As though employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) weren’t already sufficiently stressed by staffing shortages and last year’s DOGE layoffs, “Pistol Pete” Hegseth’s Pentagon has now invaded the skies over the southwestern U.S. border city of El Paso, Texas.

Apparently, there have been recent incursions into U.S. airspace by alleged Mexican cartel drones — a situation on which the FAA and the Defense Department have been working together toward a solution, as they should.

But on Wednesday, the FAA was forced to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso when the Pentagon decided to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to activate an anti-drone laser, deployed at nearby Fort Bliss, without first coordinating with the FAA to ensure the safety of commercial air traffic.

Initially, the FAA announced a ten-day shutdown; but once it had been determined that there was no ongoing danger to aircraft in the area, the closure was lifted after just a few hours. But the damage had already been done. Travelers into and out of El Paso were stranded for hours, and some medical evacuation flights had to be rerouted.

People familiar with the matter said the technology had been used despite a meeting scheduled for later in February at which the FAA and the Pentagon were to discuss the issue. [Seung Min Kim, et al., Associated Press, February 11, 2026.]

As luck would have it, the problem was quickly solved . . . this time. But think of the possible ramifications of this sort of unilateral action being taken by an autocratic department head who believes he is not required to follow mandated procedures . . . or is simply not bright enough to know what the hell he’s doing.

And another question comes to mind. CBP is under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which, as we are all too well aware, is in the hands of “Quick-Draw Kristi” Noem. But in matters involving border security, CBP works closely with the Department of Defense (DoD).

So, was Noem aware of what her department had been ordered to do? Or did Hegseth bypass her as well? In either case, the FAA was not consulted as it should have been; but the answer to the question would help to determine culpability.

*. *. *

The bottom line here is that we are seeing yet another example of the arrogance and the total incompetence — a treacherous combination — of the inmates who are running the asylum in Washington. And I don’t see how we can be expected to survive another three years of this kind of madness.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/12/26

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about karma. I suppose that happens to a great many people as they grow older and begin to face their own mortality.

But it’s not my own karma that has me concerned. Oh, it’s not that I’ve lived a perfect life . . . far from it. But I figure that, on a sliding scale, I’ve done far less harm than any of those politicians, pedophiles, and other criminals and reprobates who make the daily headlines; so whatever punishment I have coming to me in the afterlife, I’ll handle it.

No, I’m thinking about those folks in the White House — in fact, the entire administration — as well as a lot of people in other seats of power throughout the world, and all of their sycophants who have “simply followed orders.”

Apparently, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also had such low-lifes in mind when he put these words into the mouth of his most famous protagonist, Sherlock Holmes:

“Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.”

– Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”

Now, that’s a mental image that gives me hope for eventual justice.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/12/26

A huge shout-out today to the members of the grand jury that refused to indict the six Democratic lawmakers who posted a video urging service members and intelligence officials not to obey illegal orders from the Trump administration.

We don’t know the names of the members of the grand jury. But the six members of Congress who courageously and honorably spoke out for the Constitution are (L-R above): Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH), Sen. Mark Kelly (AZ), Sen. Elissa Slotkin (MI), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA), and Rep. Jason Crow (CO).

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) obligates military personnel to obey all legal orders. It also requires them to disobey any and all illegal orders — orders that violate the Constitution, federal law, or international law such as the Geneva Conventions — and in fact subjects them to possible court-martial for carrying out illegal orders.

Posting the video was completely legal; the content of the video was 100% accurate; and that is precisely what infuriated Donald Trump. Because he was being called out for his illegal, unconstitutional orders resulting in the inhumane treatment, and even deaths, of both foreign and American individuals.

Typically, he went into attack mode and launched a social media offensive, accusing the six lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH.” Senator Mark Kelly — a retired Navy Captain — became the immediate target of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who threatened to cut his rank and retirement pay. And within weeks, each of the six was individually contacted by federal prosecutors as part of an investigation.

But they have not been silenced by the administration’s threats.

Kelly called the attempted indictment an “outrageous abuse of power,” adding:

“It wasn’t enough for Pete Hegseth to censure me and threaten to demote me, now it appears they tried to have me charged with a crime — all because of something I said that they didn’t like. That’s not the way things work in America.” [Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN, February 10, 2026.]

Senator Slotkin, the organizer of the 90-second video, said of the grand jury’s decision: “. . . score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law.” She posted on X that the Trump administration had tried to “weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies,” and that the case had been brought “at the direction of President Trump, who said repeatedly that I should be investigated, arrested, and hanged for sedition.” [Id.]

And Congressman Crow warned that Americans “should be appalled by the fact that Donald Trump and his goons at Department of Justice and everywhere else are weaponizing their justice system just to try to silence dissent and to crush political opponents. Not only should Americans be angry at that — they have chosen the wrong people. If these fuckers think that they’re going to intimidate us and threaten and bully me into silence, and they’re going to go after political opponents and get us to back down, they have another think coming.” He added that the “tide is turning [as Americans] are rising up against the corruption and the rank abuse of this administration.” [Id.]

From Congressman Deluzio, we heard that he likewise wouldn’t be intimidated “for a single second by the Trump Administration or Justice Department lawyers who tried and failed to indict me today.” [Id.]

Similarly, Representative Goodlander said: “Today an American grand jury honored our Constitution by standing up to an outrageous abuse of presidential power and taxpayer dollars. No matter the threats, I will keep doing my job and upholding my oath to our Constitution.” [Id.]

And from Representative Houlahan: “This is good news for the Constitution and the free speech protections it guarantees. The grand jury upheld the rule of law — this is a win for all Americans.” [Id.]

*. *. *

There is little chance that Trump will simply allow the matter to end here. But each victory for the Constitution and the rule of law — each ruling against him by a court, a grand jury, or a Congressional vote — represents a crack in the foundation of Trump’s authoritarian regime. And as those cracks widen, his authority comes closer and closer to total collapse.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/12/26

On Monday, Russian officials said that the suspect they had arrested for shooting Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev — a 65-year-old man named Lyubomir Korba — had been located in Dubai and flown back to Moscow. How he got to Dubai was not explained.

Korba allegedly told them he had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence. Then they released surveillance video footage from the apartment building where Alekseyev was attacked — videos purportedly confirming the official story.

How convenient!

Immediately following the attempted assassination, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had already accused Ukraine of engineering the assault, without offering any evidence. And within a single day, Russia’s FSB intelligence agency had identified, located and detained two suspects, stating that a third had escaped to Ukraine.

One video — not independently verified — showed Korba saying that he had been recruited by Ukraine’s SBU agency in August of 2025 in Ternopil, Ukraine; sent to Kyiv for training; and promised $30,000 in cryptocurrency to kill Alekseyev.

And, to complete their story, the Russian FSB also accused Polish intelligence of having been involved in recruiting Korba. [Mike Eckel, RFE/RL, February 9, 2026.]

A second man, Viktor Vasin, was identified as the other suspect and arrested in Moscow, and was further accused of being connected to the late anti-corruption dissident Aleksei Navalny — a perpetual thorn in Putin’s side even now, two years after his mysterious death in a Russian penal colony. [Guy Faulconbridge and Gleb Stolyarov, Reuters, February 8, 2026.]

The third suspect has been identified as a woman by the name of Zinaida Serebritskaya. [Id.]

Putin has been said to have thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates, for his help in locating and detaining Korba. No details of the arrest have been revealed by UAE officials. [Id.]

*. *. *

Based on the sketchy information available, the Kremlin’s story seems to me to be full of holes.

To begin with, when Ukraine has carried out surprise attacks on Russian territory, they have claimed responsibility, taking pride in their ability to strike back against the aggressors. But Kyiv is denying any involvement in this incident.

The shooting also doesn’t seem to fit the picture of a typical Ukrainian intelligence operation. Their attacks have been primarily aimed at strategic military installations, supply lines, bridges, and the like. Furthermore, it was a sloppy job, allegedly carried out by Russian citizens recruited at substantial expense — hardly necessary (or smart), in light of the proven effectiveness of Ukraine’s own intelligence operatives.

More information is needed, and we may never learn the whole story. But it would be interesting to know whether General Alekseyev had any personal enemies, or had perhaps incurred the wrath of the Kremlin, which has always been known for its ability to dispose of people who have become redundant.

He is fortunate to have survived this attempt on his life. But, whoever was responsible, Alekseyev will now have to live with the knowledge that someone — for whatever reason — wants him dead.

As for the two men who have been arrested and accused of the attempted assassination, whether Ukrainian agents or not, they are as good as convicted.

That is simply how it’s done in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/11/26

Anne Frank — the young Jewish German girl who spent two years in hiding from the Nazis until she and her family were arrested and sent to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp — is universally known for the diaries she kept during the period of their isolation.

Between the ages of 13 and 15, her writing naturally focused largely on the war, as well as her continuing hope for the future and her faith in what she believed was the innate goodness of mankind. But a recent reading of some segments of her diaries revealed a surprisingly mature understanding of women’s accustomed lot in life in the 1940s, and a view of what would later become known as women’s rights that places her decades ahead of her time.

This is what I found:

“Women should be respected as well! Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn’t women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women too as soldiers? . . . Women who struggle and suffer pain to ensure the continuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together!”

– Anne Frank, “The Diary of a Young Girl”

Had Anne not perished in the camps just two or three months before the end of the war in 1945, she may well have become the German compatriot of Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the others of her generation who fought so valiantly for fair and equal treatment in a “man’s world.”

What a loss! But — thanks to her father, who was the only member of their family to survive the war — her words live on, as she would have hoped.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/11/26

Museums are among my favorite places to lose myself for a few hours. And yesterday I had the opportunity to do just that, with two good friends here in Savannah, who introduced me to the Museum of the Mighty Eighth — dedicated to the history of the U.S. Eighth Air Force from World War II.

I was previously unaware of the history of the Eighth Air Force, which was created in Savannah, Georgia, with seven recruits from the U.S. Army Air Force and not a single aircraft. In January of 1942 — just a month after the United States entered the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor — the men, just teenagers and young adults, were sent to England to join our allies in the defense of Europe against Hitler’s Third Reich.

Over the course of the war, the Eighth became the largest air force in the world, consisting of 350,000 Americans on air bases across East Anglia, England.

By the end of the war in Europe in May of 1945, they had flown more than 600,000 missions and dropped over 670,000 tons of bombs.

But the cost was high. The Eighth lost 26,000 airmen in action, with another 28,000 taken as prisoners of war. Among the members, they received 17 Medals of Honor, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and more than 420,000 Air Medals. [Source: Mightyeighth.org]

The Museum — privately owned and maintained — is a beautiful tribute to those men. And it is a reminder, as that generation nears extinction, of the horrors of war and of the sacrifices that have been made in the defense of freedom and democracy . . . something we must never allow future generations to forget, lest it happen again.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/11/26

In the belief — or at least, the hope — that the world will survive without my undivided attention for a few hours, my rollator and I are heading out with friends today to take in the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Good friends, a nice lunch, and a stroll through history . . . it doesn’t get any better than that.

Sorry about the swastika … it’s part of history.

I’ll try to avoid another scene like the one I created in the Moscow Military Museum in 1993 (see my January 31st post: “This Day in History: The Golden Arches Rise in Russia”). But knowing my penchant for mischief, I make no promises.

Stay tuned.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/10/26

Yesterday, I reported on an economic proposal that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said had been presented to Washington by Moscow as part of the effort to end the war in Ukraine:

“‘The Dmitriev Package.’ So named by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Russian envoy and money-man Kirill Dmitriev, it refers to a $12 trillion economic proposal that Zelensky says has been presented by Russia to the U.S. as part of the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. This comes to light as the Trump administration increases the pressure on Ukraine to bring an end to the war by June, while Moscow increases its bombardments and continues to insist that Ukraine cede approximately 20% of its sovereign territory to Russia.” [The Associated Press, February 7, 2026.]

As I was reading the AP article, I wondered why Donald Trump had suddenly focused on June as the deadline for a peace settlement. According to Zelensky, it has to do with the rapid approach of the U.S. midterm elections in November:

“Elections are definitely more important for them. Let’s not be naive. They say that they want to do everything by June . . . so that the war ends. And they want a clear schedule.” [Christopher Miller, Financial Times, February 7, 2026.]

That makes perfect sense. Together with a potential economic windfall, Trump would own the bragging rights to having settled a real war . . . in plenty of time to try winning back the swing states whose votes could determine control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Not to mention his push for that elusive Nobel Peace Prize.

And now, it appears that Vladimir Putin may also have an incentive to offer some compromise toward a settlement. According to his economic advisers, Russia needs that “Dmitriev Package” more desperately than the rest of the world may realize.

Putin talks a good game, bragging about advances on the battlefield and the strength of the Russian economy. But the truth is, his treasury is hurting, thanks in large part to a 50% drop in oil revenues over the past year due to worldwide sanctions, a growing budget deficit, spiraling inflation, and increasing unemployment figures. [Jason Ma, Fortune, February 8, 2026.]

Following last week’s trilateral meeting at Abu Dhabi, President Zelensky said:

“America proposed for the first time that the two negotiating teams — Ukraine and Russia — meet in the United States of America, probably in Miami, in a week. We confirmed our participation.” [Id.]

So here’s how it might play out:

> First, Putin offers Trump a $12 trillion economic package (the details of which are as yet unknown, but it’s bound to be mutually beneficial). Meanwhile, he steps up his deadly attacks on Ukraine.

> Next, Trump convinces Zelensky that he has a choice between giving up 20% of his country or losing it all, because Putin is never going to stop his assault.

> An agreement is finally reached, and Putin saves face by claiming he really only wanted Crimea and the Donbas in the first place. Plus, he gets back onto the world stage and maintains his grip on power at home.

> And Trump . . . well, he gets to be the “Peace President” — the stable genius who did what no one else in the world could have done, and who deserves a chest full of medals, his name affixed to every government building in the country . . . and, of course, next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

So everyone wins . . . well, except Ukraine. They will have lost hundreds of thousands of military troops and civilians, one-fifth of their territory, and much of their infrastructure. And why? Because a pair of power-crazed autocrats made a deal.

*. *. *

As for Trump, he may think he won the day; and to an extent, that may be true. But with all of the accolades and the gold-plated awards, it would still take the Wizard of Oz to provide him with the three things he has never had, and never will have: a heart, a brain, and courage.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/10/26

The generation of Americans who lived through, and still remember, the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s is rapidly shrinking and will soon also fade into memory. But — like the Holocaust, Watergate, and other monumental events — we must not allow the historic records of those tragedies to be erased, for if we do, they will most certainly be repeated.

Joseph McCarthy was a United States Senator from the state of Wisconsin, who, in the early years of the Cold War following World War II, became obsessed with the belief that the U.S. government, educational institutions, and even the film industry were riddled with communists attempting to undermine and overthrow the government.

On this date — February 9th — in 1950, he began what would become his notorious “Red Scare” crusade when he delivered a speech before the Ohio County Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, during which he waved a sheet of paper in the air and declared:

“I have here in my hand a list of 205 [State Department employees] that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department.” [“This Day in History,” History.com, February 9, 2026.]

Over the course of the next four years, his repeated — though unverified — accusations, carried out to the world through televised Senate hearings, destroyed the lives of countless innocent people, including government officials, academicians, and movie stars. He was finally stopped and censured by the Senate in 1954. He died in 1957 at the age of 48 — officially of “Hepatitis, acute, cause unknown,” though there were rumors that his decline into alcoholism was the real cause. [Joseph McCarthy biography, Wikipedia.]

“McCarthyism” entered the English lexicon as a reference to extreme anti-communist activities. Eventually, its usage broadened to signify demagogic, reckless and unsubstantiated accusations, along with public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents. [Id.]

And that is the lesson to be learned, and reinforced, from the madness of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Whatever his original intent — whether a sincere desire to protect the country from a perceived communist infiltration, or his own narcissistic political ambition — his method was not new; it had been used by demagogues and authoritarians throughout history, and continues to this day. It is, quite simply:

Repeat it often enough, with sufficient authority, and the people will begin to believe. Instill in them a fear of something they are helpless to control; convince them that you have the answers and the solution; and they will follow you.

Sound familiar?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/9/26

Indian-born, British-American author Salman Rushdie has seen more than his share of adversity in his lifetime, which inclines me to heed his advice in dealing with the low points in life:

“It was the resilience in human beings that represented their best chance of survival, their ability to look the unimaginable, the unconscionable, the unprecedented in the eye.”

– Salman Rushdie, “Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights”

Our resilience is being tested today as never before in my memory. I only hope we have the strength and the courage to stand up to the evil and not just look it in the eye . . . but also to spit in it, stand up to it, and defeat it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/9/26