seems that, at least now and then, she does speak to her husband . . . who, of course, is none other than Donald Trump. And one thing she told him made its way back to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a meeting in the Oval Office yesterday morning.

While discussing issues regarding a hoped-for ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Trump tossed in a personal anecdote:

“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ And she said, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit.” [Joey Garrison, USA Today, July 14, 2025.]

And — apparently finding the whole embarrassing exchange somehow worth repeating — he enlarged upon the same story at a luncheon later that day with his newly-established Faith Office gang in the White House State Dining Room:

“I’d get home, I’d say, ‘First lady [I’m sure he really calls her that, aren’t you?], I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the television, or she’ll say to me one time, ‘Wow, that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home.’” [Id.]

According to first-hand reports, there was laughter from the crowd, so maybe it was funny after all . . . if you have a warped, sadistic sense of humor.

(Note: More about the White House Faith Office coming up in a separate article.)

The real tragedy is that he still doesn’t get it. Despite his recent blustering threats of going full monty on Putin, and his protestations that he’s had it with the Russian leader’s lies and the rising death toll in Ukraine, Trump has now given him another 50 days — just short of two months — to agree to a “deal” or face crippling tariffs.

And in a late phone call with the BBC, he still maintained that he is “disappointed but not done with Vladimir Putin.” When pressed by the interviewer as to whether he trusts Putin, he replied, “I trust almost no-one.” [Gary O’Donoghue, BBC, July 15, 2025.]

Which doesn’t exactly answer the question, does it?

*. *. *

In May and June of this year, an estimated 415 Ukrainian civilians were killed by Putin’s barrages, and another 2,179 injured. [Google AI-Overview.] And Trump — who repeatedly expresses horror at the unnecessary casualties of the ongoing war — has just given Putin enough time to take aim at that many additional civilians . . . or more.

And he thinks his wife’s comments are amusing.

It boggles the mind . . . and turns the stomach.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/15/25

But she’ll be fine. It’s just that Trump wants to revoke her citizenship . . . another one of his brilliant criminal schemes, concocted in a moment of childish, petulant, vengeful anger at a person who dares call him out for the demented monster she sees him to be.

As a comedian, I thought Rosie was terrific. As a political activist, I do not agree with everything she advocates, but — to paraphrase the old saying — I will defend to the death her right to her opinions, and her absolute right to express them in her own, inimitable fashion.

Not so Donald Trump, who first found himself the butt of O’Donnell’s caustic wit back in 2006, and who has considered her a major irritant ever since. And when — between the time of his election in November 2024 and his inauguration in January of this year — O’Donnell packed up and moved to Ireland, declaring that she would not return to the U.S. until Trump and his administration are “completely finished and hopefully held accountable for their crimes against the nation,” he apparently decided she needed to be dealt with in the only way he knows how: by punishing her for daring to exercise her Constitutional rights.

On Saturday, he posted on his personal social network:

“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” [Alexandra Marquez and Lindsey Pipia, NBC News, July 12, 2025.]

“He really believes he can do that?!!”

Well, he can’t . . . because Rosie O’Donnell is a natural-born U.S. citizen, who — despite Trump’s personal opinion of her — is hardly a “Threat to Humanity.” Period, end of discussion. And if you don’t believe me, read your Constitution; nowhere does it say you can deport a citizen for being gay or having a big mouth.

Unless, of course — as in Trump’s most delusional fantasies — he manages to change the Constitution. After all, his idol, Vladimir Putin, does it to the Russian Constitution all the time . . .

But Rosie doesn’t need anyone to fight her battles for her. She has already responded on Instagram, uploading a picture of Trump with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and saying:

“I’m everything you fear. A loud woman, a queer woman, a mother who tells the truth, an American who got out of the country before you set it ablaze. You are everything that is wrong with America — and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it.

“You want to revoke my citizenship? Go ahead and try, King Joffrey with a tangerine spray tan” . . . referencing the fictional, tyrannical boy-king from Game of Thrones. [Callum Sutherland, Time.com, July 13, 2025.]

It seems Trump isn’t content unless he’s publicly feuding with someone: Elon Musk, former appointees from his first administration, a journalist or two, or any well-known Democrat who happens to wander into his line of sight. But he really needs to be more careful in choosing his enemies.

Because in this battle, the smart money is on Rosie. She’s wittier, she’s brighter, and she’s got nothing to lose.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/15/25

Despite their on-again-off-again differences over the years, China and Russia are, for the most part, ideological soulmates. And as the two most powerful founding members of BRICS, they are on a shared journey toward what they hope will be both political and economic world dominance.

In fact, a classified EU report in May concluded that, since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, China has been responsible for “approximately 80 percent” of the circumventions of international sanctions against Russia . . . thus, even if indirectly, helping to finance Putin’s illegal war of attrition. [Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RL, July 12, 2025.]

But despite evidence to the contrary, Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly remained neutral when asked for his thoughts about the war, claiming that China respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, while also recognizing Russia’s security concerns.

Now, however, sitting on that political fence may be starting to chafe a bit. During a lengthy meeting in Brussels last week between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Wang voiced Beijing’s objections to the EU’s charges that Russia has been using Chinese products in its attack on Ukraine . . . and admitted that Beijing fears potential Western sanctions against Chinese financial institutions. Wang is also said to have stated that Beijing could not accept a defeat of Russia in the war, because it would leave Washington free to focus on China. [Id.]

Wow! Just . . . wow!

So let’s see if I have this straight: It’s in Xi’s best interests to help Putin keep the war going, in order to continue directing Trump’s principal focus toward Russia. But if Xi does that, he risks both U.S. and EU sanctions that could seriously affect his country’s economy. And that, in turn, might force him to reduce his financial assistance to his friend in the Kremlin, which would have . . . to say the least . . . a deleterious effect on their friendship.

If I’m right, that puts Xi Jinping in — to borrow the words of my precocious, then-three-year-old granddaughter — a very precarious position.

I know one thing for certain: In these circumstances, I wouldn’t want to be in Xi’s shoes.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/14/25

I’m reasonably certain a psychiatrist, or perhaps a neurologist specializing in disorders of the brain, would tell me it’s quite a common — even normal — phenomenon . . . for someone of my age, at any rate. Which is the next-to-last thing I want to hear (the last, of course, being a diagnosis of an actual brain disorder).

But neither do I want to hear about the age thing. Because throughout the years, as I’ve been learning to live with the physical ravages of time, I’ve told myself I’ll be fine as long as I don’t go completely bonkers . . . only now, I’m not so sure how that’s going either.

No, I haven’t forgotten what year it is, or where I live, or who is sitting in the White House (though, God knows, I’d like to forget that one). And I remember to take my prescription medications every day, and what each one is for; I haven’t yet worn my underwear outside my clothes; and I know that the mayonnaise goes into the refrigerator and the dirty dishes belong in the dishwasher.

So it’s not senility that has me grumpy . . . it’s just words.

I have a fairly impressive vocabulary . . . or I used to. And I know that everyone — even some of my younger friends — will have an occasional “brain fart” and go blank on a word or a name from time to time. But lately I find myself turning more and more frequently to my iPhone’s dictionary for the right . . . you know . . . that thing . . . what’s it called? . . . oh, yeah . . . the right word. Especially adjectives.

Memory is a strange thing. I can name, in nearly alphabetical order, all 50 states of the United States, and most of their capitals. I can also recall the 15 former Soviet Republics (now independent nations), grouped by location/ethnicity: 4 Slavic, 3 Caucasian, 3 Baltic, and 5 Central Asian.

But the other day, I had to ask the thesaurus to find a synonym for “despot.” You can probably guess who I was writing about at the time.

I remember — from 10th-grade Biology class — the names of all of the major bones of the human body.

But the name of one of my favorite actresses — the one who played the Dowager Empress in Downton Abbey — totally vanished from memory. Yes, I’m talking about the late, unforgettable Maggie Smith.

And I can still recite portions of Shakespeare’s soliloquies learned decades ago — Lady Macbeth’s mad scene, Marc Antony’s eulogy at Caesar’s funeral, and other equally useful bits and pieces — as well as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

But I’m damned if I can remember anything from the last book I read . . . including the title!

If I could carry a tune (sadly, I’m one of the 20% who can’t), I could sing the lyrics to nearly every song from nearly every musical produced between 1950 and 1990 (with the exception of Cabaret and a couple of others I didn’t care for).

But recently I had to look up the word for . . .

Oh, crap! Now I’ve forgotten what word I was looking for. See what I mean? I’ll never be chosen as a contestant on Jeopardy now!

*. *. *

I think you get my point. It’s not dementia, or senility, thank goodness. It’s “normal” — for someone of my age, that is. But it’s totally frustrating, infuriating, annoying, irritating, exasperating, and . . .

Oops . . . give me a second, will you, while I look up a few more adjectives?

And such is life in the slow lane.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/14/25

When Mikhail Baryshnikov leapt across the stage of the Kennedy Center’s Opera House, there was a moment — just a few seconds, really, though it seemed an eternity — when he hung suspended in mid-air, his forward trajectory halted, gravity inexplicably defied.

Even above the strains of Tchaikovsky’s majestic music, the collective gasp of the audience was clearly audible. Then, as time stopped, no one breathed. And finally, the dancer’s momentum propelled him forward once more, his feet silently touched the stage floor, and we — the fortunate witnesses to this miracle — exhaled as one.

That night in the early 1980s — seeing Baryshnikov dance Tchaikovsky’s immortal Swan Lake — was without question the most memorable of my many years of memorable and varied theater experiences. And it would not have been possible had he not been permitted, some eight or ten years earlier in 1974, to perform with the Bolshoi Ballet in Toronto, Canada . . . where he defected from the Soviet Union, seeking political asylum and eventually gaining citizenship in the United States.

It was the era of the Cold War, when U.S.-Soviet relations were at a treacherously low level. Yet cultural exchanges were still taking place, with Russia’s famous ballet companies, concert orchestras, and folk dancers appearing throughout the world . . . always accompanied, of course, by an easily-recognizable contingent of KGB minders.

Of course, we sent our American stars over there as well. Jazz and rock musicians were particular favorites, and Russian audiences were thrilled to see and hear the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, and others.

The exchanges were meant to bridge cultural divides and foster goodwill. How well they worked is debatable; but one thing is certain: everyone who was privileged to attend the performances, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, had a hell of a good time; and — for a few hours at least — Americans and Russians forgot that they were supposed to hate each other.

*. *. *

But that was then. The Cold War — in theory, at least — ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 (although we’re still spying the daylights out of each other, but that’s a whole different story). Until recently, thanks to the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, business transactions, sporting competitions, cultural and educational exchanges, and personal travel between Russia and the countries of the West have thrived.

And then, on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and in place of a cold war, there was a real war taking place in Europe of a magnitude not seen since World War II. Russia has once again become a pariah in the free world, and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Europe have affected every facet of Russian society, including individuals generally considered non-political.

So when Vincenzo de Luca, President of the Campania region of Italy, recently invited Russian conductor Valery Gergiev — director of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters and a close ally of Vladimir Putin — to perform at a concert festival later this month, he ran into some serious opposition.

De Luca’s position is that “Culture … must not be influenced by politics and political logic. We do not ask these men to answer for the choices made by politicians.” He had previously called Europe’s ban on pro-Putin artists “a moment of stupidity — a moment of madness” at the start of the war, and now says he is proud to welcome Gergiev to the festival. [Sarah Rainsford, BBC, July 12, 2025.]

On the opposite side of the debate is Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, who has said that Gergiev’s return would be “absolutely unacceptable,” and called the conductor a “cultural mouthpiece for Putin and his crimes.” [Id.]

Needless to say, that is also the position being taken by people like Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk, who said that inviting Gergiev was “hypocrisy,” not neutrality. And the exiled members of the late Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation want the concert cancelled, and have called upon Italy’s interior ministry to ban Gergiev from entering the country. [Id.]

*. *. *

So what’s the solution?

I sorely miss the old days, when it was “sexy” and exciting to attend a performance of the Bolshoi, the Kirov, or the Moiseyev Folk Dancers at the Kennedy Center. I even recall seeing the incredible Leningrad Dixieland Jazz Band at the Smithsonian Institution in the ‘70s, with the then Soviet Ambassador in the audience.

But those were different times, when we still innocently believed — or at least hoped — that peaceful coexistence was possible. Today, in the world of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump . . . well, not so much.

So, as much as I’d like to take Mr. de Luca’s side, realistically I don’t see how I can. Because sanctions can’t work if we make exceptions.

How I miss the good old days!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/13/25

Five days ago, it was announced that Russia’s leading independent election-monitoring group, Golos (“Voice”), had been forced to shut down its operations due to continued threats from the Putin administration.

Golos’ co-chair, Grigory Melkonyants, had been sentenced in May to five years in prison on charges of carrying on activities for an officially-designated “undesirable” organization, the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) . . . deemed “undesirable” because its investigations revealed election violations and irregularities the Kremlin obviously did not want exposed.

The people then remaining at Golos issued a statement upon closing their doors:

“The verdict leaves us no choice. This is the end of a story which, according to investigators and the court, lasted 25 years. The arrest and imprisonment of our friend and colleague had one goal: to make Golos fall silent.” [RFE/RL, July 8, 2025.]

And so it has. But Grigory Melkonyants’ name will not fall silent; it will be called out each week along with the others on our list of political hostages being held in Putin’s prisons . . . while their countries, their families and their colleagues continue to fight for their release.

So, once again, here they are:

Prisoners of War:

The People of Ukraine
The Azov 12

Political Prisoners:

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

In Russia, except as otherwise indicated:

David Barnes
Ales Bialiatski (in Belarus)
Gordon Black
Andrei Chapiuk (in Belarus)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Sergey Karelin
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Uladzimir Labkovich (in Belarus)
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Ihar Losik (in Belarus)
Mikita Losik (in Belarus)
Daniel Martindale
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Marfa Rabkova (in Belarus)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Eugene Spector
Valiantsin Stafanovic (in Belarus)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland
Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)

. . . and any others I may have overlooked.

One more time.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendohchka
7/13/25

This world isn’t big enough for two Caesars . . . yet, as though by way of some diabolical cosmic joke, that is what we’ve got.

In fact, we are currently blessed with a plethora of autocrats: Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Aleksandr Lukashenko, and a whole bunch of Middle Eastern potentates, to name a few. But the two who stand out from the crowd — due to their good fortune in having been born in the two most powerful nations on Earth — are, of course, the Joy Boys of modern political vaudeville . . . let’s hear it now, for . . . Donnie and Vlad!

Unfortunately, it’s not a joke. Because each of these two firmly believes he has a divine right to rule the world. And each is determined to do just that . . . despite the fact that both have already outlasted their respective life expectancies by a couple of years.

*. *. *

Vladimir Putin has been in office for a quarter of a century, and has rigged Russia’s constitution so that he could well fulfill his ambition of being “Tsar for Life.” In 25 years, he has taken a country that was on a path of political and economic reform, and turned it back into a Stalinist nightmare of repression, fear, and uncertainty.

Openly declaring his belief that the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, he has embarked on a new crusade of expansionism by any means: if enticement doesn’t work, he resorts to threats; and if threats fail to do the trick, there is always invasion.

Just ask anyone in Ukraine.

And other neighboring countries — former Soviet Bloc nations and the Baltics — are already building their defenses in anticipation of the worst-case scenario. Under Putin, the Russian Empire — like the Roman Empire of old — is on the march.

His own words, spoken at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 20th of this year, sum it up perfectly:

“There’s an old rule that wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that’s ours.”

Enough said.

*. *. *

Donald Trump hasn’t invaded any other countries . . . yet. But he has tried enticing — and even tossed out a couple of undisguised threats at — both Greenland and Canada. And he did drop a few bombs on Iran at Israel’s behest, and has toyed with the idea of turning Gaza into the next Riviera.

His principal focus, however — during the less than six months since re-taking the White House — has been on waging all-out war against his own country. Usurping the powers of Congress and the Supreme Court, and ignoring the existence of the U.S. Constitution, he has:

> decimated the most essential government agencies, thus creating havoc, interrupting vital services, and putting thousands of people out of work;

> stacked his Cabinet and agency hierarchies with people whose only qualification is absolute fealty to him;

> brutally and illegally rounded up immigrants, the vast majority of whom are hard-working family people innocent of any crime, and — without due process of law — herded them into concentration camps pending deportation to third-world countries;

> completely reversed decades of progress toward the guarantee of equal rights for all, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation; and punished institutions of learning and culture that have refused to comply with his unconstitutional executive orders;

> attempted (sometimes successfully) to stifle the media that dare to expose his illegal actions; and

> himself committed crimes of which he has been found guilty in the nation’s courts.

Having established his domestic autocracy, he now feels free to unleash his bullying tactics on the rest of the world: outrageous tariffs, sanctions and threats against historically friendly nations, and denigration of the institutions responsible for having thus far prevented a third world war: the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, etc.

He — like his idol, Vladimir Putin — believes that it is his God-given right to rule the world. But their backgrounds could not be more different. If I may indulge in a little amateur armchair analysis:

Putin is driven by an unquenchable lust for power stemming from a deep-seated inferiority complex. He grew up in near-poverty. He was teased, being short and slightly built; but he was also smart. So he developed a toughness in order to survive, and worked his way up — often by ruthless means — all the way to the top.

Trump, on the other hand, came from wealth, privilege, and a sense of entitlement. Having been taught that the world was his for the taking, he suffers from a narcissistic belief that he is special and is thus entitled to grab whatever he desires . . . from money, to women, to political office.

In short: Putin will not tolerate dissent; Trump cannot.

But despite their different histories, they have separately arrived at the same place in life: at the head of their respective countries, with only one goal remaining to be reached: King of the World.

Two Caesars, one world.

And when Titans clash . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/12/25

That’s not quite the way Frank Sinatra sang it, but old Blue Eyes never imagined Donald Trump would one day be trying to turn the Big Apple into his own federal playground.

Which is pretty much what he has threatened to do if the newly-nominated mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, is elected mayor of New York City.

Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, and emigrated to the United States at age seven with his family; he holds dual Ugandan and American citizenship. He presently serves as a New York State Assemblyman from the 36th (Queens) district. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America.

And Donald Trump has pledged to use federal power to seize control of New York City if Mamdani — whom Trump has labeled as a communist — is elected mayor.

Trump told the media during a Cabinet meeting in Washington:

“If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same. But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places where we have to. New York City will run properly. I’m going to bring New York back. I love New York. We’re going to straighten out New York. It’s going to — maybe we’re going to have to straighten it out from Washington.” [Steven Nelson, New York Post, July 8, 2025.]

Right . . . he loves New York so much, he thought nothing of ditching it for Florida when it became financially advantageous to leave . . . something to do with a tax liability, if I recall correctly.

Typically, Trump offered no legal basis for his purported authority to seize control of New York City. But he did add:

“We’re going to do something for New York. I can’t tell you what yet, but we’re going to make New York great again. Also, we’re going to make it great again with the country.” [Id.]

Whatever that means.

*. *. *

But since bigger is always better in Trump’s world, a takeover of New York City apparently isn’t enough for him. When he had finished with that subject, he turned his attention to the nation’s capital:

“We could run DC. I mean, we’re, we’re looking at DC. We don’t want crime in DC. We want the city to run well,” he said. [Id.]

Well, I can help him with that one. If he wants to eliminate crime in Washington . . . if he really wants the city to run well . . . he could just leave it, the way he left New York.

I understand El Salvador is lovely in July.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/12/25