Update no.1222

 Update from the Heartland

No.1222

9.6.25 – 15.6.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

Erratum:

In Update no.1221, I mistakenly wrote that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was charged with sex trafficking crimes. That was incorrect. He is charged with human trafficking, i.e., moving undocumented individuals in this country without permission across state lines. While there is not much difference between human trafficking and sex trafficking, a clear distinction remains, and accuracy is important. I lamely fell victim to the plethora of sex trafficking intercourse with Jeffrey Epstein and his clientele, and “P-diddy” and his abusive shenanigans. Please accept my humble apology for the error. I stand corrected.

 

The follow-up news items:

-- First, [the person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name] deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles to quell the immigration enforcement unrest [1214, 1221]. Now, he is sending active duty combat Marines. This is a public demonstration of exactly the problem I have with the president and his administration. I support the ‘what’ and strongly disagree with the ‘how.’ Instead of working with Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass, he ignores the local leaders so he can ‘take charge’ of the situation. [No name] created the crisis by directing the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Lyons to move aggressively with the removal of individuals in this country without permission. After creating the problem, he deploys the federal military to squash the protests that involve a handful of city blocks in a city of 500 square miles and 3.9 million residents. As best I can determine, the protests are over the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what’ of this enforcement action. His aggressive, non-collaborative, dictatorial approach to governance has only made the situation much worse. 

The protests, which have picked up the title “No Kings Protest,” have spread nationwide and rightly so. This is not how a democratic nation should be governed. Governor Newsom has taken legal action against the president over federal interference in a local matter. [No name] created the problem, so he could fix the problem and claim credit for ‘saving the City of Los Angeles.’ We will not forget.

 

Well, now, after the last couple of months of instability and induced chaos, we finally have a home. It is not yet occupied, since our household goods won’t arrive until next week sometimes, but another milestone achieved on this long journey. Our hoped for return to stability and routine is closer but not here yet.

 

Congratulations to the United States Army for 250 of service to the Republic [14.6.1775]. They executed an excellent parade on Saturday evening in Washington, DC. I shall withhold my nit-picky criticism as irrelevant. The Commander-in-Chief even conducted himself admirably, standing and saluting as each unit passed in review. They also had units in period uniforms from the Revolutionary War through history to the Future. Well done, soldiers!

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1221:

Comment to the Blog:

“I’m glad if you’re safe from the storm, or nearly so. Our rain is nearly over, but the smoke will keep coming until after the wildfires are out.

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is charged with human smuggling, not sex trafficking. It’s just as ludicrous.

“I no longer doubt that a Nuremberg-like trial will eventually feature Israeli and U.S. war criminals.

“Someone pointed out that Obama and Biden each deported more people than the Felon, all without major protests or misusing the National Guard.”

My response to the Blog:

I am afraid Mother Nature must quench the Canadian fires. They need a good soaking rain like most of the rest of us.

I stand corrected. Thank you. My bad! Yes, it does. Vindictiveness and vengeance are very blinding emotions, and do not belong anywhere is government. These are the time in which we live.

Perhaps so . . . but not likely. When Rubio claims national sovereignty, as most of recent predecessors have done, he is indirectly stating that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States. Thus, any ‘prosecution’ of an American citizen by the ICC is moot.

Good point. No president, until this one, has ever taken such an aggressive action in the name of immigration control. It is the near total disregard for constitutional due process of law that sets this administration apart from their predecessors. The misuse National Guard and active duty Marines is frankly appalling. He is using a sledge hammer to do what a simple tack hammer would do.

 

A contribution from another contributor:

“I am diametrically opposed to almost every proposition you make in your Update.

“Amazing how you and I are fairly well studied, and fairly intelligent creatures, yet are ‘diametrically’ in total opposition how we handle information and thus form our opinions.

“I have challenged you before that I think you have a very serious confirmation (or continuation) bias, that inhibits your capacity to look at information, situations, trends, in a more objective or unbiased manner. 

“You continued lack of naming Donald J. Trump as our president, is clearly prolonged adolescence on your part. It is really quite old for me, and likely many of your readers to your blog, UPDATE. [redaction mine]

“I wonder how you can still call yourself a Marine. You were to uphold our Constitution and laws of our country.

“President Trump did not cause the riots in Los Angeles. Do you also call them ‘peaceful protesters’? [redaction mine]

“President Trump decided to enforce the law and protect our borders from foreign invaders. Just now America discovers our foreign invaders are violent, and near terrorist in their actions on the streets of America. [redaction mine]

“It was under Obama and his co-conspirator Biden's watches, that our country was invaded by foreign terrorists, who were given coddles, money, welfare and state benefits.

“Cap, I ask you to take off whatever glasses you wear or drugs you depend on and become objective and truthful. You are way out of line buddy.

“Your high emotionalism against Trump and conservatism, is truly clouding your capacity to be objective and honest. I find it very sad, because you have been my friend.” [redaction mine]

My reply:

Well, now, that was quite the contribution. Thank you for taking the time to express your opinion(s). You are welcome to share and contribute as you wish.

Opposition, argument, and debate are essential elements of any viable democracy. Thank you, again, for doing your part.

My handling and processing of information is largely governed by my experience in the Intelligence Community. I am comfortable with the process.

You are welcome to criticize, disagree, call me names, and accuse me as you see fit. Unlike your cherished messiah, I have never enjoyed the tête-à-tête of personal assault, and I shall forego yet another opportunity in this instance.

Like it or not, I have been consistent in my criticism of the fellow who is currently occuping the Office of the President. I do not dispute that he was duly and properly elected for either term as our president. For the record, I have enormous respect for the presidency and the Office of the President. Unfortunately, I see our current employee in that posting through an entirely and vastly different lens than you (and many others) apparently do. He is and always has been a con-man extraordinaire. He is now and always will be a convicted felon (and should have been many times over). He is the contemporary version of Clark Stanley from a century ago—a snake-oil salesman. He suffers from the affliction of malignant narcissism, and unchecked, unbridled egotism. The paucity of any form of humility does not make him unique but certainly sets him apart from the vast majority of civilized society. You choose to see him as you wish. I see him for what he is.

When he respects the Office of the President (if ever), I will give him appropriate respect; until then, he is just another con-man felon who duped 77M American citizens and now wields the power of the presidency in the furtherance of his national & internation grift. I am truly sorry you fell victim to the Siren’s Song, but that’s life I’m afraid. I shall continue to hold onto the hope that you and all the others eventually see him as he is rather than as you want him to be.

. . . Round two:

“I appreciate your response. I will let it stand as is, without much debate from myself.

“Since this past weekend in California, I've read and had to listen to the alphabet news agencies with their propaganda and deliberate disinformation call the riots ‘peaceful protests’ just like they did with the terrible BLM Saint Floyd riots, some that were close to home (La Mesa, CA). We've endured legal ICE raids and arrests, with all the blame from news media targeting Trump for the fact Biden allowed millions of illegal aliens to enter America, many with criminal intent, many with gang affiliations, and some are terrorists intending harm on USA. [redaction mine]

“Call my issue with riots and fires: PTSD. We've seen enough in California, not to mention the wildfires. 

“Did you see last night the ‘peaceful protesters’ were now looting stores, carrying out as much as they could steal?  Do you recall during the Saint Rodney King riots, the Korean store owners were on the roofs of their markets shooting dead looters? Rightly so! Right on! I say the way to end these riots is to allow the Marines or NG to start putting some live rounds into the center masses of those that are arsonists, looters and ringleaders wherever they may reside. DHS determine who the ringleaders are, find them, arrest them, execute them as traitors to the USA. If it happens to be people at George Soros' Foundation, well so be it. 

“Did anyone think deporting 15 million illegal aliens from America was gonna be pretty? Someone needed to finally do it.

“Like you I think we'll agree that the ones DHS/ICE needs to target are the criminal element of the aliens. I am not too concerned about those that came or stayed here who do not have papers, who are law abiding and mind their own business, many who work and produce and pay taxes. We could look the other way on those folks who are not going out and rioting and throwing rocks and concrete chunks from an overpass down at CHP troopers like on Sunday. [emphasis by the author]

“The criminal element who came here from a gang in Honduras, or wherever, they need to be discovered and deported.

“The news services are professionals at distorting reality and causing more chaos and confusion. They are directed by the politicians, and the programming produced by the group of groups, somewhere offshore.

“Trump is merely ordering his team, to enforce the laws of America. It may not be comfortable, but we in California have been overtaken. Call it an invasion. [redaction mine]

“Language, borders, customs. How many Muslims from Syria or Iraq, do you see come to America and assimilate or even integrate into our culture, religion and values?  How's uncontrolled immigration going for Western Europe? Been to Paris, London or Munich lately?

“Gavin Newsom is a fraud, and traitor, and should be arrested and then deported to El Salvador's prison. Anyone investigating his fraud and millions spent on the high-speed train?

“They made such a big deal of the JAN6 patriots that descended on Washington D.C., so many persecuted for that day, yet we are supposed to harbor true rioters, criminals, murderers and rapists, when they are illegally in America, and hug them because the Democrats project they have bleeding hearts, but no heart for our country's security. No heart for the war wounded living on the streets. No heart for the seniors unable to afford a one-bedroom apartment on their own. No heart for those that paid into the system, but the system cannot help them. “

. . . my reply to round two:

I considered carefully how I should respond to your follow-up comment. I shall attempt to boil down my response. Perhaps, one sentence in your follow-up summarizes our differences.

You stated, “Gavin Newsom is a fraud, and traitor, and should be arrested and then deported to El Salvador's prison.” To put this directly and bluntly, Newsom is a United States citizen. He is, like you and me, entitled to due process of law. If he has committed a crime under the statutes of the United States, charge him, present your evidence, submit to cross-examination, and if convicted by a jury of his peers, send him to prison, just as [no name] was convicted [but never sent to prison as he should have been; but hey, at least [no name] was found guilty, unlike O.J.]. The last time I checked, disagreement is NOT a crime.

I want the USG to deport any individual from any country who is in the United States without permission (border crossers and overstays alike). To that end, I laud the USG effort. Where we go crosswise and I cannot tolerate is how he is doing it. The USG is casting a very broad net and aggressively detaining individuals who are emphatically NOT criminals, e.g. Abrego Garcia. The USG arrested and deported Abrego Garcia to a foreign prison as a terrorist, and he was one of those who was entitled to due process of law. A federal judge issued a court order giving him asylum protection. If he was truly a card-carrying member of MS-13, then charge him, try him, and if the evidence warrants, convict him, and then we can legally deport him. What the USG did in his case was kidnap him (a felonious crime), detain and deport him without due process of law, and then transport him across national and international borders to incarcerate him at a notorious foreign prison.

The disagreement among progressives like me is, NOT what he is doing but rather how he is doing it. We cannot and must not ignore the Constitution and the law; [no name] is doing exactly that. The protesters are against the ‘how,’ not the ‘what.’

One last comment in this response . . . I believe (as with most public assembly protests these days) that the majority of protesters are indeed peaceful. Unfortunately, a criminal element, including outright anarchists, uses these mass public assembly protests as cover to commit crimes and induce chaos. We have not yet figured out how to identify, isolate, and arrest that criminal element. Governmental over-reaction to that reality harms innocent people exercising their constitutional rights.

“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

 . . . Round three:

“Keep in mind most of my gesture on Gavin Newsom is tongue-in-cheek. Though after witnessing the damage Newsom has done to our state of California, and his doctorial fashion during COVID-19, I likely would not come to his aid if someone wants to drop a watermelon on him, from the 19th floor of a building.

“BTW Cap, are you monitoring the back-and-forth between the appeals courts and emergency motions on who controls the California National Guard. Interest late last night developments putting the control back to the FEDS/Trump. I'm still waiting for the tennis ball to possibly go back to state control which will please Newsom.  I can only imagine at this hour, he is fuming. [redaction mine]

“I appreciate you have always been a big proponent of due process and also our civil liberties.

“Cap, I think many of us are charitable type people who have looked the other way when immigrants arrive in America, we don't question their ‘status’ and if they don't commit crimes, and respect our laws, we are more than willing to help them out. I know many churches doing this each week. Most Mexicans, one ethnic group seemingly under deportation attack, are honorable and humble folks who were looking for a better life. Sadly, within that same group are in general, Hispanics arriving here willing to commit crimes, do harm, with gang affiliations, who are not nice people here, nor were they at their Mexican, Central American, South American home countries, which might be why they are here. They have no respect for our land, laws and values.

“On Abrego Garcia, wasn't he here illegally on an overstay? Is he truly afforded the 14^th Amendment? I doubt he is the poster boy of good nature and fatherhood, as the news agencies have been portraying. How did Garcia get himself on the radar. If he was living that good clean life the news media propagated, I doubt ICE/DHS would have picked him up. I will promise you he was not just walking down the street wearing his new Nike Air Jordans chewing Juice Fruit gum, when H.I.S. (sic) targeted him for arrest and removal. Didn't Garcia also have a domestic violence case against his wife or girlfriend. Does that warrant deportation? Perhaps.

“Did you know over 300 of the ‘peaceful protesters’ in the last few days since Saturday, were arrested in Los Angeles alone, due to being here illegally. They are now under detention with a bunch of them likely already deported. Why would they become so emboldened in a host country, as guests, to go protest. If I was illegally in Argentina, the last thing I would go do is protest against their government in civil disorder. Lay low. But they got caught up in the extreme emotionalism due to the liberal politicians and news media that fuel the fires in America. Just like how the news propogandists did what they do best, during the BLM riots of 2020+. What they did is criminal in my opinion.

“I think you and I will strongly agree that the pendulum is what we need to keep an eye on. Civil liberties and 1^st plus 4^thAmendment protections, for truly peaceful protests. Once illegal invaders intent on doing harm here, do violence and start fires, the gloves should be off for police, national guard, and Marines. How else do we keep some semblance of an orderly nation where we need not fear when we go out, or where we park our cars, or with our kids walking home from school. I am concerned too if the military is deployed in our cities, whether it could go into an overreach or military-police-state like we see in other nations.

“Cap, I do respect your opinions, though recently I became a bit heated in my emotions. These are trying times for many of us who value our country.

“Maybe the Israel's war vs. Iran will help distract me for a few days until Saturday, when civil unrest in America may get very heated (1,500 protests planned). “

. . . my reply to round three:

My capacity to keep pace with you has diminished of late. I shall confine my reply to a couple of key elements.

Re: Abrego Garcia. Yes, he entered the U.S. without permission in 2011. He went through numerous legal steps, but at the bottom line, Immigration Judge David M. Jones issued a “withholding of removal” order in 2019 that gave him indefinite protection and full rights including due process of law under the 5^th and 14^th Amendments. If he has committed crimes inside the United States, then charge and try him in a court of law in accordance with the Constitution. If convicted, then he can be legally deported.

Re: “peaceful protesters.” I understand and appreciate the urge to use full force to stop riots, i.e., injury to others and destruction of property. However, when that force injures innocent people or damages other property, then that force is verging upon criminal action itself. As I stated earlier, we have not yet figured out how to isolate the criminal element that invades peaceful protests (assemblies) and that presents a serious threat to all our rights. Let us not forget, in this instance, the protests began when the USG used very heavy handed, indiscriminate, aggressive action to arrest individuals in the country without permission, and in doing so, treated citizens and legal individuals as if they were illegal.

From my perspective, Netanyahu needed a distraction to overshadow his other legal problems. Iran is a convenient target. The U.S. was reportedly making progress in negotiations with the IRI. Netanyahu’s attacks quelched all that diplomacy. Now, we must deal with the consequences.

. . . Round five:

“I appreciate any/all responses on your part.

“On Abrego Garcia, sad our news agencies have converted Garcia into a saint, just like they did with Saint Floyd. They did the same thing with Rodney King in the early 1990's, the quick criminal-to-saint process only our news programmers can do. The ABC's of NBC, CBS, CNN and more, did not show us the full video clip of Rodney King fighting LAPD, prior to getting the attitude adjustment earned, by PR-24's. King was high on PCP and had many prior contacts and arrests with LAPD.

“Isn't Garcia affiliated with MS-13? Well, if so, get him out of here, now!

“As to your third (#3) paragraph: How are riot police using mobile field force tactics, supposed to clearly and quickly differentiate between violent and non-violent protesters in a crowd full of teargas and chaos? Furthermore, along the pushback to your proposition, the protesters/rioters (fine line there in-between), well they should be much more responsible and considerate to the police and public not involved in their crazy marches, as to not be mixed in, providing synergy, to the violent protesters walking near them. Get out of that march and go home, don't be part of it unless one likes to get PepperBall'd and rubber bulleted. I call it guilt by association. I'm OK if the Marines/NG, or LAPD, want to round everyone up in those so called ‘peaceful protests’ once violence and fires begin.

“Again, on paragraph #3, many of these ICE/DHS/HSI raids were not sporadic, punitive or unplanned. Many of them targeted cartel linked criminals here in America illegally. Other raids targeted employers/worksites, that have for years been hiring and harboring illegal aliens, purposely. Even in some case helping them with green card brokers, who issue fake green cards. Some activities of the cartels are human and child trafficking. Where are all those poor South/Central America and Mexico children going missing to??? And about the drug connections of the many illegal invaders selling drugs in America, well, that is why we see DEA and FBI participating on some of those raids.

“I doubt ICE/DHS/HSI is snatching brown looking people from churches, which is what the news media liars keep reporting.

“As to your paragraph #4, I agree. I saw just 3 days ago that Israel's OM Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud was on the verge of collapse. I said to myself war would be days ahead. Yes, what happened on Friday the 13th has made the world much more dangerous. I suspect what cannot be accomplished by failed counter-attacks by Iran, may be done thru terrorism by Iran and their many proxies. If we get too engaged with Israel, then there goes Ukraine, Russia will have a field day.“

. . . my reply to round five:

Re: Abrego Garcia. As I have stated many times before, if Garcia is affiliated in any way with MS-13, then charge him, try him, convict him, and then deport him. The same laws that protect us, protect him by a proper court order. If the USG breaks the law out of convenience, we are all at risk. Present the evidence, submit to cross-examination, and let a judge and jury decide. I cannot tolerate the shuffling aside due process of law because some USG agent believes. Present the evidence . . . in court, not in the Press.

Re: Rodney King. Those police officers grossly over-reacted to King’s resistance, just as they did in the case of George Floyd and many others.

Deal with the violent ones, the lawbreakers. The U.S. Constitution protects the right of the people to assemble and protest any issue they wish. Let us avoid denying the rights of the many because of the crimes of a few.

You may doubt it, but due process of law is in place to protect citizens from the abuses of government. ICE agents have no right whatsoever to be judge, jury, and executioner. They do not decide; a court decides.

Re: Israel-IRI. Yes, that is exactly what Netanyahu has done. We shall all suffer the consequences. The IRI has bombarded Israel with missiles, rockets, and drones. They will use their myriad proxies elsewhere.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1221

 Update from the Heartland

No.1221

2.6.25 – 8.6.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

The Update [no.1221] was late hitting the Web this week and making distribution. I offer my humble apologies. The exigencies of life occasionally hit an amplified peak and so it was last week. Further, we are in a particularly vulnerable state at the moment. The combination proved to be more stressful and exceeded our capacity. The worst of the storm has passed, and we are all in fine fettle on the other side. Progress continues and stability is certainly closer but not here yet. Please be patient.

 

The follow-up news items:

-- The sad and wholly unnecessary saga of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia [1214] continues to play out before us. He was finally returned to the U.S. and immediately arrested for sex trafficking charges in Nashville. Attorney General Bondi offered a public statement claiming she had an indictment against Abrego Garcia. He was arraigned and faces a preliminary hearing on the 13^th. None of us has seen the indictment. The administration seems to be hell bent on digging the hole deeper and deeper. That is what vindictiveness, and vengeance does to careful contemplation.

 

If anyone needed a physical example of the Ugly American Syndrome, we have a plethora of such examples in just the last five months. I offer a recent such example (I cannot claim the latest instance since there are so many that come virtually every day, but this is a recent example). On Thursday (undoubtedly at the behest of der Lieber Anführer), Secretary of State Rubio issued official State sanctions against four judges within the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The four are:

-- Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda,

- -Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, 

-- Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and 

-- Beti Hohler of Slovenia.

What did the judges do to warrant State sanctions, you may ask? Well, Bossa and Carranza authorized an ICC investigation into the conduct of U.S. personnel during military operations in Afghanistan. Gansou and Hohler authorized ICC arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and former Defense Minister Gallant of Israel. The issue at hand is alleged war crimes in both instances. In an associated public statement, Rubio declared, “The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC. I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel.”

I will argue that the government’s action against the ICC is a direct effort to intimidate, cower, and obstruct an investigation into the conduct of the U.S. and Israel, like the big dog bully on the schoolyard playground. The U.S. would be in a far better position to allow the ICC investigations, argue the facts, and debate the conclusions from such investigations. Sadly, this looks like a blatant attempt to cover up malfeasance, which is not good for anyone, including the United States and Israel.

 

U.S. District Judge Allison Dale Burroughs of Massachusetts issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in the case of Harvard v. Department of Homeland Security [USDC MA Case No. 1:25-cv-11472-ADB (2025)]. The TRO blocks the USG from the personal vindictive action of [the person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name]. At least the Judiciary is standing up to the ego-maniacal con-man. What the president is doing is quite consistent with his conduct past and present (and quite likely in the future). He is blatantly attempting to bully Harvard into submission to his will. Hopefully, Harvard and Judge Burroughs will remain strong and resolute in their resistance to the juvenile, verging upon infantile, con-man who occupied the White House.

 

Then, we have more idiocy showing up at the state level. Raleigh County (West Virginia) Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman publicly stated that a woman suffering a miscarriage might face criminal charges under the state’s anti-abortion statute, although he proclaimed that he would not do so. Truman was reflecting indicates he has received from other prosecutors in West Virginia.

The ignorance and insanity of such an action is incomprehensible and beyond adequate description. First and foremost, a woman does not decide to have a miscarriage. Other biological and physiological forces are at play in such occurrences. She is not (cannot) committing any crime. Perhaps an argument can be made that her body is committing a crime (in West Virginia), or perhaps, God is committing a crime. This nonsense has gone way too far.

 

Like true dictators before him, [no name] manufactured a crisis and then deployed the federal military to ‘fix’ the problem. The crisis was not the fact that individuals had entered and remained in this country illegally, i.e., without permission. It was the aggressive, cast the net, willy-nilly action of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service, which has a mounting reputation for scooping up legal as well as illegal individual. This whole ICE action began with a noble purpose—remove violent criminals in this country illegally. That noble purpose soon degenerated into this trawling exercise that ignores due process of law and assumes everyone is guilty until they can prove they are not. Proving a negative is never easy in any circumstance, e.g., Abrego Garcia noted above. Now, watch, as with his dictator predecessors, he will claim he and he alone saved the day and saved Los Angeles, and therefore, we need more of his definitive action.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1220:

Comment to the Blog:

“SpaceX’s spacecraft development process costs billions, but Muskrat comes out ahead. You pay, not him.

“The Felon wins some of the legal actions; in the CBS case, via meddling in corporate oligarchy.

“The Felon knows no public response to reality other than to attack some person or group. He’s suffering with that approach on the international front.

“I’m seeing an ad on local TV (right now) featuring a betrayed Republican who stands to lose his job in solar thanks in part to our Republican US House Representative’s vote on the budget. The tide may turn in time.”

My response to the Blog:

I do not think it is that simple.

I imagine that man is a subscriber to the Rasputin Hypothesis, i.e., for every 100 law suits he files, he will win one . . . and, he is probably content with that ratio. He will be stopped eventually.

I suspect the number of citizens who voted for him and are now disgusted by his conduct is growing . . . perhaps not enough to overcome the 18M disinterested citizens who did not vote in the last election. But, that is the nature of democracy. I suspect there will be a prolonged blowback period once he is gone. Other countries may well be reluctant to stand with the United States after being burned by the fickle isolation foolishness of this administration. We shall see.

The tide will turn in time—always does. And, if all citizens voted, we would not have to deal with this nonsense ever again.

. . . Round two:

“I think it’s that simple. SpaceX and the others receive massive subsidies; Musk and Bezos aren’t paying for this. The wealthy pay lower and lower rates. The middle class is left holding the bag.

“The citizens who didn’t vote probably aren’t ‘disinterested.’ Like me, they likely didn’t see a good choice between the two major parties. Major electoral reform must occur before most people will vote.

“Recovery will take time. Probably we’d be ahead to stick to humility as long as we can.”

. . . my response to round two:

I am not sure what you expect. Any customer, including the USG, pays a contractor to develop a specific type of vehicle, fighter jet, aircraft carrier, bridge, dam, or spacecraft. It is no different here. There is little question that development by failure is less expensive and faster than the traditional process, e.g., NASA’s Apollo System development.

We have had this discussion about voting for the candidate I like versus the best of the available candidates. I have nothing new to add. The former approach has given us our current predicament. Go figure!

Humility is an admirable trait.

. . . Round three:

“I’d love to see an unbiased cost comparison report based on actual documentation of capitalist versus government space programs. ‘There is little question’ just means the marketing works. Corporations must make profits, and that likely cancels any savings.

“You may continue to criticize non-voters, but it won’t change anyone. No motivation = no action.

“Humility is more than just admirable. Its opposite, egotism, got us into this mess.”

. . . my response to round three:

I am with you on that one. I would love to see a comparison like that. I come from the world of Defense acquisitions. I have a pretty good idea how they work. I cannot say you are wrong in your assessment. I just see things through a different lens, I suppose.

Quite so. That is the very nature of democracy. I am certain all 18M of those good citizens who chose not to vote had very good reason(s) for not voting. I am only saying we have what we have today because of their choices. So it is with democracy—every democracy, from the Greeks onward.

Al-righty-then. I cannot and will not argue against that view. I agree. I value humility a great deal, above many other human attributes.

. . . Round four:

“You ask that people vote for the lesser evil. Nope.”

. . . my response to round four:

Ah yes, the classic conundrum, is the glass half empty or half full?

I am not arguing with your personal choices. They are your choices entirely.

I am wrestling with the cause & effect reality of voting in a closely divided democracy. Today, we have another classic demonstrable consequence of not voting. There is a monumental different between voting for some other candidate you do like and not voting for anyone. If those 18M citizens who chose not to vote in the last presidential election had voted for anyone, I would have a far weaker argument. But no, they chose not to vote at all. They voted in 2020. They chose not to vote at all in 2024. And, today, we have arguably the most corrupt, abusive, defy-the-Constitution administration in all American history. Cause & Effect.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1220

 Update from the Heartland

No.1220

26.5.25 – 1.6.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

On Tuesday, 29.May.2025, 18:37 [S] CDT, SpaceX launched its Integrated Flight Test Number Nine (IFT-9) with Super Heavy Booster 14, making its second flight—a first. Starship number 35 was stacked atop the booster. The vehicle launched successfully with all 33 first-stage engines performing nominally throughout its planned assent burn.

Of particular note, in addition to the booster structure, 29 of 33 of the booster’s Raptor engines were re-used—a physical demonstration of reusability. After hot-staging and sending the Starship on its way to space, the booster executed its flip maneuver, oriented properly for its retrograde, boost back burn, and the engines reignited (except one middle ring engine. The booster reoriented again for its descent. All the 1^st stage engines lit for its deceleration burn for landing, and then for some as yet unspecified reason, the engines shutdown simultaneously, which suggests the booster may have suffered a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) prior to the planned hard impact in the Gulf of Mexico. The physical evidence so far is consistent with an explosion.

Starship 35 made it successfully through its assent burn to space, beyond the failure point in IFT-7 & 8. On the first IFT-9 in space experimental agenda, the craft could not open the payload bay door to deploy the Starlink satellite simulators; no joy on that task. Circa T+30-minute mark, they lost attitude control of the Starship. The vehicle started to tumble. They were unable to regain attitude control. The ship reentered the atmosphere in an uncontrolled state. Thanks to the extraordinary deployment of downlink cameras on the Starship, we got to witness the melting of the vehicle and disintegration.

SpaceX will learn a great deal from this flight and continue to make progress in maturation of the system. Progress by jerks, as the physicists say.

 

The follow-up news items:

-- Paramount, the parent company of CBS and 60 Minutes, has apparently caved to the intimidation of oppression from the current administration. [No name], as an individual, filed a US$20B damages suit against 60 Minutes and the program’s parent CBS— Trump v. CBS [Case 2:24-cv-00236-Z (2024)] [1214]—the conflict of interest is extraordinary. His complaint accuses 60 Minutes of deceptive editing in a pre-election interview of Kamala Harris, and for that, he is asking for US$20B in damages. Although [no name] could not care less, the image and impression he has created is off the charts on the bad side. Paramount is seeking to acquire Sundance Productions, a Robert Redford film and television production company for a reported US$8B. The acquisition is under scrutiny by No.47’s Department of Justice. [No name]’s legal action appears to be a direct threat and vengeance against 60 Minutes, if not outright extortion, to extract as much money as possible from Paramount. The massive media company is reportedly offering US$15M in cash and running an unspecified number of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that [no name] approves of. Beyond the obvious, [no name]’s legal action against 60 Minutes and CBS appears to be intended in the larger context to send a profound chill among all the Press, i.e., if they speak or write anything not to [no name]’s liking, they will face a US$20B lawsuit of their own. The paucity of morality, ethics, and propriety of the man is staggering, but he is not going to stop; this is just another form of appeasement in the face of extortion.

 

It seems to me that chaos in the 45 administration was internal—staffing volatility, controversy upon controversy, perpetual fact-checking. The 47 administration appears to have not been satisfied with internal chaos. He has chosen to project his brand of chaos worldwide, destabilizing everything. As we have another three and a half years of this to go. Buckle up, Buttercup!

 

CNBC White House Correspondent Megan Cassella asked the president in a public press conference, “Wall Street analysts have coined a new term they call the TACO Trade—Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO)—on your tariff threats. And that’s why markets are higher this week. What’s your response to that?” The president of the United States of America answered, “Six months ago, this country was stone cold dead. We had a dead country. We had a country that people didn’t think was going to survive, and you ask a nasty question like that. It’s call negotiation.” He may call it negotiation. The rest of us have a lot of other more descriptive terms to describe what it is doing, e.g., bullying, intimidation, extortion . . . I could go on. [No name] has established a level of revulsion so low that I doubt we will ever go so low again. History likes to point to Emperor Caligula as the pinnacle of depravity and malfeasance in governance. I suspect when all this is said and done, [no name] will have set a new low point for disgusting governance.

 

Perhaps the vanity aspect of [no name]’s malignant narcissism is breaking. He has appeared recently without his typical orange face paint and blond hair coloring. [No name] now appears in what I suspect is his natural state—a ghost-white skin, grey-haired, old man. 

 

Well, surprise, surprise! The Washington Post, ABC News, and The Hill reported that [no name] and/or his minions asked the Qataris to “gift” him their gold-plated, luxury, Boeing 747-8 BBJ. This transaction was not some spontaneous event of generosity or gratitude. It was a solicitation. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what in the trade is call a grift. I sure hope all the MAGAts are proud of the con-man they elected to be our president. I am not proud. I am disgusted and revolted by the man. And yet, he is still our president for another three and a half years. This is the best historic example of what happens when 18M voters decide to not vote for whatever reason.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1219:

“Merriam-Webster’s word of the day is “commemorate.” I’m sure you commemorate, rather than merely celebrate, Memorial Day.

“The central purpose of the ‘Big Beautiful Act’ is to cow Americans into submission. The details mostly don’t concern the Felon. As a meme that’s making the rounds again states, “The meanness is the point.”

“The discussion of moving interests me. My family’s history involves moving around and/or working in transportation for hundreds of years on both sides. I suspect the uniting factor there is that we’ve never had much material wealth to leave or take. What has held me in place in recent times is my attachments to specific people. Other climates, whether literal, economic, or political, would benefit me more than this part of the country, and if the people factors change, I’ll choose a place and go.

“Are you in the part of the country that’s been hit hard by recent weather? The worst keeps missing us here, for which I’m grateful.”

My response:

You are quite correct. Memorial Day is a commemoration rather than celebration—a solemn occasion.

I also agree with your assessment of H.R.1. The inhumanity of H.R.1 is shocking to say the least.

You shared an interesting perspective on moving. Most of the moves in my life were induced by military orders. Early on, there is an element of adventure, new neighbors, new community, new cultures, and such. At my age, I just want stability, consistency, and security. My adventure days are over. I need routine.

‘Tis the season on the Great Plains. At least no tornados for us as yet. It has been raining for days now and still going.

. . . Round two:

“I've done little tourism in my lifetime, but I've sought new opportunities or escape from unpleasant environments. (The ‘escape’ part of that is a common feature of alcoholism and other dysfunctions.) Nowadays, I seek comfort and stability, but that includes comfortable climates for my activities and my health as well as political environments where I won't have to fear the brownshirts and/or police.

“Our weather is peculiar, even for our area. Much rain has fallen to our north and even more to the south, but not as much here. We're running well above average, though. We've also had sustained below-average temperatures, which has become unusual worldwide.”

. . . my response to round two:

We share many things in common, my friend.

We live on the edge with the brownshirts, I must say. That concern is not likely to end until well into the succeeding president’s term or later depending upon the outcome of the next presidential election. The police are a different (but related) matter. Any abuse by a particular police force is a direct function of the leadership. Police leaders must be held accountable, e.g., Uvalde, Texas.

We are in our fifth day of rain, not heavy like the first two days, but still it is wet. We need more rain to fill up the surrounding reservoirs. The weather in Kansas is markedly different from Arizona; at least, we knew that going into this move. We are on track (so far) to close on the 10^th of June, which will be another major milestone in our efforts to return to normalcy. We remain optimistic.

. . . Round three:

“The police here have been restrained somewhat by a one-party Democrat city government and by the courts. In the county I come from, attrition has weeded out some of the worst individuals, but I wouldn't want to be a minority there or carry one of several last names, including mine.

“I'm glad if you at least need the rain. We didn't have flooding here from the last round, but it's become common. I'll be glad when you have a stable base of operations.”

. . . my response to round three:

The processes at work in regulating law enforcement organizations are different in each locale. The reality is, there are bad men in all walks of life including the police. We must remain ever vigilant and critical. As with the president and the entire government (all levels), the police work for us, not the other way around.

Yes, must needed rain, but not yet enough. It is a clear, star-lit night as I write, so a welcome respite. We expect to have a finalized contract and firm closing date by early next week. The beginning of the end of this (hopefully) last move is closer. We still a way to go for stability, but at least we are getting closer.

. . . Round four:

“Actual regulation of policing is indeed mostly local, except for state and Federal agencies. I finally realized why I dislike the ‘bad men’ idea. It takes away society's responsibility for addressing harm done. Yes, there are and always will be ‘bad’ (harmful) people, but they don't exist in a vacuum.”

. . . my response to round four:

I’m with you in this aspect. Bad men are just bad men until they are enabled by their organization and/or community. The classic example is the KKK; they needed community support. Holding police leadership accountable for the conduct of their officers is no different from the general being held accountable for the conduct of a lieutenant.

The community pays taxes, which pay for fines and settlements.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1219

Update from the Heartland

No.1219

19.5.25 – 25.5.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

Let us take a few moments to remember the fallen who have gone before us in the preservation of freedom and the Union. Memorial Day is set aside each year to laud the ultimate sacrifice of those who gave their last full measure of devotion to the Republic. May God rest their immortal souls and comfort those who care for the fallen.

Memorial Day is the unofficial marker for the beginning of summer. I hope everyone remembers and appreciates the rights and freedoms the fallen have saved for us.

 

After pulling an all-nighter like a bunch of college kids, the House of Representatives passed H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act [House:215-214-1-2(3)]. Yes, that is precisely the title of the bill listed by the Library of Congress. Does any see the fingerprints of [the person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name]? The word ‘repeal’ was used 97 times throughout the text of the bill, which should give everyone a feel for the purpose of the bill. H.R.1 is a Republican legislative sanction on the dismemberment of the federal government by the current administration and the consequent loss of services. Any guess as to what citizens will pay the heaviest price as a result of those lost or diminished services. The inhumanity of H.R.1 and the DOGE chainsaw is incalculable. Three Republican representatives chose not to vote, and two voted against the bill. All the Democrat representatives voted against the bill.  Please note that H.R.1 passed by ONE (1) vote. The bill has now passed to the Senate for action. The Senate Majority Leader has promised that the Senate will rewrite the bill to their liking and send it back to the House for consideration. We may be one step closer to the destruction of government as we have known it, but we remain a long way from the bill becoming law. We can only hope that saner minds will eventually prevail.

 

We continue to make progress, but no joy as yet. We are currently shooting for a closing date of 10.June.2025, but that is not confirmed. Returning to some semblance of our routine is still a month or so away. We will keep plugging away until we get there. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1218:

Comment to the Blog:

“I’ve studied the ‘intelligence’ community enough to know better than take them at their word. Tren de Aragua could possibly be an agent of the Venezuelan government, but even if so, current events don’t fit the intent of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The attempted bypass of due process is even more concerning.

“If we get around to immigration law reform, we ought to conform to international law regarding refugees, and we’d be wise to consider our aging population as well. Criminals among the immigrants seem to be less common than native-born criminals.”

My response to the Blog:

Apparently, I hold the intelligence community in higher regard than you. There are a number of accumulating facts that support the classification of the Venezuelan TdA as an FTO. However, as stated previously, TdA is not the principal concern from my perspective. It is the unilateral classification of immigrants in this country without permission being classified as TdA members without due process of law. The use of AEA in this instance is a valid point of debate. Using Judge Haines contemporary definition of “predatory incursion” brings the AEA much closer to appropriateness for me. Judge Haines offered a cogent and focused rationale. We are agreed; the USG’s due process bypass is the most concerning.

I am not so supportive of the international position regarding refugees. No nation could absorb all refugees from any stimulus, e.g., war, famine, abuse, violence, whatever. Whether any other nation chooses to control immigration is their business. My country must control immigration, i.e., entry into this country’s territory in any form. We desperately need comprehensive immigration reform—defense in depth—to include provisions for adaptation as the entry conditions change.

. . . Round two:

“The designation of organizations (real or imagined) as ‘terrorists’ is a tool of the MAGAts and law enforcement. In the case of Tren de Aragua (TdA), Wikipedia says they are an ‘international criminal organization.’ ‘Criminal’ isn’t the same as ‘terrorist’ and I don’t see a connection to any attempt at government. 

“The extension of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 clearly misuses the law, but the omission of due process horrifies me.

“The United States hasn’t attempted to take in all refugees, nor has anyone else. I’m sorry if you don’t want to participate with the rest of the world in solving international issues, but all of us are stuck on the one planet.”

. . . my response to round two:

Given the politically induced faux pas of previous IC leadership, we have every reason to distrust contemporary information being delivered from the current IC leadership. TdA is not simply a criminal organization, according to evidence presented to Judge Haines. We should be suspicious.

They are two separate but related issues. Judge Haines analysis of USG information regarding TdA is one thing. The paucity of due process of law is all together another thing. Haines at least slowed things down to allow detainees their habeas corpus petitions under due process. Her ruling moved us in the proper direction, but not yet far enough.

No, we haven’t. My point was refugees must be vetted in the same manner as asylum seekers. We should not accept refugees simply because they are refugees. Just a little FYI: please do not make such large assumptions; they are often incorrect and inappropriate.

. . . Round three:

“A story came through my feed this morning about Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence) and another official suppressing a report finding that Tren de Aragua isn’t connected to the Venezuelan government. I believe that easily.

“I agree that due process of law is vital to democracy.

“When you use absolutes, your argument fails most of the time. Which “large assumptions” do you refer to? There’s no other way to read your comment. We should indeed vet asylum seekers to the best of our ability, but that has little to do with current events.”

. . . my response to round three:

I sure hope Judge Haines does not learn of the Gabbard action; that information is in direct contravention from the evidence the USG presented in her court. I was careful to note the source of my statement was evidence presented to Judge Haines in court. I would not be surprised if your news feed source was spot on correct. This kerfuffle is virtually identical to the Iraqi WMD false testimony two decades ago.

You betcha it is. It is as vital as freedom of speech, freedom of the Press, and all the other rights we enjoy as citizens. That is why I claim the due process violations are far more threatening than anything else in this debacle.

That was quite the twist. ‘Nuf said. OK, what has to do with current events?

 . . . Round four:

“The current events we’ve been discussing are the various attempts to close the border and the failure to screen people we’re deporting. No change to screening asylum-seekers has been discussed in years, as far as I know. (Also, as far as I know, natural disasters, invading armies, etc., don’t hand out papers.)”

. . . my response to round four:

The entry screening process is a necessary and important first step. However, in my defense in depth proposal, anyone who enters this country as a visitor, tourist, businessperson, refugee, asylum-seeker, or temporary laborer must be monitored, tracked, and periodically assessed  to ensure they are complying with any associated restrictions. For those who seek citizenship, they must demonstrate productivity and assimilation. We are a very long way from such a necessary system. No body should be allowed to bum-rush the border.

. . . round five:

“For me to support that much monitoring, you'd have to show a need that nobody's produced actual quantitative data to support.”

 . . . my response to round five:

Just an FYI: I lived and worked under similar monitoring in both England and Italy (two separate periods). I found the monitoring reassuring. I complied with the rules, and I had no problems whatsoever. All it is, remains a means to ensure compliance with restrictions as a quest worker in their countries.

I have no idea how anyone would generate such compliance data, since we have no post-entry monitoring. We have been “all in” at the border for many decades.

We desperately need a “guest worker program” that allows entry of manual labor personnel to come & go and work seasonally. Once upon a time, my family owned a vineyard, and we could never hire enough capable workers, which caused the harvest to be extended and spoilage to increase.

. . . Round six:

“It surprises me that nations would spend the money for continual monitoring of all visitors. The World Bank gives the number of tourist visitors for the USA in 2020 as 45,037,000 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/st.int.arvl). That’s a lot of tracking, and it doesn’t count other visitors.

“The USA has a guest worker program https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-temporary-foreign-worker-visa-programs.”

 . . . my response to round six:

I do not doubt the number of visitors; yes, a large number. However, something like 3+% overstay their visas. That is not a trivial number either.

For argument’s sake, let us say no tracking allowed. Then, what do we do? How are we to control our immigration process without tracking? In my thinking, tracking should apply to anyone who is not a citizen. I was subject to tracking in both England and Italy. Local authorities, usually the constabulary, verified my residence and employment status at least annually, if not more often. I am not saying one way or another is correct, but we must do something with respect to non-citizens in this country, legally or illegally.

Yes, we do, and it has never worked, because there is no substance behind the words. It’s like the politicians want to take credit for it, but have no interest in operating it. The reality is, my father could never find enough workers to harvest the crop. Perhaps it was his fault; he just did not try hard enough. Possible, but I don’t think so.

“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

 . . . Round seven:

“Annual tracking wouldn't burden the visitor but would cost the government. Even 6-month tracking wouldn't do much to prevent a person who planned to overstay their visa from disappearing.

“What we can expect is that agriculture and other industries will insist on using people who work for less than minimum wage in unsafe environments, whether they're foreigners, children, or someone else. Politicians don't like to admit that they shelter those employers.”

. . . my response to round seven:

Tracking is not a singular solution. It is not a panacea. It is only one of what should be multiple layers in a proper immigration control system in depth. Like so many things, it is a deterrent. Other measures will be required to ensure compliance. Yes, in our instance, the federal government would need laws, funding, and procedures to engage local law enforcement in the process. We would have to pay for their monitoring time. Failure to obey the rules must have short-term and long-term consequences, e.g., blatant non-compliance results in a permanent exclusion from entry into this country for any reason.

There are bad men in every walk to life. That is one reason we have laws. Most employers, my father included, are not predatory. They pay the going rate. They do not put employees in dangerous situations. Employers who use predatory practices should be prosecuted and punished. Migrant employees should have a comfortable, protected means to report predatory employers, just as U.S. citizens do. Nothing is perfect, but we do need something to make progress.

 

Another contribution:

“Good day to you both and good luck with your accommodation search. Yes we know the stress involved in moving home, my time in the RAF gave us 23 house moves! Make this the last bud.”

My reply:

Yes, indeedie! All citizens who serve under arms live a rather vagabond life, which has certainly led to my aversion to moving. However, old age has become a greater motivator of resistance. I think Jeanne has finally reached that threshold as well. I have not counted our moves. Perhaps I should. Our count is probably comparable to yours. In contrast, my grandparents lived in the same house for virtually all of their adult years. My parents moved three times. I certainly hope this is the very last move for us. We will do our best to make it the last.

. . . follow-up comment:

“Yes but we accepted both the good and bad while in uniform didn’t we. But now it’s your choice ,make it a good one as I’m certain that you will. 

“We have a late spring with 24 degs drying up the countryside. The current dryness is causing concern especially in the farming aspects. Oh well the local brewery is still producing ale! Bon chance.”

. . . my reply to the follow-up comment:

Yes, indeed, we have. I hope and expect this is our very last move. Now, our task is acquiring a home and getting the household settled. We are moving closer to the objective.

Water always seems to be the issue. Farmers throw the dice every year—too little, too much, we must always adapt.

At least the beer supply is stable for now, thank goodness.

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)