Tag: current events

Wenzdaz Wandering Political Thoughts

Deep breath; release.

Trump’s lying has been documented and analyzed yet again.

Analysis: Trump keeps lying while accusing others of lying

President Donald Trump tells a lot of lies. Trump also regularly accuses others of lying.

And sometimes he does both at once – telling a lie about something while accusing someone else of lying about it. In other words, the president has been dishonest even about others’ honesty.

It’s a subset of his years-old “I know you are but what am I?” tactic of trying to turn common criticisms of him against his opponents. And he’s used it a bunch this fall.

In other news, water makes things feel wet.

Dale: Reflections on four weird years fact checking every word from Donald Trump

I thought Trump’s deception was bad then. It got much worse. In 2017, Trump averaged 2.9 false claims per day. By 2018, it was 8.3 false claims per day. What started as a side project I could handle in a few hours a week started requiring regular all-nighters. By the time I joined CNN in mid-2019, it required a second reporter, Tara Subramaniam.

Trump’s 2017 dishonesty tended to be impromptu ad-libbing. His 2018 dishonesty was much more scripted; he used serial lying as a deliberate strategy in the midterm elections. Then he used serial lying as a deliberate strategy in his 2019 Ukraine scandal. Then he used serial lying as a deliberate strategy in his response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic – holding daily “briefings” so wildly dishonest that CNN needed me to go on TV right afterward to debunk the nonsense viewers had just heard.

~snip~

Yes, what’s weird these days is not that Trump lies.

Trump now jokes about his lying. What is weird is that some people still believe him. Or, more weirdly, that they are upset when it turns out that what he lied about something and it hurts them (see cattle ranchers, timber companies, soybean farmers, and families of immigrants, for example), yet they still support him because they think the Liar-in-Chief is better than anyone else out there, that this liar will somehow lead us out of the chaos that he’s created.

Some of Trump’s recent lying weirdness is all about the tariffs. Trump has been saying for a long time that American consumers won’t pay the tariffs that he imposed on imported goods for everything and anything.

Trump says foreign countries paid tariffs; American companies say otherwise

Now, though, Trump is reducing tariffs to lower prices. The question before us is, if we don’t pay the tariffs, how will this lower prices? Why will changing the tariffs matter, sports fans?

We know the answer: it’s because Trump is lying.

Trump scraps tariffs on beef, coffee and tropical fruit in a push to lower grocery store prices

Remember, Trump is reducing tariffs to lower prices at a time when, in his constant lying, Trump claims that prices are down and that stories about prices being high are lies the Democrats are telling. How the hell does that make any sense at all?

Fact check: Trump’s lying spree about inflation

“Every price is down,” he said Thursday. “Everything is way down,” he said at another Thursday event. “Prices are down under the Trump administration, and they’re down substantially,” he said Friday, adding, “Everybody knows that it’s far less expensive under Trump than it was under Sleepy Joe Biden. And the prices are way down.”

None of that is true.

~snip~

The evidence that Trump constantly, religiously, and consistently lies is fully and pervasively documented. Now Dozy Donny wants us to believe that the Epstein files are a Democratic hoax.

Where Is Democrats’ Transparency on Epstein?

As President Donald J. Trump said, “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”

~snip~

Trump also wants us to think that with all the time that his AG has had the Epstein files, with all the time and access that the DOJ under him has held onto the files, that he will not make some attempt to redact or remove references to him, or to hide them. Why should I believe that? With his history, any document issued under Trump’s name is automatically suspect by anyone familiar with history, facts, or the truth.

Yet, with the evidence of all of Trump’s lying filling the net, Dizzy Donny expects us to accept on his word that the boats which he ordered the U.S. military to destroy are all narco terrorists and drug dealers.

Trump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuanced

GÜIRIA, Venezuela (AP) — One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver.

The men had little in common beyond their Venezuelan seaside hometowns and the fact all four were among the more than 60 people killed since early September when the U.S. military began attacking boats that the Trump administration alleges were smuggling drugs. President Donald Trump and top U.S. officials have alleged the craft were being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members bound with deadly drugs for American communities.

~snip~

Man oh man, when oh when oh when will the MAGAts catch on to this lying?

That’s the wrong question, isn’t it? The right question is when will they care enough to stop supporting Dozy Dizzy Donny and his regime of distraction? When will they accept that they’ve been conned? When will they realize and admit that Trump is destroying the United States, ripping off the treasury, and enriching himself?

Way it’s going, we might have colonies on Mars before any of that takes place.

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Wenzdaz Theme Music

Blue sky. I see blue sky and sunshine. It looks so different today, Wenzda, November 19, 2025, then it did on Twozda, November 18, 2025. It’s only 40 F out under that blue sky and sunshine. Fall’s full impact has arrived as we shift toward winter. Dead leaves are browning, curling up and resting everywhere, like sayin’, done. Gonna be up to 50 F, so wear shorts.

Today’s song is one by The Wallflowers called “The Difference”. The Neurons gifted it to me because I was walking through the house and thought, something looks different. Then I stopped and puzzled through WTH looks different. Nothing came to mind but as I walked off, The Neurons began “The Difference” in the morning mental music stream.

Off I go to another medical appointment, some ultrasound for this or that, or maybe the other. One of those NPO things. I’m hungry and thirsty and keep automatically reaching for things to put into my mouth, forcing me to chastise myself, don’t eat that! Don’t drink that. Put that down! Bad boy.

I’ve been thinking about the economic bubble we’re in. This is the AI bubble. Look how much investment is attached to it. It’d driving employment, production, and growth plans. Big thing about it that I can see is that companies like Amazon are salivating over the idea of hiring less people. The GOP, especially Trump, is drooling over this. I guess they’re thinking, let’s use AI to hire less people so we can build more things that less people can afford, thereby increasing the wealth gap yet more.

Of course, others think, we’ll use AI and its predictive and analytical processes to more precisely predict weather! Except the Trump Regime cratered many of the satellites used in weather forecasting. He’s gonna turn them over to Musk’s companies. It feels like a bad idea, like it goes against that proverb, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Seems like as robotic manufacturing and AI management grows, less people will be working and more people will need assistance for things like food, medicine, and housing. As the GOP doesn’t want to give those things, it feels like we’ll then have greater homelessness, more sickness, and higher levels of deprivation and starving. But given that the GOP is erecting the means for the wealthy to live isolated and insulated from the masses, most of them won’t know. They don’t care but not knowing will help them sleep easier, and don’t we all want the wealthy to rest easy? Isn’t that why we cut them deals on their taxes and give them freebies, hmmm?

Sorry, the inner cynic broke free of his moorings and tossed around on the cynical sea. On to other things. May peace and grace find you, if you can afford it. Way it seems to be going, only those who can afford it will know peace and grace. At least I have coffee. Thank dog Trump lowered the tariffs that he raised on it, right? Of course, that doesn’t offset all the other things driving up the costs of food and coffee, does it? But what do we know? I know; let’s build some AI so we can ask it what we need to do. Then we can ask AI what it thinks of tax cuts for the wealthy, tariffs on imported goods, using the military on your own citizens, separation of church and state, climate change, things like that. Man, it’s getting to look like a fugly future.

Wish I could sip some coffee and mutter to myself over this, grumble grumble. Have a better one. Cheers

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Mundaz Wandering Political Thoughts

News and views percolating through the vasoline of Trumponomics, Trump lawlessness, and Trump craziness.

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Sundaz Theme Music

Sundaz has slipped in, wrapping an autumn day around its shoulders. Sunshine and clouds and shuffling and bumping one another. Temperatures are moldering around the low 50s with plans for the high 50s. We’re now halfway through the eleventh month of 2025, as it’s November 16, 2025. With 2025 slinking toward the end, we wonder, are we on the right path as a nation? My Neurons answer with a resounding, “Hell, no.”

My sisters reported on progress cleaning Mom’s house out. She’s lived there thirty plus years. Stuff accumulates. Bills and paperwork. Memorabilia. Clothing. Food, utensils, bowls, dishes. Three sisters reported for duty, taking what they wanted for themselves, otherwise tossing things, filling up the trash and recycling cans. Sad, depressing, normal.

Today’s music comes from being outside at midnight last night. (Yes, it was a cat thing.) I was looking for the moon, the northern lights, meteorites, alien spaceships, bears, cougars, etc. But The Neurons took it in a different direction, bringing up a cover of “Shame on the Moon” by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. I remember that song arriving on the radio scene and singing it to myself later as I walked at night, admiring the moon. It’s a mellow song for a mellow day when they tell us rain is on the way.

It’s Sunda so the news cycle is slow. I can’t pretend to guess what Traziness will strike. He’s retreating on tariffs, sweating bullets over the Epstein files, and continues to rule over Project 2025 chaos, inflicting dumbassery and cruelty wherever and whenever. The Trump Epstein Shutdown is over but the Trump Epstein Shitshow goes on.

Have a great Sunda. I’m gonna strive to do the same. Coffee is up. Here we go, one more time. Cheers

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Satyrdaz Theme Music

It’s the darkest of times, it’s the dumbest of times, it’s Trumpiest of times. Borrowed from Mock Paper Scissors.

Bold sunshine shoots the windows today, Satyrda, November 15, 2025. 52 F now, the other numbers are 65 and 42 F for the day’s highs and low. Sunshine and blue are dominating like an NFL team playing a high school JV team. Lovely to rest my eyes on the panorama and what remains of the colorful leaves after the wind tore through over the last several days.

I was walking yesterday evening. Sidewalks and paths are wealthy with discarded leaves. I kicked ’em up as I passed through them like I was six years old. I always enjoy making that ruckus among the leaves. Meanwhile, I deliberately summoned the music to “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel. My lyrics were adjusted to “Ashlandia State of Mind” and our local streets, activities, and centers of interest. After singing it last night and gazing out on this morning’s view, The Neurons resurrected the song for my morning mental music stream.

The Trump Regime has made statements about demanding all SNAP recipients re-enroll. They believe the debunked myths that SNAP is corruption riddled. 42,000,000 are receiving SNAP. The huge effort to re-enroll them all will fall on the states and the recipients. Recipients who are often children, working poor, struggling lower middle class, elderly and disabled. If this doesn’t scream, THE CRUELTY IS THE POINT, what does?

With the Trump Epstein Shutdown ended after a record run, attention is swinging hard to the Epstein files and Trump’s place among their annals. Dizzy Donny is displaying deeply demented demeanor. Many like me speculate that he knows the terrible things the files will reveal. Here’s hoping for the best.

BTW, that idea about 50-year mortgages is crackers. Won’t do much for helping affordability. Folks still need down payments, need the income for paying property taxes and insurance, and insurance is going higher and higher in many regions due to more extreme weather — but please, let us not say anything about climate change. Heaven forfend the TACO Regime even thinks about doing anything about that. See, with mega AI centers being planned and built, pollution will go yet higher. Demands on water will go yet higher. As will demands on electricity, causing the price of everything to increase, crushing affordability, but never mind all that. Realizing those things and planning to address those things takes something other than greed, lying, and cruelty, and that’s all the Trump Regime has.

The day is calling and the coffee is singing. My hope remains that peace and grace lift themselves up with a mighty shake and come around to yours and mine. Here we go again. Cheers

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Fridaz Wandering Political Thoughts

Trump has been flailing, ladies and gennulmen. Besides dozy off in meetings, he looks haggard and tired. Babblings have been going up as Democratic election, approval to release Epstein files rises in Congress, disapproval to raise and apply tariffs seems to be shaping up, and terrible economic trends are growing apparent. The shutdown made a huge dent in the economy. It’s a dent it couldn’t take. Prices are up. Trump is backpedaling on selected tariffs (like coffee) to bring prices down but doing so also undermines his premise that he’s applying tariffs because ‘it’s a national emergency’. He’s losing control faster than a speeding car hitting black ice. The question is, where will the slipping and sliding take him, the GOP, and the United States and world?

I thoroughly enjoy Heather Cox Richardson’s posts. November 13th’s post was an especially effective summation of Dozy Donny’s current struggles.

Letters from an American

We are watching the ideology of the far-right MAGAs smash against reality, with President Donald J. Trump and his cronies madly trying to convince voters to believe in their false world rather than the real one.

That spin has been hard at work in the past few days over the economy. Trump is clearly worried that the Supreme Court is going to find that much of his tariff war is unconstitutional, as the direction of the justices’ questioning in its November 5 hearing suggested. On Monday he claimed that the U.S. would have to pay back “in excess of $2 Trillion Dollars” if the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs unconstitutional, and that “would be a National Security catastrophe.” He blamed “Anarchists and Thugs” for putting the U.S. into a “terrible situation” by challenging his tariffs. Hours later, he increased the number to $3 Trillion—the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says the number was actually about $195 billion.

Yesterday, White House officials suggested they would never be able to release October’s jobs report or inflation numbers, blaming the Democrats. They did, however, claim that prices are “beginning to drop,” citing DoorDash, the delivery platform, as their source.

Yes, blame the Democrats. That’s all Trump can ever do. Lie, and claim things are a hoax. Lie, and claim everything is great. And lie, and blame the Democrats. The common denominator here is that things are going shitty for the Enshittifier-in-Chief, and his usual is not doing its usual any longer.

To continue from Ms Richardson’s post.

~snip~

Bloomberg reports that 62% of Americans they polled say the cost of everyday items has climbed over the past month and that 55% of employed Americans say they’re worried about losing their job. It also notes, as CNBC economic commenter Carl Quintanilla pointed out, that international stocks are outperforming the U.S. S&P stock index by the widest margin in 16 years. Yesterday the University of Michigan consumer confidence survey hit its lowest reading in 65 years.

Tonight Ana Swanson, Maggie Haberman, and Tyler Pager of the New York Times reported that the administration is attempting to lower food prices by preparing exemptions to tariffs, suggesting that some members of the administration are finally facing the fact that Trump’s fantasy ideology cannot defy reality forever.

~snip~

‘Muricans are waking up. (Yes, they’re becoming woke, ha ha.) Even MAGAts having FAFO moments are waking up. So are more hard-headed MAGAts. Of course, a large number of them will rally to cheer Trump on to further destruction and destabilization of the nation and world. It’ll take a few rounds to shake them out of their status as True Believers.

Now Trumo is sending ICE to Charlotte, NC. That will probably piss off another large contingent of United States citizens. He’s an absolute fool; does he not realize the optics? But of course, he doesn’t realize the optics, because he’s too deeply embedded in his altered reality to realize the optics. But Guard soldiers are speaking out, telling others that they’re mostly doing nothing on their deployments to American cities. They’re not seeing the destruction and violence Trump claims. The cities aren’t on fire as he claims. The soldiers report mostly being bored. As their narrative grows and spreads, Trump’s failures will accelerate, and supporters will start leaving him in droves. And as that happens, Trump will flail mightily, trying to use the same tactics which he always uses. Those efforts will fail. I predict it’ll even actually hasten Trump’s decline as more abandon him.

It’s just going to take some time.

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Fridaz Theme Music

Frida, November 14, 2025, has gracefully entered Ashlandia. Accompanied by an entourage of blue sky and sunshine, we’re at 50 F and expect 60 F. It’s appreciated that the wailing wind has taken its thrashing away. The calm is, well, calming.

Today’s music comes from touching myself. Oh, get your head out. I was touching my three surgical incisions on my abdomen. Just gently, because it’s been ten days and the film sealing them is beginning to darken and peel. Gross and fascinating, the process causes new sensations as the film rolls and pulls away when it comes in contact with my shirt. All this is to schedule, BTW. Anyway, while I pause to inspect them in the mirror and touch them, I told myself enough, get going. From those little moments, The Neurons came up with “Touch and Go” by the Cars for the morning mental music stream.

Predictably, Dozy Donny directed the DoJ to investigate Epstein’s connection with prominent and popular Dems.

So, first, Dozy Donny says he’s gonna release the Epstein files as soon as he’s in office.

TACO — Trump Always Chickening Out — backed off of that promise and tried yugely to command everyone to just pretend like there was nothing there. Forget the files is what he more or less said.

Then he pivoted and tried another tack. Lying Lame Donny claims it’s a “Democrat hoax that never ends.”

To which we all reply, then be a stand up individual and release all the files, as are, without the cost and distraction of new investigations. But Donny knows how bad he looks in those files. He had FBI agents combing it for mentions. Since that was done, he’s been more of a shambling wreck than over.

So the record-setting Trump Epstein Shutdown (TES) of 2025 has ended. Now the wreckage machine responsible for new levels of enshittification are the ones who are supposed to fix it. Hell, they can’t even get it together enough to release labor statistics that have been routine forever. Can’t get it together to keep their lies straight. They were firing people and then hiring them back after realizing the folks were needed. Now we’re expectin’ them to fix the shit they broke? And just in time for the holiday season to start bigly! Get the popcorn because this will probably be a mess. As it gets messier, Dozy Donny will want more distractions. “Look! Venezuela!” Hope Trump doesn’t kill too many as his regime flails and crumbles.

Got coffee. Watching out the window for peace and grace to show up. Here we go, another Frida is underway. Cheers

3

Just Thinking

I read a Newsweek article about China’s new aircraft carrier.

The article compared the new Chinese vessel with the USS Gerald R Ford.

China’s newest aircraft carrier Fujian compared to USS Gerald R. Ford

The real thought-provoking moment came in a small bit at the end. Trump was POTUS when the Ford was commissioned in 2017.

‘U.S. President Donald Trump said at USS Gerald R. Ford‘s commissioning ceremony in July 2017: “Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong…Our true strength is our people. Our greatest weapon is all of you. Our nation endures because we have citizens who love America and who are willing to fight for America.”‘

I emphasized the final sentences. Eight years after Trump said those words, here he is as POTUS #47, starving Americans, destroying our healthcare and education systems, lowering our standards of living, deploying U.S. National Guard on false pretenses into American centers, and disappearing people through ICE off American streets, regardless of their status as citizens or visitors, regardless of evidence, regardless of what the courts rule.

Trump claims he wants to ‘make America great again’.

Trump claims that he views citizens as America’s ‘greatest weapon.’

Yet, Trump actively pursues destruction of us as a people and a nation. He’s attacking over half of us even though we are part of the same nation.

I’ll telling you, Trump hates the United States. He’s out to destroy it. If he wasn’t than why does he attack our ‘greatest weapon’?

That’s why the cruelty is the point. It’s an expression of Trump’s contempt and hatred for the United States and its citizens.

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Wenzdaz Wandering Political Thoughts

I’ve been thinking about that $2000 that Trump is waving in front of people.

What an utterly disconnected offering. What a cheap fucking bribe. Sure, the poorest and those close to being poor will jump on two grand. It’d give them temporary breathing room, maybe help fix a car or pay for part of something needed. For most, though, two thou in today’s economy is like a cold slice of half-eaten pizza found for breakfast.

Fierce Healthcare notes that red staters have been flocking to ACA for the last several years.

ACA exchange enrollment has skyrocketed since 2020, with most of the growth in red states: KFF

Enrollment on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) exchanges has more than doubled over the past several years, with much of that growth coming from red states, according to a new report.

Analysts at KFF found that enrollment in marketplace plans reached 24.3 million for 2025, up from 11.4 million in 2020. That’s growth of 113% for those five years, the researchers said.

Almost all states have seen some level of increase since 2020, per the report. However, there are six states where enrollment more than tripled, and all were won by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The highest increases were in Texas and Mississippi, where enrollment grew by 255% and 242%, respectively.

 In Louisiana and West Virginia, enrollment increased by 234%, while Georgia saw an increase of 227%. Enrollment rose in Tennessee by 221%.

Yowza! Sounds like Trump is screwing over his base without the breaks the Big Beautiful Bill of 2025 ended. When cruelty is the point, it doesn’t matter who the victim is. More pointedly, when healthcare premiums are jumping by huge chunks, two thousand doesn’t gain much, especially now, when affordability is rising as a problem for ‘Muricans. Industries, reporters, businesses, and analysts are citing increases in food prices, pet food, construction and home repair, gas for heating homes and gas for driving cars, electricity, healthcare, and consumer goods. Against that flood, Trump desperately throws up two thousand dollars and tries those tired ol’ ploys of crying fake news, hoax, while repeatedly and shrilly lying, “No, no, it’s all going great!” But even hard-headed MAGAts are starting to notice the dick-tator’s new clothes.

Of course, Trump is booming with promises.

He promises — again — he’s coming out with a new healthcare plan. Promises and lies is what he doth best. ‘Member any of these?

Trump’s shutdown win just landed Republicans with a huge political headache

Trump and Republicans once again own the issue of health care, with millions of citizens — not just those on ACA plans — afflicted by rising premiums and high deductibles against the backdrop of a wider cost-of-living crisis. And just as in his first term, Trump lacks a comprehensive, detailed plan to bring relief to citizens who lack health care, who can’t afford the plans they have or who know that the loss of a job could leave them without any coverage at all.

~snip~

During the 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to repeal Obamacare and replace it with something “terrific.” At rallies, he promised Americans new health care that would cost less but be far better. If that sounds impossible, it’s probably because it is.

Early in his first term, Trump promised that change was on the way. “Despite what you hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great. We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture!” he wrote on the website formerly known as Twitter in March 2017. The GOP failure to repeal Obamacare, partly because it couldn’t come up with an alternative, didn’t stop Trump’s sunny predictions. “The Republican Party will be soon be known as theparty of health care,” the president declared in March 2019.

Second term, same as the first. In his debate with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in 2024, Trump was mocked for saying he had “concepts of a plan” to make health care “better and less expensive.” More than a year later — and despite some significant efforts by Trump to bring down the cost of some prescription drugs — Americans are still waiting for his wider solutions.

~snip~

But with unemployment likely rising, some people will be very desperate for any additional income.

US likely bled jobs in October

The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not release an October jobs report thanks to the GOP’s government shutdown. But the United States likely lost a whopping 50,000 jobs last month, according to a report released Tuesday by Goldman Sachs. This is a flashing warning that the nation may be entering recession territory.

Goldman Sachs’ report was backed up by data from the payroll company ADP, which on Tuesday said that the private sector lost an average of 11,250 jobs per week in the four weeks ending Oct. 25. ADP said the numbers signal that “the labor market struggled to produce jobs consistently during the second half” of October.

It’s all part of the MAGA magic, an illusion as deep and real as the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.

Which means, of course, brace yerself. Trump and his allies need more distractions. Bigger distractions. They’ll get angrier. Meaner. Crueler. Declare more enemies and attack more. Lie more, and do it more loudly. Because, you know.

Just in time for the holidays. You’re a cruel one, Mr. Trump.

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