Update no.1209

 Update from the Sunland

No.1209

3.3.25 – 16.3.25

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

 

To all,

 

Somehow, I got a little discombobulated in my accounting of calendar dates covered in recent Update from Sunland editions. This is a corrective edition to get the Blog back in synchrony with the contemporary Gregorian calendar.

 

I erroneously thought Secretary of State Rubio was a political moderate. I was apparently quite incorrect in that assessment. Rubio publicly announced that 83% of USAID programs and projects would be canceled. No reason given. However, I believe the reason is clearly seen and understood. I now realize he is just another MAGAt, unfortunately.

 

When [no name] and his MAGAts declare they want to make America great again, they mean they want all American citizens to submit to their vision of the United States, which is invariably a day long gone and rightfully so, when White, Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) decided, nay dictated, social norms and acceptable (legal) behavior. Freedom of choice was espoused as long as everyone chose something within their sphere of tolerance. They literally cannot tolerate any one or any thing not within their tight sphere of tolerance.  That is not freedom of choice.

 

The Republican (MAGAt, BICP) legislative negotiation style . . . make a proposal budget bill that they know the Democrats cannot support and then blame the Democrats for not voting for passage. Another variation is, thumb their noses at Democrats, shout screw you, and pass the bill over Democrat objections. Republicans love to claim they are only doing what Democrats do when they are in the majority. There is one monumental differentiating distinction. When the MAGAt Republicans exercise their majority, they do so with spite, vengeance, and retribution in their hearts, just like common schoolyard bullies. Republicans espouse the status quo ante like it is some mythical state of being that once existed. To conservatives, there would never be change for improvement, for maturation, because it was perfect the way it was. What such think does is refuse to recognize or acknowledge the mistakes and transgressions of the past. The actions of MAGAts are perfectly consistent with that supposition, e.g., DEI & CRT condemnation, sterilizing education curricula, purging school libraries, and imposing on all other citizens’ freedom of choice to enforce their standards of behavior. 

The administration [specifically ihr Anführer] chose to arrest with the intent to deport a Palestinian activist, a Columbia University graduate and a proper green card holder (a legal resident of the United States) by the name of Mahmoud Khalil. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Khalil, transported (some say kidnapped) and incarcerated him reportedly at the La Salle Detention Facility near Jena, Louisiana. He also has an American wife and also reportedly at baby on the way. In short, he is one step short of being a naturalized citizen. Khalil has broken no law nor committed any crime. His only offense was he spoke out publicly against Israel, for Palestine, offered sympathetic words toward Hamas, the terrorist organization, and thus attracted the ire of Lieber Anführer. The administration has initiated action in court to revoke his green card and deport him to either the West Bank or Gaza. Khalil is being caught up in the administration’s crackdown on antisemitic speech and conduct. While I do not agree with Khalil’s political positions entirely, I adamantly defend his right to speak in this republic. What the administration is doing is emphatically wrong, and yet, the law enables their action because he is not a full citizen, yet. This is a spiteful, vengeful action so bloody typical of [no name] and his bigoted MAGAts. I hold no affinity for Khalil, but I truly resent the MAGAts for so publicly pissing on the Constitution and specifically the First Amendment. Too bad we cannot deport the MAGAts to Russia or North Korea where I am sure they would feel much more at home.

 

There is no greater danger than a man who does not know his own limitations!

 

Is freedom of choice a working advocacy of Satan? Does anyone actually believe that premise? These are not rhetorical questions. I do want to her the opinions of others on these questions.

 

The president signed into law H.R.1968 - Full-Year Continuing Appropriations (CR) and Extensions Act, 2025 on the 15^th, averting a government shutdown in the nick of time. The CR funds the government to the end of the fiscal year (30.September.2025), presumably to allow the government to finally pass proper appropriation legislation. A good chunk of Democrats is irate with and vociferous against Senator Minority Leader Schumer, who chose to lead nine other Democrats to vote for cloture on the CR bill, terminating debate and lowering the threshold for passage from 60 to 50. The record documents the votes on the CR: Senate: 54-46-0-0(0); Senate to invoke cloture: 62-38-0-0(0); House: 217-213-0-2(3). Two Democrats ultimately voted for the CR; Schumer was not one of those. He knew they did not have the votes to defeat the Republican focused bill and shutting down the government was not worth the symbolic rejection. Crisis averted . . . finally.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1208:

“The White House stated that FOTUS’s recent bizarre speech wasn’t the State of the Union.

“A Blackrock-led investor group is buying the Panama Canal ports. That ought to soothe the Felon.

“I didn’t see Slotkin’s reply. She’s a DNC tool, though. The DNC isn’t interested enough in stopping the takeover to actually be useful. Follow the money and find the truth.

“Ohio remains the province of ‘business’ Republicans more than MAGAts. We have a bathroom bill, but the local news points out that no enforcement exists. Trans athletes in general are very few; case by case decisions based on team players’ opinions would work well for that.

“I wish your other commenter continued health.”

My response to the Blog

As an engineer, I see failures as learning experiences. Nature of the beast. I have not seen effects on SpaceX from the owner’s politics. Perhaps so, just not seen it. He may well flash as a supernova, but not yet.

I had not heard that. They can say what they will, but I heard and saw what I did. Full stop!

I had not heard that either. The ports are support facilities, not the operational control of the canal’s operations.

I do not share your pessimistic view of other voices. We are a very long way from perfection. With human beings in control of organizations, we have their flaws reflected in activities. She seems much more than the tool you suggest. She gave me Obama-esque feelings. Follow the money is always the mantra.

Why pass a law that is unenforceable? Yes, I am with you on that point. The numbers are so small. Insulting an entire population to correct a few anomalies is simply wrong. I could use the Women’s restroom without affecting anyone else, inside or outside. I first did so in Japan at unisex facilities with no partitions; it was quite unnerving, but that is my weakness, not fault of the facility. Unfortunately, the imagination of a few (rather than facts) drives emotional responses. The think a case-by-case treatment is warranted, but first we need uniform, equal, and fair criteria with an enforcement mechanism to achieve any treatment, beyond imagined, emotional, knee-jerk reactions.

I wish everyone good health, happiness, and peace.

 . . . Round two:

“I’m familiar with learning from past results. Nevertheless, any experiment that recklessly costs billions of tax dollars and endangers millions of people on the ground is a failure from a business viewpoint, doubly so when the event repeats past ones.

“You value public speeches too much. My ‘pessimistic view of other voices’ (your words) has been reinforced by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) collaborating with a thing called Third Way that represents large donors. Their advice to the DNC to pay less attention to small donors means letting the bulk of the population suffer—the Clintons’ and the Felon’s approach as well. I listen to voices not in the DNC.

“The attacks on trans people are performative. They soothe the base and distract people from financial matters. The harm done to trans people doesn’t bother the MAGAts and it gives the Democrats something to do other than address the oligarchy.”

 . . . my response to round two:

“Recklessly” is not an appropriate descriptor, in my humble opinion. SpaceX is taking an aggressive approach to development. I do not know the structure of the contract(s) between NASA and SpaceX. I doubt NASA is paying for repeated development anomalies, but I could be wrong. Nonetheless, I appreciate your sentiment.

Public speeches are the power to influence people, the ultimate example being Churchill’s “Finest Hour” speech [18.6.1940], when he inspired the British to stand alone against the Nazis. Like you, I condemn the influence of money in our elections. We have yet to solve that problem.

Spot on! The MAGAts could not care less about the well-being of trans folks. Likewise, they could not care less about trampling on the fundamental rights of other citizens in their attempts to impose conformity to their standards. To me, it was one of the darker sides of humanity.

 . . . Round three:

“NASA didn’t have multiple dangerous, expensive failures in a row. Show evidence that taxpayers aren’t paying for SpaceX.

“I know about public speeches because of my marketing education. The results sought in the speeches may not follow from supporting the speaker or their party. The Democrats fail to follow through even more than the Republicans, and voters proved they know that.

“Actual trans people don’t enter the consciousness of the MAGAt decision makers. They’re just handy targets.”

 . . . my response to round three:

Show evidence taxpayers are paying for SpaceX development approach. Not possible without access to the contracts. I do not have such access. There is no debate that SpaceX is taking an aggressive approach to development. Contrast SpaceX operations with Boeing and its Starliner or the Artemis program. No one has been injured by the SpaceX development approach, and to my knowledge, no property has been damaged. Yes, it is dramatic, but it is also effective.

You may well be correct, but we still have what we have.

Oh so true, unfortunately. It is truly regrettable that a fraction of our population is so deeply and profoundly disrespected and abused. We can only hope for a brighter day tomorrow (four years).

 . . . Round four:

“‘We still have what we have’ is defeatism. If we don't have the tools to fight back, we're dead.

“https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/musk-government-contracts-spacex-tesla-taxes-b2703141.html gives more on SpaceX funding. Musk doesn't oppose government spending on his companies. Boeing is another leach, as you already know.”

 . . . my response to round four:

Perhaps! Or, it might be realism. Our principal tool in a representative democracy is our vote. We have been around and around this issue for a long time. All I can do is fulfill my duty to the republic. I have no influence over other citizens. When anyone chooses not to vote, we are directly abdicating our duty. We can lead a horse to water . . . . I have been publishing my political opinions for at least three decades (arguably longer). I have done and continue to do my duty.

Interesting article. I did not see any SpaceX starship development money? You certainly illuminate the grotesque conflict of interest. The potential for severe conflict of interest with Musk & DOGE is incalculable. Yet, as we well know from [no name]’s last administration, he does not care a twit about conflict of interest or ethics.

 . . . Round five:

“Everybody wants someone else to do something. I’m used to that, and your talk of others’ ‘duty’ reminds me. If FOTUS on the one hand and the DNC on the other, were our only choices, we’d be doomed. People are in the streets protesting and non-DNC politicians are holding town halls in Republican-held districts. Congress’s phones are jammed. We have other tools than obediently voting for the lesser evil.”

 . . . my response to round five:

So here we are. Catch-22! Damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

I am only an observer with an opinion.

One of the tools to which you refer is revolution. “. . . [W]henever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it . . .” I guess that is what the present administration and the MAGAts are doing de facto—abolishing the government. I am not happy with the DNC. I never have been. Even the revered Franklin Roosevelt made grave mistakes. I have not reached that threshold of intolerance with the DNC. Yet, from my perspective, the DNC is near infinitely better than the current RNC. I truly resent the current administration on so many levels beyond counting, and I blame those who did not vote. I did my duty. Once again, I defend the freedom of choice of every citizen including the choice of not voting. 18M citizens who voted in 2020 chose not to vote in 2024, and now, we have what we have.

We, the People, as Americans, are far better than what [no name] has devolved this country to and is doing to this once grand republic. I urge every American to use all the tools available (short of revolution) to resist the current administration. [No name] is WRONG from nearly every perspective; he always has been and will always be—that is just who he is. I join you in encouraging all citizens to use every tool they are comfortable with using to resistance (change) the current administration.

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

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)