“He who thinks new favors will cause great personages to forget old injuries deceives himself.”

– Niccolo Machiavelli (c. 1503),
on the election of Pope Julius II

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/12/25

I suppose, if you’ve planned ahead to have a very large family, you could simply start naming them Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, and so on, through the entire phonetic alphabet. (I’m not sure what numbers 21 and 23 would think about being called Uniform and Whiskey; and number 16 — Papa — might be a big confusing; but they’ll just have to deal with it, the same way they deal with being among the last ones in the hand-me-down-clothes hierarchy.

But seriously, I wrote last week about a U.S. movement referred to as pronatalism, which not only favors large families in order to grow the country’s population, but suggests — not so subtly — that those of us who choose not to follow their example are somehow un-American.

As sort of poster children for this movement are the Collinses of Pennsylvania: Malcolm and Simone, and their four (soon to be five) little ones, with plans for as many as half a dozen more.

Now, I am not inherently opposed to large families. In fact, I think they’re great, as long as the parents truly love children, and have the wherewithal to care for them properly, to give them the individual attention they need, and to provide them with a good start toward happy and productive lives. But it’s not a suitable lifestyle for everyone. And this is what most avid pronatalists seem to overlook. Much like extremists of all stripes, they are convinced that what is right for them is right . . . period.

And this one-size-fits-all lifestyle is a real movement that shows signs of spreading. In late March, a group of roughly 200 advocates met in Texas for the second annual Natal Conference — a weekend-long event costing around $1,000 to attend. The attendees come from two very different branches of the American right: conservative Christians, as well as members of the so-called “tech right” — a growing group sprouting from the libertarian culture of Silicon Valley. [Stephanie Hegarty, BBC, April 1, 2025.]

At this point, you may be wondering: “Well, so what? If they want to form a congregation of like-minded families, what’s wrong with that?”

And the answer is: On its face, absolutely nothing. They can form any sort of organization they choose; they can incorporate if they like, or even call it a religion. That is their inalienable right as U.S. citizens.

That is, unless and until they try to bring the government into it, which is what Malcolm Collins says they have been trying to do. They view some members of the Trump administration as potential allies, and are attempting to capitalize on what they see as possibilities.

For example, they point to:

— Elon Musk — the father of some 12 or more children — who has called fertility decline “the biggest danger civilisation faces, by far,” and who is said to have donated $10 million to a Texas organization known as the Population Wellbeing Initiative, which conducts research into fertility, parenting, and the future of population growth.

— Vice President JD Vance — who has been outspoken in his support of increased procreation, and said at an anti-abortion rally in January: “I want more babies in the United States.”

— Donald Trump — who, though not yet having spoken out in support of wholesale baby-making, did sign an executive order on February 18th to improve access for IVF that recognized “the importance of family formation and that our nation’s public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.” [Id.]

*. *. *

But why am I so bothered by this? For one simple reason: the Feenstra family, late of Saskatchewan, Canada, and now on track to citizenship in Russia. I’ve written enough about them in the past year that I almost feel as though I know them personally. They sold their farm and left Canada with eight of their nine children (the eldest son chose to stay behind) on the promise of being able to buy a farm in Russia, where they could escape the liberal, “woke” politics of their native Canada.

And, after a somewhat rocky start, they have found what they wanted: a couple of hundred acres (which they don’t really own because foreigners are not allowed to own land in Russia), on which they have built a house and other farm buildings, and are on their way to becoming a thriving, profit-making enterprise.

And, more importantly, they say they are able to live their chosen ultra-conservative lives, worshiping as they choose despite the absence of any church they can attend; associating with other conservative families; and proselytizing for Vladimir Putin’s program of . . . wait for it . . .

Population growth.

And there you have it. Last year — 2024 — was Russia’s “Year of the Family,” with celebrations and prizes given to those families who best exemplified Putin’s ideal . . . which included the Feenstras.

Putin’s Procreation Party was a big, splashy, year-long push for a baby boom to offset the years of population decline caused by a combination of factors: the flight of those who opposed his regime and knew they were in danger of arrest, or simply couldn’t live with it any longer; and the loss of tens — perhaps hundreds — of thousands of young men to Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

It was taken so seriously, there were even punishments meted out to those — such as teachers and doctors — who dared express a different view.

And it is the echoes of those events in Russia that haunt me as I see Trump trying to rid the United States of immigrants he considers “undesirable,” while offering $5 million “gold card” visas to wealthy foreigners more to his liking.

In other words, cull the herd of the weakest and least productive, while breeding — and even importing — a “superior” strain. Might it lead to selective breeding . . . or eugenics? That much is not yet clear.

*. *. *

And is this movement really finding its way into government circles?

In the interest of brevity . . . though I fear I’ve already passed that point . . . I’ll stop here for the moment, and address that further issue in a separate chapter.

As if we don’t already have enough to keep us awake at night.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/12/25

First there were three years of increasingly stringent sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hitting hard at the aggressor’s economic and political standing, pushing them gradually into a corner from which they would only be able to emerge by making concessions to end their so-called “special military operation.”

And it was working . . . until Donald Trump re-entered the White House; began turning our long-time, proven allies against us; and made the first overtures toward a reconciliation with his old pal, Vladimir Putin. . . .

. . . thereby, in a matter of just weeks, knocking the entire world onto its collective ass.

While people throughout the world have been struggling to cope with the fallout from Trump’s insane tariffs, his immigration obsession, his mass firings of the people who actually keep the U.S. government running, and his psychotic revenge actions against everyone who has ever pissed him off throughout his lifetime . . .

. . . while we’ve been too distracted by all of this to pay as much attention as we should to the man in the Kremlin, Trump has managed to bring him out of his corner and back into a position of world power.

And who has been Trump’s most helpful aide in his discussions with Putin? Secretary of State Marco Rubio? Only moderately. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth? I know I heard snickering at that one. (Oh, sorry . . . that was me.)

No, it has been Trump’s envoy to just about everywhere . . . the billionaire with zero experience in foreign affairs, diplomacy, or any branch of government operations: real estate developer Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff claims bragging rights for our having gotten a couple of hostages back from Russia recently, which unquestionably is a very good thing. But if he and Trump believe that it was due to our side’s superior negotiating skills, they are delusional.

Because Vladimir Putin does nothing without a reason, and that reason is always . . . ALWAYS . . . whatever will be of the greatest benefit to him. He is a master of “palace intrigue” — a fact that Donald Trump has never understood or acknowledged, as it would diminish his image of himself as the world’s greatest deal-maker.

There are those with proven expertise who understand, and are alarmed by, the extent to which both Trump and Witkoff are outclassed by Putin. David Kramer, who formerly held a senior position at the State Department during the George W. Bush administration, had this to say about Witkoff:

“The fact that he lacks the context and history of how Russians negotiate and deal with the American side is, I think, a problem. Putin says nice things to him, gives him a portrait of the president, talks about going to church and praying for his friend (Trump). Those are pretty old KGB tactics. And Witkoff, I don’t think, has the awareness to understand what is going on there.” [Ray Furlong, RFE/RL, April 11, 2025.]

According to his biography, Steve Witkoff’s paternal grandparents came to this country from Russia. So did all four of my grandparents . . . but that doesn’t qualify me to negotiate peace terms — or anything else — with Vladimir Putin. The difference is that I know my limitations.

But our government is currently being run by people who don’t even believe they have limitations . . . and that is beyond terrifying.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/12/25

On October 2, 2024, I reported on the start of a trial in Moscow of four Russian journalists accused of working with an “extremist organization” — Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) — some three years earlier. The four — Konstantin Gabov, Antonina Favorskaya, Artyom Kriger, and Sergey Karelin — have been on my hostage list since their closed trial, with no further news of them.

Yesterday it was reported that their closed-door trial has finally been concluded, though it is unclear why it has taken six months to reach this point. The “crime” with which they are charged carries a penalty of up to six years in prison; prosecutors have asked for prison terms of five years and eleven months for each of the defendants, alleging that they created materials for the FBK’s YouTube channel.

Two of the accused — Gabov and Karelin — are freelancers who have worked for various news organizations, including Reuters and The Associated Press (AP), respectively.

A Reuters spokesman has said that “Konstantin Gabov is a freelance journalist who between 2022 and 2024 occasionally contributed to Reuters as a desk producer, editing video and scripting stories assigned to him. We have no evidence that shows the charges against him relate to his freelance work at Reuters. Reuters is deeply committed to freedom of the press and opposes the imprisonment of any journalist for doing their job. Journalists must be free to report the news in the public interest without fear of harassment or harm, wherever they are.” [Mark Trevelyan and Lucy Papachristou, Reuters, April 10, 2025.]

Both Favorskaya and Kriger work for SOTAvision, an independent news outlet that has also been designated by the Russian government as a “foreign agent.” Favorskaya recorded the last video of Navalny in a court hearing the day before his death.

SOTAvision’s founder, Aleksandra Ageeva — also listed in Russia as a foreign agent — said:

“Why are the court hearings closed? The judge came today escorted by men carrying automatic weapons. Who are they afraid of? Or is it a gesture of intimidation? It is absurd.” [Id.]

*. *. *

These four journalists are not Americans; but not all of the hostages on our list are. They are, however, all believers in freedom and justice, and daily put their lives on the line to fight for those principles.

Justice is blind; it is the birthright of every individual, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. And so we continue to honor Putin’s hostages, and to fight for their release.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/11/25

We’ve all heard the aphorism that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Conversely, remembering historic events should help us to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past . . . shouldn’t it?

In the hope that there is some truth in that, I’ve taken another little voyage in my online time machine and found a few items from previous April 11ths that might be worth noting as examples for these turbulent political times.

1814: Despite having instituted many much-needed political and social reforms during his reign, Napoleon Bonaparte blew it when he misread Russia’s intentions and staged a preemptive invasion of that inhospitable country in the summer of 1812 . . . resulting in the notorious forced retreat of the French troops as the fighting dragged on and the brutal Russian winter finished off the majority of what was left of them. As a result, Napoleon was forced to abdicate, and was exiled to the Island of Elba. [“This Day In History,” History.com, April 11, 2025.]

Shockingly, however, the cunning Napoleon managed to escape his exile, returned to Paris, regrouped, and regained his position as Emperor. But his second term in office proved more disastrous than the first, when he was again defeated — this time by a coalition army led by Britain’s Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.

Result: Another forced abdication and exile, but farther away to the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena . . . where he remained until his death in 1821.

And to this day, there are leaders who haven’t learned not to mess with Russia. Astonishing!

*. *. *

1951: General Douglas MacArthur was a brilliant military leader who, in the early days of the Korean conflict, had devised strategies and maneuvers that helped save South Korea from falling to the North Korean invaders. But as the war pressed on into its second year, he convinced then President Harry Truman to take offensive action against communist North Korea. Truman feared — quite rightly — that the People’s Republic of China would then jump to the defense of its North Korean ally, and refused to escalate the war further; but MacArthur argued that there was little chance of that happening. [Id.]

Well, he was wrong, and at the end of December 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops crossed into North Korea . . . and the rest, as they say, is well-known history.

On April 11, 1951, President Truman fired MacArthur, replacing him with General Matthew Ridgway.

MacArthur had let his ego and his blustering nature overtake reason, and led the country in a direction that brought the Korean people — and the United States — two more years of horrific war. For that, he lost his job, and his legacy was forever tarnished.

*. *. *

1979: Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is well known as one of the most violent dictators of modern times. As head of the Uganda army and air force, he seized control of the government in 1971, where he undertook a reign of terror that lasted for eight years. Finally, on April 11, 1979, he was overthrown by the Uganda National Liberation Front and fled the country.

No other country wanted him, but he was finally allowed to settle in Saudi Arabia. However, once a tyrant, always a tyrant; and in an effort to regain his position in Uganda, he left his place of exile via Zaire, where he was arrested and offered back to the Saudi government, which had no further use for him. He was then sent to Senegal, but he was not welcome there either, and the Senegalese government attempted to return him to Zaire, who likewise refused him admittance. It was the Saudi government that finally relented and allowed him to live out his remaining years there, until he finally died of kidney failure in 2003. [Id.]

*. *. *

And that, dear students, is what ultimately happens to brutal, egomaniacal, narcissistic, psychopathic dictators.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/11/25

On April 8th, I expressed my disbelief and horror at the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national married to a U.S. citizen, who was wrongly shipped off to a mega-prison in El Salvador on the erroneous accusation of being a gang member . . . when in fact he had been granted asylum here when his life was threatened by those very gangs in his home country.

Despite a District Court’s order that he be brought back to the U.S. by last Monday night, the Trump administration refused to do so and filed a motion with the Supreme Court to overrule the order.

In response to that motion, Chief Justice Roberts extended the Monday deadline for Abrego Garcia’s return in what initially appeared to be a possible reversal of the District Court’s ruling. But yesterday, the Supreme Court did its job, and meted out justice. In a brief order, it said that the Court:

“ . . . properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” [Justin Jouvenal and Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, April 10, 2025.]

The order further stated that the Trump administration should be prepared to “share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.” [Id.]

There were no dissents noted to the ruling; and in fact, the Court’s three liberal justices — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson — chastised the Trump administration, stating that its argument “implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U.S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene.” [Id.]

And that, dear readers, is how you run a democracy!

Now we await the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia to his home and family. Let’s see how quickly the administration moves to correct their mistake — just one of the . . . oh, hell! I’ve lost count, and it hasn’t even been three months yet.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/11/25

Ksenia Karelina is free!

One of our hostages is returning home following a quiet exchange that took place earlier today in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

More details to follow in my weekly hostage status report on Sunday . . . but for now, I just wanted to share the good news and to celebrate Ksenia’s return to freedom.

And to say thank you to all who made it possible.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/10/25

Three years gone, and the pain has not diminished. I doubt it ever will.

You fought the good fight for 26 years, and made this world a far better place with your brilliance, your humor, and your loving kindness. You couldn’t save everyone, but you did touch so many.

Rest well, precious angel, knowing that you are missed and loved forever.

All my love, always,
Nana

“So wise so young, they say, do never live long.”
– Shakespeare, Richard III, Act 3, Scene 1

Today marks the second meeting in Istanbul between U.S. and Russian delegations to discuss normalization of operations in their respective diplomatic missions. The meeting is to be attended by Russian Ambassador to the United States Aleksandr Darchiyev and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sonata Coulter.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on April 8th that there would be no political or security issues discussed at the meeting, and stressed that the war in Ukraine would “absolutely not” be on the agenda:

“These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalizing a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we’ve noted, once there’s peace between Russia and Ukraine.” [RFE/RL, April 9, 2025.]

And my question is: Why bother?

If this meeting is strictly about returning our embassies to full operational status . . . while overall normalization of relations depends first and foremost on a lasting peace in Ukraine . . . then this trip to Istanbul is nothing more than an opportunity to partake of some good Turkish food.

Because back in Ukraine, Russian assaults at the front have heated up to the point where, according to Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi:

“For several days, almost a week, we have been observing almost a doubling of the number of enemy attacks in all main directions [on the frontline].” [Reuters, April 9, 2025.]

In addition to the recent massacre of civilians, including nine children, at Kryvyi Rih, a Russian offensive has begun in the regions of Kharkiv and Sumy. And Russian troops are said to be close to pushing Ukrainian forces out of the area Ukraine has occupied in the Kursk region (across the border from Sumy) since last August. [Id.]

Could it be any more obvious that Vladimir Putin has no intention of bringing this devastating war of attrition to an end in the near future? His endless stalling of negotiations, constantly changing or adding to his demands, are an undisguised ploy to allow him time to gain more and more territory that he will then claim as his own, all the while weakening Ukraine’s bargaining position.

So the diplomats might just as well have saved themselves the trouble and expense. I hope they at least enjoyed the lunch.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/10/25

It’s not particularly surprising — though always unnerving — to suddenly be confronted by someone like this on the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg, or virtually anywhere in Russia. They are members of OMON — military special police — and they are not known for their restraint.

But to see masked enforcers — even unarmed — suddenly materializing on the streets of American cities, towns, or college campuses, and whisking people off in unmarked vehicles is, to say the very least, horrifying.

This is what happened during Stalin’s purges in the Soviet Union, and Hitler’s extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany. We just don’t do that here.

Or we didn’t, until this year, when xenophobia became rampant in Washington’s halls of government, and a well-orchestrated roundup of “undesirables” and “idiots” (Secretary of State Rubio’s word for protesters) was begun.

The wholesale deportation of immigrants was well underway when we began hearing of individuals — legally in the U.S. on student visas — being snatched from their daily routines to be sent back to their various countries without notice and without cause, other than being from the “wrong” country, or simply having said something that someone in Washington didn’t like.

In some cases, the people doing the snatching have been masked and otherwise unidentifiable, allegedly for their own protection from retribution.

And if that doesn’t sound like a giant step toward full-out fascism . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/9/25