Tag: Canada

Troubled Waters

For the last two weeks, I was on a cruise ship, traveling the rather calm waters of the North Atlantic and the St. Lawrence River. However, back home, I continued to see the deleterious effects of the tsunami that is Trump.

I spoke to a few Canadians on the cruise who asked me: “How is Donald Trump still president? And how did you Americans allow—and keep allowing—Trump to be president?”

As one travels through Canada, one senses a certain civility and calmness among the population, seemingly satisfied with its leadership, culture and government.

Normalcy!

I’d be hard-pressed to think of many Republicans who deserve to be reelected—or elected in the first place—particularly in the House of Representatives. As far as I am concerned, most of them are cowards.

I don’t believe in the polls. I have been sorely disappointed by what I expected in 2016 and 2024. The only way I will be happy with the results of the 2026 elections is if the Democrats control both the House and the Senate. I am not sure that this will necessarily save the state of our union, but maybe it will at least limit the clown show currently performing.

I’m pretty sure that the last chance to save the country occurred in November 2024. So much damage has been done, and much of it may be unrecoverable—especially when it comes to the trust we once had with our allies and neighbors.

That’s gone for decades!

I’m stunned that Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister and, in my opinion, one of the least capable candidates for elective office, is leading in the polls for the South Carolina Senate race. Yeah, I know. It’s South Carolina!

It’s also concerning that James Talarico does not have a 20-point lead in the Texas Senate race over Ken Paxton.

Yeah, I know. It’s Texas!

I’m still waiting for the press to make a demonstrable stand against the White House—and, in particular, against the administration’s exclusion of CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. Trump announced on September 18 that he was banning the three organizations from the White House, and the following day reporters from all three were denied access, with press credentials being deactivated or confiscated.

Just to be spiteful, why don’t these news outlets document the many lies and false claims of the Trump administration? It’s probably a more useful exercise than actually covering stories from Trump or any of his Cabinet.

I’m not sure what they can do to limit appearances or interviews with Republican candidates or officials, but I would sure as hell make it very uncomfortable for any of them to come on those venues without having to answer questions about their views on freedom of the press.

I confess that I get most of my news from so-called liberal or mainstream media. Every now and then, I take a quick peek at Fox News. I don’t do it for long, as my brain cells begin to decline within minutes of listening to any of their news or programming.

One would think that a network that incurred millions of dollars in legal liabilities over its coverage of the 2020 election would have a little more humility.

A researcher from Anthropic recently warned that AI could destroy humanity by the end of the decade. Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment-science lead, said he personally believes there is a greater-than-10% chance that AI could kill all humans within the next decade.

I wish that the huge concern and apprehension about this possible event four years from now could somehow be translated into more immediate concern about how our inept president could create a lot of economic and financial damage within the next year.

Maybe four months.

Maybe four days?

Land of the Free? Home of the Brave?

It’s gutting—and deeply humiliating—to hear Canadians booing our national anthem at recent sporting events. But I don’t blame them. Not one bit.

Given the economic, political, and moral wreckage left behind by our twice-elected president, their disgust is understandable. The confusion and contempt from our allies aren’t aimed solely at the man in the Oval Office—they’re aimed at the people who put him there. Twice.

Let’s call it what it is: the United States has betrayed its friends, waged economic war on its own citizens, and devolved into a carnival of cowardice. The respect of our allies? That ship has sailed—and may not return in our lifetimes.

The Republican Party is a gelatinous mass of fear and sycophancy, devoid of courage or principle. The Democratic Party? A staggering monument to incompetence, still fumbling through the aftermath of letting a failed businessman and convicted felon stroll back into power.

And democracy? Please. We are no longer a beacon of anything. The Constitution has become a quaint relic, a yellowing parchment trotted out for ceremonial purposes while those in power treat it like a suggestion menu at a diner they never plan to pay for.

Maybe—just maybe—a sliver of Trump voters feel some remorse. But let’s be clear: 77 million people helped break this country. They owe their children, their neighbors, and the world an apology.

The red MAGA cap is no longer a slogan. It’s a symbol—loud, defiant, and chilling. Our allies don’t see us as brave. They see us as brainwashed. And in the eyes of much of the world, that crimson hat might as well be a swastika.

We have not simply lost our way. We’ve torched the map and handed the match to a mob.