“Donald Trump has said the US will not attend the G20 summit in South Africa over widely discredited claims that white people are being persecuted in the country.” [Andre Rhoden-Paul, BBC, November 8, 2025.]

I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

I haven’t yet gotten over Trump’s fixation with the White South Africans (Afrikaners) who claim persecution by their government, or his fast-tracking their immigration to the U.S. while blocking entry of asylum-seekers from nearly every other country.

But now he is spitefully refusing to attend the all-important upcoming G20 summit because it is being held in Johannesburg — as though he is in a position to lecture others on the subjects of fairness, morals, ethics, or human rights.

Yet somehow, he, in his perpetual delusional state, truly believes that he is. After first announcing that JD Vance would attend in his place, he changed his mind again and wrote on social media:

“Afrikaners (people who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue.” [Id.]

Does he even know what’s going on right here at home?!! Apparently not; he’s too busy adding more tacky gold to his Billionaires’ Ballroom.

Meanwhile, there has been no evidence of a White genocide taking place in South Africa, whose foreign ministry issued the following statement:

“The South African government wishes to state, for the record, that the characterisation of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical. Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution, is not substantiated by fact.” [Id.]

So, as the titular leader of the world’s most powerful country — in control of the world’s largest economy — Donald Trump is abdicating his responsibility to attend a vital economic conference with the world’s other major powers because he disapproves of something that may, or may not, be happening in the host country. Wouldn’t you think he’d welcome the opportunity to check out the situation in person?

But no . . . he’s already made up his mind. And in any event, he’s engrossed in negotiating business deals with Russia, China, North Korea, and other totalitarian governments. There’s no time for fact-checking.

Could someone please explain his reasoning to me? Because I am at a total loss.

And lest he should think he will be gaining any leverage over the South African government by threatening to absent himself from the summit, he should consider the statement of Foreign Ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri, who called Trump’s decision “regrettable,” but said that the success of the summit will not “rest on one member state.”

He added that Trump was “orchestrating an imagined crisis . . . using the painful history of South Africa’s colonial past,” and that there was “absolutely no evidence of white persecution in South Africa. South Africa does have its problems and we are dealing with those. I think crime affects everyone, regardless of their race.” [Id.]

And then he concluded:

“We will move on without the United States.” [Id.]

*. *. *

And that, in just eight words, is where Donald Trump’s so-called foreign and domestic policies have taken the United States: from the world’s most trusted, respected, relied-upon model of freedom and democracy to expendable has-been — just another “member state.” All in ten short months.

We are so . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/10/25

Is it time to worry? Or is there a simple reason for the absence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov from the most recent meeting of Vladimir Putin’s Security Council, and the cancellation of his scheduled attendance at the upcoming G20 session in Johannesburg, South Africa?

Lavrov was the only permanent member of the Security Council to miss the meeting on Wednesday, November 5th — the day after Putin had signed a decree appointing a more junior official — economist and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maksim Oreshkin — to head the delegation to the G20.

There could, of course, be any number of reasons for his absence. He might have been assigned a task by Putin that would take him elsewhere for a while; he might, at age 75, have been taken ill; or — as anyone familiar with Russian history and political intrigues would be likely to suspect — there might be some major changes underway in the Kremlin hierarchy.

At least that was the rumor circulating around Moscow on Wednesday when the daily business publication Kommersant noted the two coinciding events, citing “informed sources” who reported that Lavrov “was absent by agreement” from the Security Council meeting. [Nathan Hodge, CNN, November 7, 2025.]

Was this Kremlin-speak for “it’s no one’s business”? In true Soviet style, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempted to dispel the rumors by telling reporters on Friday:

“There is no truth to these reports whatsoever. Lavrov continues to serve as foreign minister, of course.” [Id.]

And Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Lavrov was still on the job, but confirmed that he had indeed missed Wednesday’s meeting, adding: “ . . . but that happens.” [Id.]

Well, no . . . it doesn’t just happen. Not in Moscow, at any rate. Or not without a very good reason.

First, there has been speculation that Lavrov may have fallen into disfavor when his phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month failed to produce a plan for an in-person summit in Budapest between Putin and Donald Trump to discuss a solution to the war in Ukraine.

But there are also recent photographs of Lavrov in which he has been looking very tired, and not at all healthy.

And if the answer to the riddle is something much simpler and more benign than either of those two possibilities, then why hasn’t he shown his face to allay suspicions?

Whatever the reason, Moscow is keeping silent for the time being, which is standard procedure when there is a problem to which they’re still working out a solution. It’s sort of a Kremlin mantra:

“Always keep ‘em guessing.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/9/25

Today’s inspiration comes from award-winning African-American science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler.

Raised in poverty in segregated America, she fought against traditional beliefs of the day that Black people were not capable of intellectual achievement. She worked days and attended college at night, writing in her spare time and eventually achieving success with such novels as “Speech Sounds,” “Bloodchild,” and “Parable of the Talents.”

It is from the last that this insightful quote is taken. Its relevance to today’s world should be obvious:

“Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.

To be led by a coward is to be controlled
by all that the coward fears.

To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists
who control the fool.

To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures
to be stolen.

To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies.

To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love
into slavery.”

– Octavia E. Butler, “Parable of the Talents” (1998)

*. *. *

Words of wisdom, indeed. But is anyone listening?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/9/25

Today is World Freedom Day, established in 2001 by then U.S. President George W. Bush to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, and the supposed end of communist rule in Eastern and Central Europe.

But totalitarianism has not died. Throughout the 25 years (thus far) of Vladimir Putin’s autocratic rule of the Russian Federation, increasingly oppressive laws have chipped away at individual freedoms; dissidents have been rounded up and imprisoned or exterminated; acts of terror are periodically blamed on ethnic minorities; and wars have been waged . . . most notably, the ongoing “special military operation” against Ukraine.

For nearly four years — since February 24, 2022 — the people of Ukraine have been held hostage to Putin’s ambition to re-absorb the former Soviet republics and vassal states . . . even, if necessary, by first destroying them.

Despite international efforts at resolving the conflict, Putin has refused to agree to a ceasefire, and continues his deadly attacks day after day after day. Yesterday alone, Russia launched hundreds of missile and drone attacks on residential targets and civilian infrastructure in 25 locations across Ukraine, including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv, in which at least six people were killed and countless thousands left without electricity, water, and — in many cases — without shelter against the coming winter. [James Landale and Alex Kleiderman, BBC, November 8, 2025.]

So today — World Freedom Day — it is especially appropriate to recognize the entire population of the sovereign nation of Ukraine as political hostages of Vladimir Putin, and call once more for increased measures to stop the slaughter of its innocent citizens and expedite the return of its nearly 20,000 kidnapped children being held in Russian territory.

*. *. *

Of course, we also remember those individuals who continue to suffer in prisons and penal colonies in Russia and elsewhere — convicted, for purely political reasons, of crimes they did not commit:

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 Azerbaijan:

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

In Belarus:

Ales Bialiatski
Andrei Chapiuk
Marya Kalesnikava
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In China:

Chenyue Mao (American)

In Russia:

David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
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)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

Stay strong . . . you are not forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/9/25

Yes, it is a real thing.

Founded in 1993, UNITED for Intercultural Action is “the European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants, refugees and minorities. Together with over 560 supporter organisations all around Europe, ranging from local grassroots associations to national and international NGOs, UNITED coordinates campaigns, organises conferences, takes part in projects, produces publications and undertakes advocacy work to protest against discrimination and promote our shared vision for a diverse and inclusive society.” [Unitedfia.org.]

And they have declared tomorrow, November 9th, to be a day to speak out against fascism and antisemitism.

I would go one step further, and suggest extending it to every day of every year. But we have to start somewhere.

So, from here in the U.S., in solidarity with our old and valued friends across the Pond, I wish us all a very peaceful — and free — November 9th.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/8/25

Today’s quote comes from English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic Eric Arthur Blair — better known to the world as George Orwell.

Best remembered for his dystopian novel “1984,” Orwell was born into a respectable family, attended Eton on scholarship, and foreswore the comforts of the life for which he seemed destined, to live instead for his writing. As research into the lives of the lower economic classes, he sometimes lived in squalor, sometimes with family members or friends, and almost always in penury.

His voluntary service in the Spanish Civil War solidified his hatred of totalitarianism in all of its forms, and greatly influenced his later writings: most famously, “Animal Farm” and the immortal “1984.”

It is from that latter work — his final one, as it turned out — that this brief quote is taken . . . as relevant in today’s turbulent political environment as it was in 1949:

“In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/8/25

Remember this incident in October 2017, when Donald Trump — then in his first term as occupant of the Oval Office — finally visited Puerto Rico after it had been hit by hurricanes Irma and Maria?

Because of the extent of the damage, there had been some delay in delivery of recovery aid. To show what a caring individual he is, he showed up at a relief center where food and supplies were at last becoming available, and began tossing paper towels to the local citizens gathered there . . . as though that would help them blot up the water in what was left of their flooded homes.

Speaking to Mike Huckabee during an interview afterward, he said:

“They had these beautiful, soft towels. Very good towels. And I came in and there was a crowd of a lot of people. And they were screaming and they were loving everything. I was having fun, they were having fun. They said, ‘Throw ‘em to me! Throw ‘em to me Mr. President!” [Daniella Silva, NBC News, October 8, 2017.]

They had no homes; no food or drinking water; no utilities; no businesses; and nearly 3,000 people dead. But they were “having fun” watching Marie Antoinette tossing the beautiful, soft paper towels at them.

What class! What heart! What a guy!

*. *. *

Now it’s 2025, and we’re in the tenth month of his second, non-consecutive term. Has he managed to grow a heart in the interim? Well, let’s see . . .

He is currently . . .

> overseeing the brutal arrest, imprisonment and deportation of masses of immigrants without due process;

> the firing by DOGE of hundreds of thousands of government employees without cause;

> the furloughing of nearly a million more, and requiring hundreds of thousands to work without pay, due to a Republican-created government shutdown because they’re determined to rob the American people of affordable health care;

> the cancelling of food assistance to low-income families because of a falsely-claimed lack of government funds, while he builds a gaudy ballroom at the White House and parties like Gatsby at Mar-a-Lago;

> the blowing up of suspected drug runners in small boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific without prior proof of guilt . . .

> and all while lecturing other countries on their poor human rights records.

Oh, yeah . . . he’s all heart, all right.

*. *. *

And then, on a more personal level, there was this on Thursday:

During a press conference attended by Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and several others, one of the attendees suddenly went limp and began to fall to the floor. Dr. Oz was able to grab the man and ease him to the floor as he passed out.

As the above photo shows, several people rushed to the man’s aid, while Trump stood staring helplessly at what was happening. At the same time, videos of the incident show Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and another woman rushing the press out of the room — though they kept photographing as they left, producing this follow-up picture of Trump, now turned completely away from the patient and in the direction of the retreating press corps.

Look at his expression, and tell me what you see. What I see is a spoiled child, upset — not out of concern for the man lying ill on the floor of his office not six feet away — but pissed off at the interruption of his big, beautiful press conference.

I did hear a report that he remembered — or was reminded — to call the man’s wife later to check on his condition. (He is apparently all right.) But that was after the fact; it is the initial reaction that is most telling of the priorities of an individual who always, without fail, thinks first and exclusively of himself.

And that, in a nutshell, is what is wrong with this administration.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/8/25

The Greek philosopher Diogenes, also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was born in Sinope, Turkiye, between 413 and 403 B.C. Exiled from his native country (the date is unclear), apparently as the result of some sort of family financial scandal, he spent the remainder of his 90 or so years in Greece, where he became known for his “ascetic lifestyle, biting wit, and radical critiques of social conventions.” [Wikipedia biography.]

Ever the eccentric, he was seen walking through town one bright day carrying a lighted lantern. When asked what he was doing, he reportedly replied: “I am looking for an honest man.”

I’m sure I would have liked Diogenes the Cynic, both for his irreverent sense of humor and his total disdain for pretentious and dishonest people. Many of the sayings attributed to him are as meaningful in today’s world as they were more than two millennia ago. And in that context, today’s selected quote speaks volumes in just seven words:

“The mob is the mother of tyrants.”

*. *. *

Which brings to mind this nightmarish mob event of nearly five years ago:

It seems that mankind hasn’t learned a thing since Diogenes’ day . . . which is perhaps our greatest tragedy of all.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/7/25

If an individual were to kidnap their own child and demand an obscene amount of money in exchange for allowing the child to live, that person would be universally declared, not merely a criminal, but the lowest form of human being.

Yet that is exactly what this man is doing. No, not to one of his 14 (or more) biological children, but to his corporate “baby” — Tesla, Inc.

When Elon Musk took on the task of decimating the U.S. government as head of Donald Trump’s newly-created, ironically-named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he began neglecting his duties as CEO of Tesla . . . much to the dismay of its directors and shareholders, who were left to deal with plummeting profits and share prices.

When he exited DOGE in May of this year, it was believed that he would be returning full-time to Tesla. But some investors have said that his other business and political interests are still interfering with his obligations to the company. So, in true oligarch fashion, he struck a deal . . .

. . . for the bargain price of $1,000,000,000,000.

Yes, that’s One Trillion Dollars, folks . . . with 12 zeros and four commas. And before you say it, please allow me:

No one — not a single person on this Earth — is worth that much money!!!

Not even Elon Musk. And, let’s face it . . . no one needs that much money, or could spend it in a lifetime, unless they gave most of it away. Or founded their own country. Perhaps on Mars?

But back to Planet Earth. The good news is that Tesla — 75% of whose shareholders approved this scam . . . er . . . deal — does not have to raise a trillion dollars in cash. And Musk does have to earn it over a ten-year period by meeting various targets and raising the firm’s market value from its present $1.4 trillion to an astonishing $8.5 trillion. He would also have to get a million self-driving Robotaxi vehicles into commercial operation. [Lily Jamali, BBC, November 6, 2025.]

When the announcement was made, Musk was in Austin, Texas, where he took to the stage and danced as his audience chanted his name. When he stopped moving, he had this to say:

“What we’re about to embark upon is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla, but a whole new book. Other shareholder meetings are snoozefests but ours are bangers. Look at this. This is sick.” [Id.]

Well, yes . . . it is sick, but in an entirely different sense of the word. Look at it this way: If you somehow managed to put a trillion dollars into an account or fund that paid a mere one percent simple interest per year, your annual earnings would still be $10 billion.

Now, obviously that’s not what one does with that kind of money. And his payout would consist, not of cash, but hundreds of millions of new Tesla shares. But still, I repeat . . .

NO ONE NEEDS THAT MUCH MONEY!!!!!!!!

There are entire countries whose GDPs don’t even come close to it.

And there’s still the question of whether he will fulfill the requirements of the deal. His remarks earlier on Thursday focused on his Optimus robot, rather than the company’s electric vehicle business or the Robotaxis.

As expressed by analyst Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management:

“His vision of the ‘new book’ starts with Optimus. No mention of cars, FDS [full-self driving] and robotaxi yet.” [Id.]

So, Elon probably shouldn’t start counting those shares too soon. Ten years is a long time . . . and he doesn’t have the greatest attention span.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/7/25

One of the joys of reading as much as I do is that I learn something new every day.

Today’s lesson was that Eleanor Roosevelt — a brilliant, admirable woman whom I will no doubt be quoting frequently — also had a subtly wicked sense of humor.

I particularly love this example, because it reveals an unsuspected aspect of her personality — the all-important ability to laugh at herself:

“I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.”

I can’t help wondering what FDR had to say about that!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/6/25