But I did.

On April 27th, I wrote the following concerning Steve Witkoff’s meeting in Moscow two days earlier with Vladimir Putin, special adviser Yuri Ushakov, and special envoy Kirill Dmitriev . . . and only one interpreter — theirs:

“And speaking of that last Putin-Witkoff meeting in Moscow, how does the U.S. negotiator walk alone . . . by himself . . . unaccompanied . . . into a meeting with the Russian president and two of his top advisers — Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev — with only a Russian interpreter, and none from the U.S., present?”

[The following photos are screen shots from a CNN broadcast.]

“That’s three experienced, diabolically savvy politicians against one businessman with zero background in politics or diplomacy who, like his boss, takes whatever Putin tells him as gospel.

“Can you say ‘set-up’?”

*. *. *

And now it comes to light that that was not the only occasion on which Witkoff allowed himself to be trapped in meetings with no American interpreter, or even an aide with a command of the Russian language. A U.S. official and two other Western officials with knowledge of talks held between Witkoff and Putin on February 11th, March 13th and April 11th said that Witkoff had “ . . . used their translators. If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn’t know what they are saying.” [Keir Simmons, NBC News, May 10, 2025.]

Witkoff does not speak or understand Russian. He has no way of knowing what the Russian participants are saying to each other, or whether their interpreter is translating correctly.

*. *. *

Let me give you an example from my own experience. Many years ago — shortly after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when Russia was adjusting to Gorbachev’s programs of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), and the West was naively pouring money into new enterprises there — two attorneys asked me to arrange a meeting for them with the Russian Trade Representative in Washington, Robert Ruzanov, to discuss an opportunity for construction of housing for the military troops who would be returning from their Eastern European postings.

Although I had never met Ruzanov, I knew that he spoke English; yet throughout the meeting, he and his aide spoke only Russian, relying on their interpreter. I, in turn, spoke only English.

The talks were proceeding nicely, until one of my colleagues mentioned the sum of $8 billion, which the interpreter incorrectly (probably inadvertently) translated as $6 billion. Without hesitating, I jumped in and corrected her, saying, in Russian, “Vosem. Vosem milyardov.” Translation: “Eight. Eight billion.”

She was, of course, surprised . . . and more than a little embarrassed. I assured her — again in Russian — that it was not a problem, and explained to my colleagues what had happened, downplaying it as a simple mistake. And as I looked across the table at the Trade Representative, I saw a sly smile creep across his face as he caught my eye.

The person in the Russian Embassy who had helped me arrange the meeting had told me that Ruzanov spoke English, so quite naturally, I assumed he had also mentioned that I spoke a bit of Russian. It was simply how the game was played . . . and it still is. In diplomacy as in business, you take your advantages wherever you find them; and language differences can be a huge advantage — or disadvantage.

*. *. *

In Steve Witkoff’s case, taking those meetings without an interpreter of his own was an untenable decision on his part. According to Michael McFaul, a former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, relying on the Kremlin’s interpreter was “a very bad idea” that put Witkoff “at a real disadvantage.”

McFaul further said: “I speak Russian and have listened to Kremlin interpreters and U.S. interpreters at the same meeting, and the language is never the same. At the end of every meeting that I attended, I debriefed the interpreter to make sure we heard everything correctly, to get the ‘memcom’ [memorandum of conversation] exactly right. You can’t do that using a Russian official.” [Id.]

The memorandum of conversation, or “memcom,” is a written account of the meeting prepared for the rest of the government. Not having detailed notes of Witkoff’s meetings could create problems for other senior members of the administration, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, as they continue discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian sides.

“How does Kellogg know what Witkoff agreed to with Putin? He only knows it through a ‘memcom,’” McFaul added. [Id.]

“Oh-oh!”

*. *. *

Vladimir Putin surrounds himself with professionals . . . the best and the brightest in their fields. If they don’t deliver the goods, they’re fired, or transferred somewhere more suited to their experience and skills. That is the one thing Donald Trump should be learning from Putin . . . and the one he can’t seem to grasp. Experience and ability don’t count in Trump’s world. He demands and rewards just one thing: total, unquestioning allegiance to him. When he should be receiving valuable advice from his so-called advisers, what he actually wants is blind obeisance . . . and never to be told he is wrong.

Well, he’s getting what he demands from his cadre of friends. The tragedy is, it’s not what the country needs.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/11/25

So, it turns out that no single individual — not even the almighty Donald Trump — was able to evoke a response from Vladimir Putin beyond a half-hearted offer of a three-day ceasefire that never actually happened. In the end, it took the combined resolve of 30 nations to make a meaningful dent in Putin’s armor.

And even that dent isn’t a guarantee of a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. But it’s a start.

It began as usual, though, with some well-scripted Kremlin-speak offered by Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, in an interview with CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen in Moscow. Following the May 10th meeting in Kyiv of the aptly-named “Coalition of the Willing” — led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk — the interview in Moscow went as follows (transcribed from CNN News video, May 10, 2025):

Pleitgen: “In Kyiv they said they are demanding a ceasefire. Do you feel Russia is being pushed into a corner?”

Peskov: “No, I don’t think so. Well, actually a couple of days ago Putin announced a ceasefire for three days. Have you heard any reaction from Kyiv? No. We haven’t heard it either. Have you heard any criticism of Kyiv for not being able to respond or not willing to respond? No. So if Kyiv is willing to have a ceasefire, why not have a ceasefire for at least three days?”

Pleitgen: “They want the three-day ceasefire to essentially go on for 30 days.”

Peskov: “We have to think about that. These are new developments. So we have our own position. Yes, definitely. We see that Europe is confronting us. Europe is actually confronting us very openly. And we are quite accustomed to that.”

Pleitgen: “And do you think that Russia can be pressured in this case?”

Peskov: “Well, if you look during the history — during the old history, during the modern history — you will see that Russia is quite resistant to any kinds of pressure. We are open for dialogue. We are open for attempts to have a settlement in Ukraine. We do appreciate efforts of mediation. We do appreciate, and we are very grateful.”

Pleitgen: “From the Trump administration?”

Peskov: “But at the same time, it’s quite useless to try to press upon us.”

*. *. *

But then Putin had some comments of his own to make in an unusual late-night televised address, indicating a more amenable attitude toward direct negotiations:

“We would like to start immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted.” [Mariya Knight, CNN, May 10, 2025.]

He emphasized that the talks should be held “without any preconditions,” adding that:

“We are set on serious negotiations with Ukraine . . . [intended to] eliminate the root causes of the conflict . . . [and] reach the establishment of a long-term, durable peace.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

Then on Sunday, Putin denied that Moscow has refused to enter into a dialogue with Kyiv, and said that the “decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities”:

“We do not exclude that during these talks there will be a possibility to arrange some kind of new truce, a new ceasefire.” [Id.]

*. *. *

But how much stock can we place in Putin’s words? His promises thus far have meant nothing . . . how can we now believe he has truly had a change of heart? Particularly when he speaks of eliminating “the root causes of the conflict.”

Keep in mind what he considers — or claims to consider — the “root cause” of his “special military operation” in Ukraine: i.e., the alleged (and totally fabricated) oppression by Ukraine’s “nazi” government against Russian-speaking Ukrainians in regions he claims as belonging to Russia: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and the long-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

He also faults the West for impinging on Russia’s borders by having admitted former USSR republics and Soviet Bloc countries to NATO and the EU, claiming that their proximity represents an ever-present danger to the security of Russia.

So, if he plans to come to the table in Istanbul with his mind still firmly set on eliminating these so-called “root causes,” then I fear his alleged willingness to negotiate may be nothing more than another delaying tactic, staged to lay the blame . . . yet again . . . on Ukraine and its Western allies.

Still . . . we have to try, don’t we?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/11/25

Unfortunately, there is a new name to be added this week.

In December of 2021, Ihar Losik, a blogger and contributor to RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, was convicted on multiple charges, including the “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order,” and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is presumed to be somewhere in a Belarusian prison, though he has not been heard from in about two years . . . one of Putin’s hostages, courtesy of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenka.

And now word has been received that Losik’s younger brother, Mikita Losik, has also been arrested in Belarus on extremism charges related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. [RFE/RL, May 9, 2025.]

Twenty-five-year-old Mikita was detained in mid-April and accused of “assisting extremist activity,” for allegedly sending photographs of Russian military equipment movements to a now-defunct independent Telegram channel known as Belaruski Hayun. He is said to be in jail in the northeastern city of Vitebsk, Belarus. [Id.]

Belaruski Hayun, which shut down in February of this year, was engaged in monitoring military activity in Belarus — a country closely allied, politically and militarily, with Russia. The head of the channel has said that Belarusian authorities hacked into a database and gained access to information about its contributors, resulting in the arrest of a number of people on similar charges. [Id.]

And so it goes in Belarus, as in Russia, where independent media are not merely discouraged, but are actively being destroyed.

Now, as we await the outcome of Mikita Losik’s arrest — no doubt a trial, followed by a guilty verdict and prison sentence — we must add his name next to his brother’s on our hostage list.

*. *. *

And, as always, we pay tribute to all of Putin’s prisoners who have fallen victim to his totalitarian regime:

The Azov 12
David Barnes
Ales Bialiatski (in Belarus)
Gordon Black
Andrei Chapiuk (in Belarus)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Sergey Karelin
Ihar Karney (in Belarus)
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
Farid Mehralizada (in Azerbaijan)
Nika Novak
Marfa Rabkova (in Belarus)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Eugene Spector
Valiantsin Stafanovic (in Belarus)
Siarhei Tsikhanouski (in Belarus)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland
Vladislav Yesypenko (in Crimea)
Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)

. . . and any others I may have missed.

Stay strong, and never give up hope.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/11/25

The meeting referenced in my earlier post today took place in Kyiv, with around 30 world leaders attending. Most participated virtually; but four risked their lives by traveling to the war-torn capital in person: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that achieving a ceasefire is the main goal: “First that, then everything else.” [Id.]

In a news conference following the talks, U.K. Prime Minister Starmer said: “All of us here, together with the US are calling Putin out,” and warned that it is time for Russia to show that they are “serious about peace.” [Rorey Bosotti, Henry Zeffman and Frank Gardner, BBC News, May 10, 2025.]

And Starmer added, in discussing additional coordinated sanctions and other measures to be taken against Russia:

“Putin, of course, cannot be trusted. There are sanctions in place at the moment, they are already having an impact on the Russian economy so by further co-ordinating sanctions on oil, on fossil fuels, etc. will make a material difference.” [Id.]

*. *. *

The talks were followed by a call to Donald Trump, who is said to have reiterated his support for the ceasefire. Zelensky described the call as “positive and concrete”:

“We share a common view: an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire is needed for at least 30 days . . . [but they’re] waiting for Russia’s response. Once the ceasefire begins, there will be the best moment for diplomacy. Ukraine is ready for meetings and negotiations in any format.” [Id.]

And they didn’t have long to wait for that response. The Kremlin has quickly dismissed the threat, with the following message from spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

“We hear many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more.

“It is very difficult to isolate a country like Russia because we take a very large part of the globe. But this is not the main thing. The main thing is that Russia actively develops relations with a large number of countries in all directions where they have interest in developing cooperation with our country. And we will continue doing so.” [Id.]

Or in other words — as so eloquently stated in a social media post by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev — “Shove these peace plans.”

Well . . . we’ll see about that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/10/25

Would you like to know how I feel at this moment? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. I feel like putting my fist through a wall . . . only I’m too sane to actually do it. I need both of my hands.

But total, helpless frustration is the best description for my mood today. And it’s all because 54 people have been granted refugee status in the United States.

Am I anti-immigration? Absolutely not! This country was built by immigrants, including my own grandparents. Those who have come here legally over the past two centuries have made America the beautiful, diverse, successful “melting pot” that it is.

So what is it about these 54 people that has me so pissed off? Just this: they are not “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” that are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. They are not fleeing desperate poverty, criminal gangs, or religious persecution.

They are, in fact, white South Africans. Afrikaners. The very people who themselves — or whose parents and grandparents — watched their black neighbors beaten, tortured, and imprisoned under their country’s system of apartheid not that many years ago.

And now they claim they are in need of refuge from alleged racial discrimination.

SERIOUSLY??!!!

An executive order signed by Donald Trump on February 7th of this year read as follows:

“The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take appropriate steps, consistent with law, to prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination.” [Kate Barlett, NPR, May 8, 2025.]

In a most unusual move, a press conference is being planned for the group’s arrival next week at Dulles Airport, to be attended by high-level officials from both the State Department and Homeland Security. They have, in an exceptionally short period of time, been granted P1 refugee status, which, according to the State Department, is given to “individual cases referred by designated entities to the program by virtue of their circumstances and apparent need for resettlement.” [Id.]

There is no identification of the “entities” by whom they were referred, or why these 54 were chosen out of all the thousands who might be in the same circumstances.

This also places them on the path to U.S. citizenship, and renders them eligible for government benefits — the very benefits that American citizens are now in fear of having taken away from them by DOGE’s massive defunding.

Those who do not have relatives in the U.S. have been told they will be placed in a location that has a local organization to provide them with support. A document seen by NPR read, in part:

“Your case manager will pick you up from the airport and take you to housing that they have arranged for you. This housing may be temporary (like a hotel) while a local organization helps you identify more long-term housing. . . . You are expected to support yourself quickly in finding work. Adults are expected to accept entry level employment in fields like warehousing, manufacturing, and customer service. You can work toward higher level employment over time.” [Id.]

Well, there go a few dozen jobs that could be filled by American citizens.

And what circumstances have led to these lucky people receiving the red-carpet treatment? According to Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and South African-born Elon Musk (now, there’s a coincidence for you!), Afrikaners — many of whom are farmers — face persecution in South Africa. Trump says the South African government is guilty of “doing some terrible things . . . they are confiscating land, and actually they’re doing things that are perhaps far worse than that.” [Id.]

“Perhaps?” I don’t suppose you could be a bit more specific, could you?

Well, let’s see. The South African government has passed a new land reform bill, but thus far no land has been confiscated, and “expropriation without compensation” would only occur in rare instances. In fact, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides, in Section 25 headed “Property,” that:

“(1) No one may be deprived of property except in terms of law of general application, and no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property.”

And in response to Trump’s allegations of discrimination, the South African Department of International Relations had this to say:

“It is ironic that the executive order makes provision for refugee status in the U.S. for a group in South Africa that remains amongst the most economically privileged, while vulnerable people in the U.S. from other parts of the world are being deported and denied asylum despite real hardship.” [Id.]

Wow! They took the words right out of my mouth.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/10/25

Yesterday was Vladimir Putin’s biggest day of the year: Victory Day — the 80th anniversary celebration of what Russians call “their” victory over Hitler’s Axis powers in 1945. And from all reports, it was a roaring success.

But not everyone came to the party. China’s President, Xi Jinping, was there, of course . . . seated next to Putin in the viewing stand in front of the Kremlin wall in Red Square. And leaders from other Putin-friendly nations attended, despite fears of possible drone attacks by Ukraine (which didn’t happen), and detours necessitated by the refusal of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to permit the visiting dignitaries’ planes to fly through their air space en route to Moscow. But only one EU country — Slovakia — was there, represented by its Prime Minister, Robert Fico, as was EU-hopeful Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic. The rest of the West stayed at home.

The Western leaders weren’t idle, however. They were busy scheduling meetings to be held today, May 10th, in Kyiv, with some attending virtually. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that leaders of the “Coalition of the Willing” — a group of Western nations pledged to continue defending Ukraine against Russia — will be in attendance. According to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the group will include, in addition to himself, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and President Zelensky. [Ivana Kottasova, CNN, May 9, 2025.]

Starmer said that the group’s purpose is to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Putin agrees to a ceasefire.

The United States has not been excluded from these talks. Both Zelensky and Macron have spoken with Donald Trump several times, and Macron commended Trump on “his strong call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.” He added in a statement on X:

“We must all work towards this goal without delay, false pretenses, or dilatory tactics. Ukraine has already expressed its support for such a ceasefire nearly two months ago. I now expect Russia to do the same.”

And further, he said that if Russia should fail to accept the proposal, France was “ready to respond firmly, together with all Europeans and in close coordination with the United States.” [Id.]

Calls were also placed to both Zelensky and Trump on Thursday by the leaders of ten northern European countries — the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Finland — that form a security alliance known as the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). According to Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson:

“Our message to both presidents was that we are committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We also conveyed our full support for the proposal for a 30 days ceasefire and continued European and US commitment to the peace process.” [Id.]

*. *. *

It is encouraging to finally see the leaders of the European nations that are most at risk from Putin’s aggression working in concert with the United States, instead of arguing over who should step forward to take principal responsibility. They need to stop Putin’s endless stalling tactics and force him to sit down to serious peace negotiations . . . starting with a meaningful ceasefire. And that can only be accomplished through a solid, united front. Let’s hope today’s meetings will prove to be the beginning of that process.

Still, it all depends on the reaction of this guy, doesn’t it?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/10/25

And what a day it has been!

In an extravaganza reminiscent of the displays of power favored by the leaders of the Soviet Union, Russia hauled out its finest military armaments, including Yars missile systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and — for the first time — a column of trucks carrying combat drones. And after an absence of two years, there was a traditional fly-by of military aircraft over Red Square.

Despite heavy security prompted by fears of possible attack by Ukrainian drones, and travel difficulties caused by the refusal of neighboring Baltic states Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to permit travel of arriving foreign dignitaries over their air space, an estimated 27 world leaders friendly to Vladimir Putin were in attendance.

First among equals was, of course, China’s Xi Jinping, who sat beside Putin on the reviewing stand and wore a symbolic Russian orange-and-black St. George ribbon. Xi had brought with him more than 100 Chinese soldiers, who marched in the parade on Red Square . . . a sign of the burgeoning partnership between the two countries.

There were also military contingents from North Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia . . . though the North Koreans did not march in the parade, despite having sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Perhaps their presence would have been too great a reminder of the “special military operation” still taking place in Ukraine — reference to which was expressly forbidden during the ceremonies.

There was, however, a post-parade hug between Putin and a North Korean officer representing his government in the absence of Kim Jong Un . . . who was said to have symbolically participated by visiting the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

Not unexpectedly, other leaders who accepted Putin’s invitation to the party included Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil; Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. One surprise guest was Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, whose country has applied for EU membership and who, by attending the festivities in Moscow, placed his nation at risk of forfeiting that membership.

Also risking censure was Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia — the only EU member in attendance, who has made no secret of his friendship with Putin.

The main event in Red Square began with the arrival of 11,000 troops, led by their commander, Oleg Salyukov, and an inspection by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. Putin’s address followed, in which he said that Russia “was and will be an indestructible barrier against Nazism, Russophobia, antisemitism. Truth and justice are on our side . . . the entire country, society and people support the participants” [of the war in Ukraine]. [Jessica Rawnsley and Paul Kirby, BBC News, May 9, 2025.]

How interesting that Putin should have made that rather oblique reference to the war — something that he had declared verboten for others. But, being able to pick and choose what to promote as “facts” is one of the privileges of rank.

For example, he claims that Ukraine is now controlled by neo-Nazis who allegedly ousted a Russian-friendly president 11 years ago and now persecute Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. [Mike Eckel, RFE/RL, May 9, 2025.]

He also accuses the United States and NATO of aggression for having admitted former Warsaw Pact members such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. In his comments today, he countered Donald Trump’s remarks of two days ago that “victory was mostly accomplished because of [the United States], like it or not. We came into that war. We won that war.” [Id.]

In rebuttal, Putin said: “We [Russians] remember the lessons of World War II, and we will never agree with distortion of its events, with attempts to justify the executioners and slander the real winner. Truth and justice [are] on our side. The entire country, all of society, the people support the participants of the special military operation.” [Id.]

*. *. *

It never stops, does it? They’re like a couple of kids running a race, each declaring he crossed the finish line first, neither one willing to accept the fact that they both ran a damned good race.

The truth of the matter is, World War II was won by the Allied forces — all of them. Without the U.S. joining the fray in 1941, the fate of Europe might have taken a completely different turn. And without the Soviet Union opening up the Eastern front, the ending might also have been quite different. We all worked together then, against a common enemy . . . and the good guys won.

And then it all went to hell in something called the Cold War.

We never learn, do we?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/9/25

Are there any positions remaining to be filled in the upper echelon of the Trump administration? Or anyone about to be the first to quit or be fired? If so, I have the perfect candidate to fill the slot:

Meet . . . the Blue-Footed Booby.

It doesn’t matter which position is open; qualifications for the job aren’t important. At least, they haven’t been so far this year. And this Booby at least looks alert, possibly even intelligent, and raring to go. And he’s seriously cute.

It’s true that he would have to be imported from the Galapagos Islands, but I’m sure ICE would find a way to waive the new immigration restrictions for this guy, if the boss tells them to. I mean, if they can do it for white South African “asylum seekers” . . .

In fact, I think I already have the perfect spot for him: Surgeon General of the United States. I know Donald Trump has someone else in mind — a dropout doctor and current “wellness influencer,” seller of medical devices and supplements, and practitioner of something called “functional medicine.” Her name is Casey Means. Together with her brother, Calley Means, she published “Good Energy” — a book that supposedly became popular with Trump campaign staffers and with that most notable of snake-oil salesmen, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. [Liz Essley Whyte, Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2025.]

According to her Wikipedia profile, her medical license has been inactive since 2024. But no matter.

While Means did manage to get through Stanford University, she dropped out of her surgical residency, saying she was frustrated by what she considered medicine’s “inability to treat patients’ underlying, chronic causes of ill health.” She achieved some prominence after being interviewed by the likes of Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan. She says that “The system is rigged against the American patient to create diseases and then profit off of them.” [WSJ, op.cit.]

Not surprisingly, her views are sometimes in conflict with those of public health officials, including her questioning of the safety of vaccines (though not publicly identifying as an anti-vaxxer). Consider, for example, her comments on the efficacy of raw milk:

“When it comes to a question like raw milk, I want to be free to form a relationship with a local farmer, understand his integrity, look him in the eyes, pet his cow, and then decide if I feel safe to drink the milk from his farm.” [Id.]

So . . . meet a farmer, pet a cow, ignore proven scientific research, become Surgeon General. The new fast track to success.

But — and call me crazy, if you like — somehow I’d feel safer in the hands (or wings) of a Blue-Footed Booby, rather than a couple of screwball human ones.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/9/25

There are some things we change daily. Underwear comes immediately to mind.

And, while perhaps not daily, it’s a good idea — and sometimes just fun — to make small changes to our routines . . . maybe a different breakfast cereal, a more scenic route to work in the morning, or a new hair style.

But the world map is not underwear. It’s not cereal, or a haircut. Yet Donald Trump keeps trying to remake it as though it were his own plaything.

First it was renaming the Gulf of Mexico, calling it — for whatever reason (ego? a power trip?) — the Gulf of America. As though Mexico doesn’t matter.

*. *. *

Then he said the U.S. should simply take over Gaza and turn it into another Trump-themed playground for the world’s rich and famous. As though the Palestinians don’t matter.

*. *. *

He’s also in favor of renaming the Persian Gulf, instead calling it the Arabian Gulf, or Gulf of Arabia. As though the entire history of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire never mattered.

*. *. *

He’s threatening to steal Greenland from Denmark. Clearly, the lives of the Greenlanders don’t matter . . . to him.

*. *. *

He keeps trying to persuade Canadians that they’d be better off as part of the United States. Fat chance there!

*. *. *

He wants to reclaim the Panama Canal Zone on the spurious ground that he’d be protecting it from a takeover by China. Excuse me?

*. *. *

And with all of that, I have to wonder . . . could this be next:

The United States of Trumplandia?

*. *. *

Sorry, but my only reaction is . . .

“What the f*ck??!!!”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/8/25

You’d think it would be fairly simple to understand a person’s thinking on a subject as straightforward as a strong country’s unprovoked attack on another, weaker country, followed by more than three years of death, destruction, and sadistic brutality.

But I do believe that even Dr. Freud would be banging his head against the wall and screaming in frustration, trying to second-guess Donald Trump’s next move as he attempts to mediate a settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

In all fairness, Trump himself has to be going half-mad from the failure of his efforts to deal with Vladimir Putin’s capriciousness, his outrageous demands, his twisting of facts, and his pig-headed refusal to give an inch in what he calls his desire to negotiate. Trump’s maintaining a public aura of toughness with someone he’s actually trying desperately to appease . . . well, that can’t be easy, even for one who is himself so inherently duplicitous.

But this back-and-forth, up-and-down, hot-and-cold, reactive method of persuasion is clearly not working. One day he offers Putin concessions — a return to the G7, lifting of sanctions, telling Ukraine to forget NATO. The next day, when the attacks on Ukraine continue, or when Russia breaches its own unilateral “Easter ceasefire,” Trump says he’s losing patience, and threatens to up the ante by invoking further sanctions. And so it continues.

Until yesterday, when JD Vance — who, of course, is speaking on behalf of Trump — reiterates one of their earlier threats: a withdrawal from negotiations in order to force Russia and Ukraine to deal directly with each other. At an event in Washington, he said:

“You don’t need to agree with Russian justification of the war, but you need to understand where they are coming from — making them talk of what it takes for them to end the war. [The] Russians are asking for [a] certain set of things, and we think they are asking too much. The step we need to take right now is we need Russia and Ukraine to start talking to one another. We think it’s probably impossible for us to mediate the whole process fully without at least some direct negotiations.” [RFE/RL, May 7, 2025.]

Well, that’s nothing new. Or is it? Note the last sentence: “We think it’s probably impossible for us to mediate the whole process fully without at least some direct negotiations.”

“Impossible”? For Donald Trump, the presidential candidate who promised — not only the American people, but the entire world — that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office? For the man whose self-proclaimed infallibility never permits the thought of “impossibility” to enter his mind?

Is he truly giving up? Or is it just another idle threat . . . a ploy that he hopes will convince Vladimir Putin that it’s time to be realistic and make a couple of concessions to bring his bloody battle to an end?

To the outsider, however, there sometimes is such a thing as an impossibility . . . and fathoming Donald Trump’s mercurial decision-making is one of those things.

Vance did have it right when he spoke of the “need to understand where they [the Russians] are coming from.” But one thing is very clear, and that is, that Trump has no grasp of the workings of Vladimir Putin’s mind . . . or of the Russian psyche in general. Nor do any of his emissaries: Marco Rubio, JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Steve Witkoff, or any of the other businessmen he has appointed to play the roles of seasoned diplomats.

All of their billions of dollars combined cannot buy them the one thing they lack: On-the-ground experience.

And Vladimir Putin knows it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/8/25