by Michael DePaoli
TRUMP ITCHING FOR WAR?
On Sunday, North Korea fired a ballistic missile that was in violation of resolutions from the United Nations Security Council. On Monday, Donald Trump (with the nuclear football not far away) said that he would deal “very strongly” with North Korea because he sees North Korea as a “big, big problem.”
Trump made this threat against North Korea on the same day that his National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned from office. Flynn had an unethical (maybe illegal) communication with the Russian ambassador. Flynn lied about the conversation and denied that sanctions were discussed. Then, Flynn caused Vice President Pence to lie about the conversation.
Some people are making excuses for Pence, claiming that Pence did not know the truth about Flynn’s lies. Yeah, whatever. In the court of public opinion, we all should give Pence about as much deference as the Trump administration is giving the immigrant workers who are being rounded up and deported. Plus, the former acting (Ed. Note: Acting? We loved her in Sunset Boulevard) Attorney General Sally Yates warned the White House almost a month prior to the Flynn resignation that Flynn had not been honest. So, the cries of Pence being duped ring hollow, else Flynn would have been fired, immediately.
The trouble here is that Trump made the threat against North Korea on the same day that his National Security Advisor had already been completely compromised. So, who was advising the President to start making threats against a small nation that will never back down from a fight? Indeed, in the First Korean War we bombed North Korea to the Stone Age, and all we ended up with was a ceasefire agreement.
Trump’s terrible decision-making ability has already been amply demonstrated when he gave the command (over dinner) to commence the Yemen Raid, which resulted in the death of one American Navy Seal hero, the deaths of about nine children, and the destruction of an expensive American aircraft. No doubt, all military raids are dangerous and things can go wrong. In this case Trump is so delusional that after nine children were killed he actually labeled the raid a success.
There was a time when we laughed at Kim Jong Un as the leader of North Korea, but now the USA has its own version of Kim Jong Un named Donald Trump and it is not so funny, anymore. I wonder who is the bigger liar, the North Korean leader or our President. When Trump can say that the USA is the moral equivalent of Russia, then I can say that Trump himself is the moral equivalent of Kim Jong Un.
When The Donald finally starts the war he seeks, I humbly request that all the people who donated money to the Trump campaign run straight down to the recruiting office and join the military. When you have sent money to Trump you should own up to your dirty deed and be the first to fight the war that you bought.
STEPHEN MILLER = THE JOKER
While being interviewed by George Stephanopoulos, Trump’s Senior Adviser Stephen Miller had this to say about Trump’s false claims of voter fraud: “I am prepared to go on any show, anywhere, anytime, and repeat it and say the President of the United States is correct.”
Such is the plan. You just find an evil little racist (like Stephen Miller), you ask him to create headlines, and with any luck the people will forget about all the campaign promises that you have already broken. By raising the non-issue of voter fraud, Trump has successfully taken reporters away from covering (and researching) all of Trump’s ties to Russia.
Hiding behind nasty Stephen Miller, Trump can avoid numerous tough questions that need to be asked, including: Where is your plan to defeat ISIS? Where is your tax cut that you promised? Where are the jobs that you promised? When you met with the Japanese Prime Minister did you negotiate and complete the bilateral replacement deal for the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Have you started paying off the Federal debt? Did you reduce spending, yet? When are you going to drain the swamp?
MING DYNASTY
The Houston Rockets retired Yao Ming’s number 11 jersey last Friday. Although his career was injury-plagued, Yao was an eight-time all-star in the NBA. Other members of the Houston Rockets with their jerseys previously retired: Clyde Drexler (22), Calvin Murphy (23), Moses Malone (24), Hakeem Olajuwon (34), and Rudy Tomjanovich(45).
Yao Ming’s Top 10 Plays of his Career: