MEANWHILE.......

  Back at the ranch we seem to have lost sight of the importance of 'rot' discoveries made here in the good old USA. That rot goes deep, wide and high, permeating every rung of this nation's ladder of political and civil leadership, and I seriously question whether leadership is even applicable in this case. How can we call these people leaders when their every behavior, their every word, their every goal, appears to have one thing in common? Restrict the people. Delude them into agreeing to loss of rights. Have no shame about admitting treasonous behaviors and words. Confess implicit and explicit connections with Jan. 6 activities - in planning and in presence. And then walk away with a smug smile. 

Furthermore, of course, let us never forget the openly fascistic salute of Hawley, a fist raised in the air in salute to the rebels of J6, proudly, openly, sharing his treasonous behavior and goals - the overthrowing of this government. In fact, the destruction to the point of no return of the entire structure and apparatus of democracy within this country. Shamefully, even journalists, in print and on the air, flaunt their biases, praise Putin, a most manifestly clear enemy of our country. For sure an enemy of ours, a madman guilty of massive humanitarian and war crimes. 

The chief donors of the GOP remain in business ties to and with the criminal nation of Russia.They continue to prop up the open, clear murderer and wager of war against civilians, be they children, pregnant women, the elderly sitting huddled in their shot to pieces apartments, or starving Ukrainians seeking food, water, shelter and warmth for their families.

One wonders at the boldly challenging traitors of our country. Once again, we are in leadership role to the world, inadequate as it is, and these traitors within our midst seek to change that, restore the disharmonic behaviors and deeds, the openly challenging admissions of 'leaders' within their GOP, a party turned around, racing back to a negative past. They proudly champion false truths, backward behaviors, and manifestly outdated opinions. A wife of a Supreme Court Justice, who himself is a sexual pervert and never should have been appointed and confirmed to the Court, openly boasts of her presence at the rallies of J6, all the while speaking with forked tongue as she says she left before any of the violence. Uh huh! And if I do not believe that? In any case, she never should have been there in the first place, lending credence, support and numbers to these traitors. She shares their brand.

What should we say or think when the entire GOP, the entire RNC, rushes to court to prevent the revelations of subpoenaed communications relevant to J6? I, myself, shudder at the rot that will be exposed, the deep complicity within the Party, the ties of Republican members  of our government openly, proudly, nastily, discussing the overthrow of the legitimate government and the forever phase of this attempted revolution: the forever more death of democracy here, and perhaps the rest of the world, for once deprived of the USA, albeit a weakened one, corrupted by Trump and his crew, things could never, ever be the same.

We now find ourselves in a spider's web which ties us in almost every way to the conflict in the Ukraine, much as we deny it, or attempt to do so. The same Putin demands are to be found here. He represses free speech, a free media, and ours spews forth support of him and curses upon our own people. A political cartoon, very sad, portrays Gov. Abbott, the backwards thinking man - if he even thinks - boasting that "we will get all rapists from the streets of Texas." The viewer at home completes the scenario. "And into the Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services." How dangerously sad!

In actuality, should they get their way, protesting all that would expose their treasonous filth, there will be no further political cartoons of truth. Verity will have disappeared, no longer viable in a poisoned land. Tucker Carlson. Tulsi Gabbard. Sean Hannity. Josh Hawley. Ron Jonson. Scott Perry. Ted Cruz. Rubio. Abbott. The entire legislative bodies of state after state who vote in restrictive voting bills, wrest back the physical bodies of people, wrenching their control over them, consigning that control to troglodytes who wish to return to a most manifestly poisonous past. They shake hands with Putin, admire him, turn their backs on their own nation and on the brave and determined people of Ukraine. One and the same thing. Horribly so.

Today Zelensky will have a streamed speech into the U.S. Capitol, after which Biden will speak, announcing more aid. However, not the aid they need. They need the offensive capability of control over the skies. They need the nations of the world to step up, and with vigorous, meaningful, real energy and commitment, hold up a stop sign to Putin. Encourage his people to overthrow the man rather than flee the country in anticipation of his growing stranglehold over it. 

"Stop War." "Choose." Close the Sky."

I do not believe that Putin will ignore those facts, those words on the wall. We are warned, by an artist who has " ...fears for "our... so-called peaceful life since World War Two" 

"Suddenly we feel the... foundation is shaking of democracy and freedom...". 

Even as Hilary Clinton thanks Russia for her "Lifetime Achievement Award" as they put her on their own sanctions list!! That is what we need to do. We need to display defiance. To ridicule the man. He is a bully. They run away in the face of returned violence and ridicule. I believe there are enough sane people around him who would break his fingers were he to attempt to push that button. Even Trump did, and they were all nuts, from A to Z.

We fight the same battles against lies, against autocracy, against regressive policies and thinking, against false education, against opposition to any and all progress made over the last century. Our own homegrown traitors boast of the fighting in Ukraine, of the 'success' of Putin's ragtag army, hungry, cold, and brutal. All the while we see the destroyed cities, the shambles of a brave country, its determined citizens, its proxy war as it sacrifices its citizens in the name of democracy, fighting our shared battles. 

Shame. That is what I feel. Uselessness. That is what I feel. Inadequate is what I feel. Despair is what I feel. Sadness and anger are what I feel.

Norway. Sweden. Finland. Moldova. Georgia. Slovenia. Three Baltic States. Poland, Hungary. Shivering in their national shoes. The list goes on and can grow to include others.  Germany. France. Why not the entire world, for once a juggernaut of oppression and uncaring gets moving it will continue, be extremely difficult to halt in its path. We did that three times - WWI,WWII, the hot Cold War and here we are again. Appeasement does not work. A mailed fist, a strong character, a determined presentation, courage in the face of threats, are what is necessary. We need to stand together, for apart - well, you can fill in the rest of that sentence.

Tough times. Related tough times and issues. We need to be strong, to stand strong and for G-d's sake - stand together. Be Americans once more. Sane Americans. Loyal Americans.

Can we? I hesitate to answer, for the answer is not so clear. Unfortunately so.