I found a flathead worm on the back walkeay this morning. They are weird but have been in NC since the '50s
For anyone who has ever wondered what a carrot blossom looks like, I have attached a photo link. This is from the earlier refrigerator agriculture project (the carrot that sprouted orange leaves).
Good morning. Partly cloudy with highs in the 70s, sounds quite pleasant.
The new improved mothership is reporting on an effort by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the immigration bill to a vote -- again. yes, this is the same immigration bill negotiated between the 2 parties earlier this year, as part of a Ukraine aid package -- only to have Trump demand the GOP kill the bill, which they did. Basically, this is a Democratic stunt to show they are trying to Do Something to fix the border.
I definitely agree with Garry Kasparov (who in addition to moral clarity could wipe virtually anyone in the world off a chessboard).
Ukraine needs to be able to defend itself. That includes making pre-emptive strikes on military targets inside Russia, whether those includes massed troops or bases, artillery or air-defense systems, whatever. Being restricted from doing that is being forced to fight with one hand tied behind its back.
And the UN Security Council observing a "moment of silence" for the butcher of Iran is nuts. As an observant Catholic who takes seriously Our Lord's injunction to pray for your enemies, I might (and did) say a prayer for his soul -- privately. Publicly, his death should pass without mention.
The foreign policy assumptions in the Dem party elite circles seem to me to be:
1. America has nothing to set itself apart from other countries, especially not any superiority in anything.
2. It isn’t fair or just for America to assume the role of “leader” in the world.
3. Other countries have equally legitimate claims to world leadership, and fairness means that they should have their turn.
4. American military power is only used to bully other nations, and that is a much more sinister thing than other countries invading their neighbors or perpetrating genocide.
5. Our enemies say that *we* once used our power and might to invade our neighbors and perpetrate genocide, so it is only fair for other countries to do so as well because our past shows we are too imperfect ever to demand other countries should behave differently. Our enemies have a point.
I can’t find any ideological overlap with any of these assumptions. I think they are all wrong.
I really don’t understand the paralysis over fear of escalation with both Iran and Russia. I think red lines have been crossed by both and we need firmer responses than we’ve shown. That doesn’t mean I support attacking either one militarily but we could certainly do a lot in the form of taking the handcuffs off Ukraine, and dropping more “message” missiles on Iran. This is why I haven’t been asked to join the foreign policy strategy team.
Fair. I got so rattled with the posting mixup…and I’m sticking with that excuse!
Intended to say it was the Obama/Biden FP and NatSec philosophy. More traditional Dems have not had that quasi-Rawlsian, morally relativist philosophical approach.
Barack Obama definitely had the mindset that disdained (I almost want to say "despised" but that might be too strong) the idea of American exceptionalism, including its place in the world.
From today's NYT: "After a sobering trip to Kyiv, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is urging the president to lift restrictions on how Ukraine can use American arms."
I think it can be boiled down to, "The United States is so evil that we don't deserve to be a country, and the 'bad side' of any conflict is the one we're on."
The former is why we can't enforce our border, and the latter is why it looks like we're going to pressure Israel into letting Hamas win and why we're going to scaredy-cat ourselves into letting Putin eat Ukraine.
Good morning!
I found a flathead worm on the back walkeay this morning. They are weird but have been in NC since the '50s
For anyone who has ever wondered what a carrot blossom looks like, I have attached a photo link. This is from the earlier refrigerator agriculture project (the carrot that sprouted orange leaves).
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B2vDxb9TkHacSHMCA
It strongly resembles Queen Anne’s lace , which I see is wild 🥕 carrot! 🥕
Cool, who knew!
Good morning. Partly cloudy with highs in the 70s, sounds quite pleasant.
The new improved mothership is reporting on an effort by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the immigration bill to a vote -- again. yes, this is the same immigration bill negotiated between the 2 parties earlier this year, as part of a Ukraine aid package -- only to have Trump demand the GOP kill the bill, which they did. Basically, this is a Democratic stunt to show they are trying to Do Something to fix the border.
I agree with Kasparov here. Not always. But in this instance.
I definitely agree with Garry Kasparov (who in addition to moral clarity could wipe virtually anyone in the world off a chessboard).
Ukraine needs to be able to defend itself. That includes making pre-emptive strikes on military targets inside Russia, whether those includes massed troops or bases, artillery or air-defense systems, whatever. Being restricted from doing that is being forced to fight with one hand tied behind its back.
And the UN Security Council observing a "moment of silence" for the butcher of Iran is nuts. As an observant Catholic who takes seriously Our Lord's injunction to pray for your enemies, I might (and did) say a prayer for his soul -- privately. Publicly, his death should pass without mention.
Weird. Had to go and unpublish tomorrow’s post… Seems I initially goofed the date. Details, details…
Apologies for any scheduling confusion.
Whew! I thought the space-time continuum had been broken.
And what happens when you break the space-time continuum? Does that turn Donald Trump into a nice guy? 🤣
😳
I just figured you were getting ahead of the curve, as if I'd planned music for a month in advance.
Good morning. Strong words from Garry Kasparov.
The foreign policy assumptions in the Dem party elite circles seem to me to be:
1. America has nothing to set itself apart from other countries, especially not any superiority in anything.
2. It isn’t fair or just for America to assume the role of “leader” in the world.
3. Other countries have equally legitimate claims to world leadership, and fairness means that they should have their turn.
4. American military power is only used to bully other nations, and that is a much more sinister thing than other countries invading their neighbors or perpetrating genocide.
5. Our enemies say that *we* once used our power and might to invade our neighbors and perpetrate genocide, so it is only fair for other countries to do so as well because our past shows we are too imperfect ever to demand other countries should behave differently. Our enemies have a point.
I can’t find any ideological overlap with any of these assumptions. I think they are all wrong.
I really don’t understand the paralysis over fear of escalation with both Iran and Russia. I think red lines have been crossed by both and we need firmer responses than we’ve shown. That doesn’t mean I support attacking either one militarily but we could certainly do a lot in the form of taking the handcuffs off Ukraine, and dropping more “message” missiles on Iran. This is why I haven’t been asked to join the foreign policy strategy team.
You're really stretching here. I don't know that Dem party elites think that at all. Sullivan, maybe, but not all "elites."
Fair. I got so rattled with the posting mixup…and I’m sticking with that excuse!
Intended to say it was the Obama/Biden FP and NatSec philosophy. More traditional Dems have not had that quasi-Rawlsian, morally relativist philosophical approach.
Barack Obama definitely had the mindset that disdained (I almost want to say "despised" but that might be too strong) the idea of American exceptionalism, including its place in the world.
From today's NYT: "After a sobering trip to Kyiv, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is urging the president to lift restrictions on how Ukraine can use American arms."
Nice when a liberal politician confronts the truth -- and admits it. (Or any politician, really).
Or, you could be like Alito and just blame your wife.
Maybe I’ll be like Alito and blame *his* wife, too!
Perfect!
I think it can be boiled down to, "The United States is so evil that we don't deserve to be a country, and the 'bad side' of any conflict is the one we're on."
The former is why we can't enforce our border, and the latter is why it looks like we're going to pressure Israel into letting Hamas win and why we're going to scaredy-cat ourselves into letting Putin eat Ukraine.