As a citizen interested in world democracy, I must say

that governments can only improve where they see democratic demand to improve.

Consequently, on the global scale of things, -ALL- countries must be subject to reasonable criticism.

If they don't get that criticism, -ALL- countries will tend to regress into more and more undemocratic behaviors.

So, I respect, and I expect, everyone to continue to do thier part in making reasonable criticisms of -All- governments as each of us sees the need.



By reasonable, I mean something that would be seen as rational criticism of policies and implementations of policy that generate cause for concern among people of goodwill, free of existing prejudice(s).

Tying a bowtie was something my grandfather could do

He was born in 1889

Being able to tie a bow tie is NOT a characteristic Boomer Skill, no matter what the MSN aggregator says.

What kind of cultural ignorance is really promoted by digital media providers in the interest of promoting ageism in the under 50's?

Being able to spin a rolodex to find an alphabetically ordered name card is a skill?????

I think any gen Z could do this if they choose to, but they have different and potentially better tools to do it. At least until Putin's electromagnetic pulse fries all the chips. But then, at that point, who's going to be available to pick up a call?

Consider: Israel has reason to destroy Iranian Drone Factories...

Iran provides Russia with drones. One of Russia's drone factories was blasted a week or so ago.

Russia still needs drones, and they are consuming them at a high rate, have turned to using them in large waves to try to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. Russia needs lots of drones. Iran provides them. And Israel now attacked by Iranian drones, has good reason to destroy Iran's drone industry.

The drone attacks on Israel will FORCE Israeli retaliation on Iran. That's just a given considering how Israel's population must feel. And what better for "our interests" than an Israeli attack on Iranian Drone production? We get a very willing proxy to do something our other ally, Ukraine -fighting to save Europe from Russia's pseudo-czar- really would benefit from having happen.

The US wouldn't need to strictly "participate". Biden wouldn't have to lie. Sure we might provide some targeting data, maybe access to secure GPS. But, our closest ally in the region, perhaps in the world, has the means to deliver such an attack without US weapons being involved. Biden clearly doesn't want to invite attacks on our assets, here or abroad, and an Israeli attack would give the US plausible deniability of having been part of the plot. That deniability is so desirable it borders on being PERFECT cover.

Probably take a week to 10 days to 'suss' out all the details.

I'll be watching to see the outcome.

Haaretz: Aid Workers Killed Because 'IDF Officers on the Ground Do What They Want'

Haaretz: Aid Workers Killed Because 'IDF Officers on the Ground Do What They Want'

The army's killing of seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip on Monday night stemmed from poor discipline among field commanders, not a lack of coordination between the army and aid organizations, army sources said on Tuesday.

A source in the intelligence branch said the command "knows exactly what the cause of the attack was – in Gaza, everyone does as he pleases.

Army regulations say that final approval for any action against sensitive targets like aid organizations must be given by senior officers – the division commander, the head of the command or even the chief of staff. But in Gaza, the source said, "every commander sets the rules for himself" and gives his own interpretation of the rules of engagement

What it can be considered is reckless and delinquent military action that failed to observe orders put in place.

And THAT suggest that elements of the IDF have gone rogue and are no longer truly controlled by the Israeli government.

Either Israel arrests and confines all the perp's or it is a willing partner to these actions.

Legitimate war doesn't create war crimes intentionally under flimsy excuses such as "poor" communication. The IDF is out of control.

If asymmetry is a sign of prejudice and discrimination the Normans have really screwed Britons

Last time I looked, it was 2024, nearly 1000 years after William and his host conquered England. Nonetheless 0.3% of the population owns roughly 66% of the land.

Most of that 0.3 percent is descended from William and the elite of his conquerors.

Monarchy, still reach, reach, reaching out and touching people after all these years ... where it hurts.

oops forgot the link

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/70-of-the-land-in-britain-is-still-owned-by-1-of-the-population-largely-descended-from-william-the-conqueror-s-army/ar-BB1kTuLD

When you have a neighborhood behind you, you are a rabble-rouser

When you have 90 million people behind you, you are a national influencer that no one will confront.,

This is the logic that Donald Trump runs on and the logic that protects him from US courts.

Hienz takes on: NO CATSUP ON HOT DOGS!!!!

"There are some Chicago restaurants that will show you the door if you ask for ketchup.

But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Heinz is helping out ketchup-loving Chicagoans by putting up small billboards that dispense the condiment outside famous local restaurants that refuse to serve ketchup.

Passersby will be able to smack a ketchup bottle attached to the boards, and packets of Heinz ketchup will fall out, according to a Heinz news release. The dispensers go up Tuesday and will be available through April 9 outside the Wieners Circle, 2622 N. Clark St., and by Navy Pier, among other spots, a Heinz spokesperson said."

https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/03/29/heinz-is-putting-up-ketchup-dispensers-to-tempt-chicagoans-with-forbidden-condiment

If you know native Chicagoans you know this is a violation of God's 11th Commandment.

The quiet part may have to be said outloud to Putin and his propagandists

Putin's media is again suggesting that Russia should sieze Alaska and California (along with Finland, Poland, and the Baltic States).

Some think-tankers believe that Russia is trapped in its traditional mindset toward other nations... for them Russia -and its successful leaders -must- look like a territory grabbing conquerors to meet the demands of the Russian mindset. Certainly, Russia seems more interested in the imperial Ponzi scheme than in developing trade relations, which are not only cheaper than war, but also hold opportunities for intellectual alliances that produce new products and trade.

And, personally I'm tired of their bullying going without an outloud answer. It looks like Putin and his minions are playing the West, except for France, to be cowards, frozen by fear in their response to Russia's aggressions. We know, or at least think we know, that Russia is quite wrong on this. The West, if not the U.S. alone, has extraordinary military power, and it actually WORKS. It's not made up of 'hyper' or 'super' weapons that don't work (like their supposed unstoppable hypersonic missile Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (NATO designated 'Killjoy'. That missile couldn't reach its claimed maximum range without cutting its explosive load by 90%. One hundred pounds of high explosive is a SMALL tactical warhead, a weight carried by US figher aircraft early in WWII).

But Putin and Co. won't STFU. It seems it's time to adopt a more Macron like position... As Putin talks about the using his (dubiously fully capable) nuclear force against anyone who threatens (in his self-determined super genius mind) the existence of Russia, we should say the part that has remained quiet outloud: The US will defend US territorial integrity, even to the use of nuclear weapons against a transgressor.

This is no secret certainly not a secret to Putin and his military. So, it is not really an escalation. It's a demonstration to Russia and our Allies, of our resolve. And it's Fair Notice for him to begin to curb his attempt to propagandize his own people into popular support of greater Russian imperial-style aggression.

This is a link to the recent example of Russian propagandizing their population to believe they should own Alaska and parts of California.

https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Russian+Media+Again+Suggests+Russia+Should+Take+Alaska&qpvt=Russian+media+again+suggests+Russia+should+take+alaska&FORM=EWRE

All surviving US VPs save one have come out against Trump

The singleton is Dan Quayle who did tell Pence to hold his ground against Trump's election theft efforts.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/liz-cheney-pushes-father-dick-cheney-into-elite-anti-trump-group/ar-BB1k0SR1?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=b3334e36701749ecb1ae0395ad645def&ei=128

Conservative political pundit and vocal Trump critic George Conway asked former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) on X if she knew anyone who’d like to join a proposed ‘Republican Vice Presidents Against Trump’ group. Actually the list could include nearly all living Vice Presidents — not just Republicans: Joe Biden, Cheney, Kamala Harris, Al Gore and — new member alert — Mike Pence.

In other words, every living Vice President except Dan Quayle, who was last in the national news for telling Pence to hold his ground against Trump’s alleged election theft attempts.

(Liz) Cheney replied to Conway’s invitation, writing: “As a matter of fact, I do” and included a video of her father, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, saying that there is no individual who has been “a greater threat to our Republic [than Trump].”

Chuck Schumer criticizes Netanyahu calls for new elections in Israel