Israel wants to raze the Gaza Strip to the ground and possess it

The security minister of the Israeli government, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has demanded the resettlement of the Gaza Strip during a party-like atmosphere on its border with Israel at a time when there was renewed Israeli bombing of northern Gaza which left hundreds of Palestinians dead.

The security minister has made it clear that they want to possess the Gaza Strip as far as I can tell. He said: "We will encourage voluntary transfer of all Gazan citizen. We will offer them the opportunity to move to other countries because the land belongs to us."

I don't know whether he's speaking on behalf of the Israeli government or not. He may well be but I suspect that a government spokesperson will say that he isn't. But he is in my view. Because the 70% destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip by Israeli bombing together with the 42,000 men, women and children killed and we don't know how many animals, is compelling evidence to believe that what the security minister says is true.

The IDF is making the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and in doing so they want the residents there to leave and find other homes so that the Israel government can possess the Gaza Strip and call it a part of Israel.

Having read this news, I did some research on the history and the creation of the Gaza Strip and its bearing on today's conflict. It's a very complex story. A story of mismanagement by the West I would argue and what is now a complete mess of an arrangement which can never work and will never work. Although, I confess I'm being very pessimistic but perhaps I'm being realistic.

Below is the history of the Gaza Strip. I think it is useful to read it very carefully because it explains a lot of what is happening today.

The history of the Gaza Strip is deeply intertwined with the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the legacies of colonialism and geopolitical strife in the Middle East. Its modern creation and development have made it a central flashpoint in this long-standing conflict. Below is a summary of its historical context and relevance to today's situation.

1. Pre-1948: Ottoman and British Rule

• Ottoman Empire (1517-1917): The Gaza Strip, part of historic Palestine, was under the control of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. It was a modestly populated area, primarily consisting of Arab Muslim communities, with smaller Christian and Jewish populations.
• British Mandate (1917-1948): After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and Britain took control of Palestine under a League of Nations mandate. During the British Mandate, tensions between Jewish and Arab communities grew, exacerbated by Jewish immigration to the area due to Zionist movements and European anti-Semitism, particularly after the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s.

2. Creation of Israel and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War

• 1947 UN Partition Plan: In response to growing violence and competing claims over Palestine, the UN proposed a partition plan that would divide the land into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international control. The Jewish community accepted the plan, but Arab states and Palestinian leaders rejected it.
• 1948 War and Nakba: After the creation of Israel in 1948, surrounding Arab nations (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and others) declared war. The conflict led to the displacement of around 700,000 Palestinians, an event known as the "Nakba" (catastrophe), many of whom fled to the Gaza Strip, then occupied by Egypt. By the war’s end, Israel had expanded beyond the UN’s partition boundaries, controlling 78% of historic Palestine, while Egypt held the Gaza Strip and Jordan took the West Bank.
• Egyptian Control (1948-1967): After the 1948 war, Gaza was controlled by Egypt, but it was not annexed. Gaza became a narrow, densely populated enclave, primarily housing refugees from the war. Egypt did little to develop the area, and it remained impoverished, with no formal Palestinian government established there.

3. 1967 Six-Day War and Israeli Occupation

• 1967 War: Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in what became known as the Six-Day War. Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights.
• Israeli Occupation: Following the war, Israel began occupying the Gaza Strip, instituting military rule over the Palestinian population. Israeli settlements were established in Gaza, and the Strip became a zone of intense conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance.

4. Oslo Accords and Palestinian Self-Rule (1990s)

• Oslo Accords (1993): The peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which gained limited self-rule over parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The agreement envisioned a two-state solution, though key issues (borders, refugees, status of Jerusalem) were left unresolved.
• Division Between Hamas and Fatah: In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlements and military forces from Gaza, although it retained control over Gaza's borders, airspace, and waters. In 2006, Hamas, an Islamist militant group, won Palestinian parliamentary elections. A year later, a violent split between Hamas and Fatah (the ruling party in the West Bank) left Hamas in control of Gaza, while Fatah maintained authority over the West Bank.

5. Gaza Under Siege: Blockade and Conflict (2007–Present)

• Israeli-Egyptian Blockade: After Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on the Strip, severely restricting the movement of goods and people in and out of the area. The blockade has been devastating for Gaza's economy and living conditions, resulting in widespread poverty, high unemployment, and shortages of basic necessities.
• Hamas-Israel Conflict: Since Hamas's rise to power, Gaza has been at the center of recurring wars between Israel and Hamas, often sparked by rocket fire from Gaza and Israeli airstrikes. Major conflicts occurred in 2008-09, 2012, 2014, and most recently in 2021. These conflicts have left thousands dead, mostly Palestinians, and Gaza’s infrastructure severely damaged.
• Humanitarian Crisis: The population of Gaza has continued to grow, with over 2 million people living in a territory about 140 square miles. Over 70% of Gaza's residents are refugees or descendants of refugees from 1948. The blockade, wars, and Hamas' rule have contributed to a dire humanitarian crisis, with the UN frequently warning that Gaza is becoming unlivable.

6. Relevance to Today:

• Ongoing Conflict: The Gaza Strip remains a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The blockade, combined with the militant activities of Hamas, leads to regular flare-ups of violence, resulting in civilian casualties on both sides. The area has become symbolic of the broader struggle between Israelis and Palestinians, with Gaza often seen as emblematic of Palestinian suffering and resistance.
• Geopolitical Significance: Gaza's situation is a source of broader regional tension. Hamas is supported by Iran and other actors opposed to Israel, while Israel’s policies are backed by the U.S. and other Western nations. Egypt also plays a key role, controlling Gaza’s southern border and often mediating between Hamas and Israel.
• Humanitarian Concerns: Gaza’s economy is on the verge of collapse, with inadequate access to clean water, electricity, healthcare, and education. International organizations continue to call for an end to the blockade and for more aid to be allowed into the area.
• Peace Efforts: The split between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority complicates any peace negotiations, as Israel, the U.S., and others consider Hamas a terrorist organization. This fragmentation in Palestinian leadership, coupled with Israel's security concerns and expanding settlements in the West Bank, has stalled peace efforts for a two-state solution.

Key Points Today:

• Gaza remains a densely populated area under blockade.
• Hamas controls Gaza, leading to periodic escalations in violence with Israel.
• The humanitarian situation is dire, with international calls for improved living conditions and peace.
• The broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including issues of borders, refugees, and Jerusalem, continues to fuel tensions.

In conclusion, Gaza's creation, its history of occupation, and its role as a site of conflict are central to understanding the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The situation in Gaza exemplifies many of the broader regional and political dynamics that make the conflict so difficult to resolve.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

JD Vance and Trump benefited more than Tim Walz and Harris from the Vice-Presidential debate

This is a quick reference to the debate between the Vice President hopefuls, the running mates of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris respectively: JD Vance and Tim Walz. There was a lot of talk before the debate about it being important and the person who won would significantly advance the campaign of their residential hopeful.

Vance and Walz. Image in the public domain (as assessed).

On all accounts, the debate was a score draw with both performing politely and sensibly with decent arguments. I didn't see it myself I must add. However, I would argue that JD Vance benefited quite a lot more than Tim Walz from the debate because before the debate JD Vance's public profile and image among the voting public was that he was a misogynistic AH! Not quite that bad but he came across as not a good man when talking about the Haitian immigrant rumourmongering story about eating pets. He came across as misogynistic because he criticised childless pet-owning women.

"Vance seizes Mr Nice Guy crown from Midwest Dad" - The Times. They agree with me! 👍😉

And before the debate Tim Walz came across as a very sensible, former teacher, former military man with good arguments and a sense of humour. And so JD Vance advanced his public profile while Tim Walz simply cemented his public profile. He didn't advance it. On this basis, on this measurement, the Trump campaign gained an advantage from this debate I would argue albeit slight.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Laura Loomer advised Trump to accuse immigrants of eating pet cats?

This is another sort of conspiracy theory swirling around the high-profile story of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pet cats which has now been totally debunked by the way. There is good hard evidence of it but a social media influencer and self-proclaimed investigative journalists, Laura Loomer, travelled with Donald Trump on his plane as I understand it before the debate that he had with Kamala Harris and this points to the possibility that she influenced him to bring up the Haitian immigrant pet eating story.

Laura Loomer (right) traveled with ex-President Donald Trump (left) this week to the debate and a 9/11 memorial ceremony (Picture: X/@LauraLoomer).

To support this, she tweeted to her 1.2 million followers before the debate about "disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people's pets in Ohio".

Disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Ohio where Democrats like @SenSherrodBrown and the Biden-Harris regime imported over 20,000 cannibalistic Haitians who are now killing people’s pets and hunting domestic animals on the… https://t.co/TKReL5HEkN

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 9, 2024

So she appears to have believed it before it was debunked and she's close to Donald Trump and has been for some time and as mentioned sometimes travels with him and so the theory is that she influenced him to utter those fatal words because Donald Trump had no evidence to support what he said about Haitian immigrants feeding pets but he went ahead and did it claiming that it was on television!

He looked like a fool and he had egg on his face the days afterwards. A source close to the Trump campaign expressed 100% concern around her closeness to the former president. This person who's unnamed believes that the relationship isn't working. However, another anonymous source said that Loomer did not participate in this debate preparations and that overall she was a positive person to be around for Trump.

Loomer was born in Arizona and she's worked as a commentator for the far-rate activist group Project Veritas. She ran unsuccessfully as a Congressional candidate in the sunshine state twice including in central California and 2022.

Loomer also accompanied Donald Trump to an event the next day (the day after the debate) commemorating the 9/11 attacks. And she has also attended numerous events at Trump's Mar-a-Largo home.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

American politics has descended into funny cat memes

We can thank the great man himself, Donald Trump, for the dumbing down of American politics into cat memes (see below for definition). Political discourse is now a social media fun activity. Where's the serious debate about serious stuff that affects us all? I say 'us all' because the decisions of the president of the United States affects the world.

I am referring to the latest debacle over the much-reported Haitian migrant cat eating rumours. And they are all rumours. Check out the post below for more on that:

Story about Haitians eating cats was third or fourth hand and unsubstantiated

Trump made a meal out of the rumour and stated it as fact in that criticial debate with Kamala Harris. He got egg on his face and he can't get it off thanks to the avalanche of memes 😱😃!

Here is a comment by a Guardian journalist with whom I agree:

"The debate over Springfield also illustrates the continuing “memeification” of politics – the turning of politics more into a collection of signals and symbols than discussions of content or policy. Trump has always insisted on dragging politics into the gutter. He is only able to do so, though, because the desire to feed the outrage machine rather than engage in nuanced discussion has become such an integral feature of politics."

And here are just two examples of what has happened in terms of meme imagery:

And another!

Both were created by AI, probably DALL E3. Bing Copilot uses DALLE.

What is a meme? Answer: 

A meme is a piece of content, typically in the form of an image, video, or text, that spreads rapidly across the internet, often with humorous or satirical intent. Memes are usually simple, easily recognizable, and can evolve over time as they are adapted by different people to reflect various situations, ideas, or emotions.

They often rely on shared cultural references, making them relatable to specific groups. For instance, a meme might use a popular image or phrase to comment on everyday experiences or current events in a light-hearted way.

In essence, memes are a form of digital cultural shorthand, using humor to connect people through shared understanding or collective experiences.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

"My cat killing claim was all bull" said J.D. Vance

OPINION AND NEWS: In my view, J.D. Vance has dreamt up, over the last few days, a way to row back from the absurd claim he made about Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio eating pet dogs, cats and ducks. He was heavily criticised. There was an avalanche of Mickey taking and he got burnt as did Trump. So he is backtracking and is doing it by saying that what he said was all lies. Quite a neat idea but more gasoline on the dying embers.

Image: Wikipedia.

J.D. Vance has admitted that he "created" the story about Haitian migrants eating pets. Speaking to CNN yesterday, Vance, 40, said that he created the unsubstantiated claims about Springfield which have been dismissed by the local mayor. He did so he says to "draw attention to the Biden/Harris immigration policies".

He said that he had to do this to draw attention to what he argues is sloppy policies by the Biden and Harris administration on matters concerning immigration. He claimed that he has to "create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

He added (emphasised) that "I say that we are creating a story, meaning we are creating the American media focusing on it. I don't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris's policies. Her policies did that."

Sidebar: I'm not sure that migrants in Springfield are actually illegal. In a previous post it was claimed that they were legal but that needs to be clarified.

And he further added: "But, yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris's policies." The third time he said it.

So there you go, he is arguably backtracking and trying to brush over what I argue was a massive faux pas on his behalf and also by Donald Trump. And I've also argued in another post this morning that the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump while he was playing golf just might (allegation) have been set up by Don Trump himself and his team in order to garner more support in a faltering campaign brought partly about by Trump and Vance's irresponsible statements about these Haitian immigrants.

My guess is that Vance's team dreamt up this latest idea. He probably had a fraught meeting about it and asked for ideas. They came up with this. 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Was the latest Trump attempted assassination set up by Trump himself?

OPINION: It's all over the news as expected. Trump targeted again in attempted assassination. The presidential candidate declares that he is "safe and well" after a suspected gunmen was arrested near his golf club.

When he plays golf there are Secret Service personnel ahead scanning the environment for potential assassins which in this case worked because they spotted an AK-47 automatic weapon in bushes. A man was spotted as Trump played golf at his West Palm Beach resort in Florida.

Secret Service agents fired at the unnamed man but they are unclear whether he is a suspect. A suspect was stopped in their car about 45 miles from the discovery. 

No shots were fired at Donald Trump but the law enforcement personnel shot at the man as I understand it.

The AK-47 was found in bushes and they found two backpacks, a rifle scope and a Go Pro camera which had been attached to a fence.

The president was between 300-500 yards from the gunmen at the time. That's within the range of being shot when using a scope.

The video below explains fully.

So the big news is that Donald Trump escaped another assassination. The last time there was an attempt on his life he took the opportunity to leverage that event by wearing an oversize plaster on his ear and declaring to the world that he was immortal or something like that. And that they could never kill him and he would go on fighting for America for the rest of his life to which his followers roared in delight.

On this occasion Trump, 78, said in a statement: There were gunshots in my vicinity [presumably the gunshots of the Secret Service personnel not the gunmen!] But before rumours start spiralling out of control I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me."

Inspiring words. No?

The question being asked in news media is whether this event will boost his flagging campaign. The general trend is towards Harris to win the presidential election and I wonder if Donald Trump has been seeking some major event to swing votes towards him at the last minute. And I wonder if he came up with the idea of another attempted assassination. That's an allegation and suggestion no more.

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility to suggest this. It's an idea I had this morning. I don't know whether anybody else has had the same idea. It would of course involve the participation of this alleged gunmen. But if that gunmen was paid a few million dollars and if he was fairly sure he could get away, I think there are men who would do that.

So, today's conspiracy theory is that Trump arranged this attempted assassination in order to boost his presidential campaign. It's not just me who is actually suggesting that this event could reignite his campaign. The Times has reported that "His campaign last night wasted little time in sending out an email to supporters, asking for more money, but whether yesterday's instant leads to a change in his electoral chances remains doubtful."

Yes, doubtful but possible.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

JD Vance pours gasoline on the Haitian cat eating story and gets badly burned

Surprisingly, and in another poor decision by the Trump/Vance partnership, JD Vance has continued to pour gasoline on the discredited migrant cat eating story by posting on his Twitter/X feed (with 1.9 million followers) a video of poultry being cooked on an outdoor grill while claiming that domestic cats were being cooked in preparation for an outdoor meal in Ohio!

JD Vance. Image: Wikipedia.

The video accompanied the following words: "Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another debunked story that turned out to have merit."

Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves.

Another "debunked" story that turned out to have merit. https://t.co/dOyh9oTXhb

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 14, 2024

You may remember that JD Vance had claimed falsely that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio were stealing domestic cats and eating them. There are many Haitian immigrants (I believe that they are legal immigrants) in Springfield, Ohio a town of 58,000 citizens. And I believe that the indigenous citizens have become annoyed by this 20,000 influx and have created this false scenario on social media which went viral.

Trump and Vance grabbed hold of it is a useful story to emphasise their desire to stop illegal immigration and that they are the duo best suited for this task. But they dug a big hole for themselves. And in this instance JD Vance has apparently got burnt by throwing gasoline on an already simmering fire.

The Independent newspaper tells us that this video was originally posted by the right-wing Manhattan Institute's Christopher Rufo, who apparently offered a $5,000 bounty to anyone that could provide proof of cat eating migrants in Ohio.

The newspaper is able to tell us that the footage was filmed last year in Dayton according to Rufo who has spoken to the person who made the video. The person who shot the video said that "some Africans that stay right next door to my kid's mother". And Rufo insists that the claims were verified i.e. that cats were being eaten, by "multiple witnesses and visual cross-references." 

His article states that the video shows "a pair of flayed cats on a blue barbecue in Dayton Ohio".

Note: Haiti is not in Africa! It is in the Caribbean.

The reaction was rapid on social media. The general tenor of the criticisms is that chickens were being cooked and they were surprised that Rufo and JD Vance was unable to tell the difference between chickens and cats who reposted the video.

Here's an example: " “I find it strange that a self-professed ‘hillbilly’ doesn’t know what whole chickens look like."

And another example in capital letters to emphasise the point!: “HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT CHICKENS LOOK LIKE WITH THEIR LEGS ATTACHED YOU F****ING DIPSHIT.”

The Independent reached out to Rufo for a comment but he did not respond. Also, the JD Vance campaign declined to comment. And an expert at the National Chicken Council did not reply to requests to comment.

However, somebody close to JD Vance told the newspaper that they did not believe the carcasses to be grilled were chickens. The Independent newspaper journalist writes that "a visual comparison of skinned cats prepared for laboratory use and whole plucked chickens suggested the animals in the video are almost certainly not feline."

The story is both bizarre and sickening actually. We have to discuss, in this story, skinned cats being grilled in a backyard in Ohio. It makes me want to puke.

This is another escalation in this ridiculous story and it very strongly appears that JD Vance is digging a bigger hole for himself and the Tramp campaign. He's thrown gasoline on the embers of a fire that was fizzling out nicely and now it is back in flames in the headlines.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

According to Ian Murray, a Scottish Labour politician, Larry the Cat is a "little shit"

NEW AND VIEWS: Ian Murray is a Scottish Labour politician who has represented the Edinburgh South constituency in the UK Parliament since 2010. He grew up in Edinburgh and is a football fan. He is an advocate for Unionism and he dislikes Brexit. He's a centrist and a resilient and experienced politician.

Larry the Cat photographed at Downing Street outside No 10. Don't know who the photographer is. Sorry. Please tell me in a comment.

After the recent landslide Labour Party victory in the general election, he went to Downing Street after the office called the Scottish Labour Party politicians to get them down to number 10 as I understand it.

In a speech at the annual dinner of CBI Scotland in Glasgow he said the following about that visit:

"We were initially like kids in a sweet shop. Because the first thing we all did, we had the election, we had the overnight counts, the 37 Scottish Labour MPs got their photographs taken in Glasgow, we darted to the airport, we got to London, just made it to London in time. Downing Street rang, and all of us who pretty much knew inevitably that the Cabinet was going to be as the shadow cabinet was with a few exceptions, walked to Downing Street really excited and all we wanted to do was, not get the chat with the Prime Minister to be appointed [Sir Kier Starmer] but was to try and get a picture with Larry the cat."

He continued:

"And without putting too fine a point on it, Larry the Cat was a little shit. So none of us got a picture with Larry the Cat. Larry the Cat is the most miserable animal you'll ever meet in your life. I'm not surprised given who he's had to live with for the last 10 years."

Of course, he was making a funny speech or trying to be funny! So we have to forgive his criticism of Larry the Cat. But clearly the criticism is incorrect because why should Larry the Cat want to cooperate with the demands of a bunch of politicians who charge into number 10 Downing Street looking for a photograph. Many cats don't even like being photographed never mind with strangers.

Ian Murray. Image by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street - Number 10 Flickr page, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150064834

He should have realised that domestic cats in general don't like the presence of entire strangers on their territory. And let's be clear, number 10 Downing Street is the territory of Larry the Cat. It is his home range including the environs. He's not going to cooperate. He no doubt scarpered and disappeared as soon as possible.

Without wishing to be too serious because this is a funny story (really), I think Ian Murray should do a little bit of judicious studying about cat behaviour at which point he wouldn't be so critical of our beloved Downing Street mouser.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Donald Trump's Truth Social website publishes funny cat pics which are NOT funny

OPINION: This is a cross-post. In the other post [link] I explained that Donald Trump, in my view, is trying to defuse his near-fatal faux pas when he dived into making strong and unpleasant allegations about Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio eating ducks, pet cats and pet dogs. He did this on mainstream television during the debate with Kamala Harris. He is a poor decision-maker and he knows he's made a big mistake and has been trying to roll back from that faux pas ever since to recover some losses to his campaign.

Image: DALLE as commissioned by Truth Social workers.

And with this goal in mind, he has, in my view, published some funny cat pictures which are decidedly unfunny on his Truth Social website, which, as you may know, is a substitute to X/Twitter from which he was banned at one time but he has now been reinstated by Elon Musk.

Image: DALLE as commissioned by Truth Social workers. This unfunny cat pic is a reference to Trump's allegation that he is strong on immigration while Harris is weak. And that migrants eat pet cats! Really, Trump is far to extreme and he is destabilising.

The pictures are, as you might imagine, generated by AI which cannot spell properly and often rights gobbledygook. But in the first picture it is claimed that Kamala Harris hates cats. It's actually the complete opposite. She has a very long and impressive track record both personally and professionally as a politician of supporting animal welfare both in respect of domestic and wild animals.

You can read about some of her actions by clicking on this link. In contrast, Donald Trump has a sketchy or arguably a very poor record of animal welfare. He has undermined conservation efforts in America regarding wolves and bears for example. He never had a companion animal in the White House which is the first instance for a hundred years.

His sons like to sport hunt Africa. Although to be fair Donald Trump doesn't like trophy hunting. But he did nothing about it when president. In fact he undermined the conservation and protection of iconic animals in Africa because she allowed the importation of trophies into America.

I have written many articles about Trump's failures in animal welfare. Click here to see the articles.

It's quite clear to me and I suspect to others that Donald Trump is not really interested in animal welfare. He is far more interested in making money and he's good with the economy which is important but the American economy should be expanded while respecting animal welfare in terms of wild animal conservation and protections for domestic animals. You can achieve both at the same time but Donald Trump likes to ride roughshod over the landscape, nature, and while animal welfare in driving economic growth.

Kamala Harris has demonstrated the complete opposite it seems to me. She is a tender-hearted woman and has been described as an animal champion. Trump supporters would probably argue that she is not strong on immigration or the economy but I think you have to give her a chance to demonstrate her strengths in these areas.

If you are to deal with illegal immigration in America humanely it becomes very difficult to deal with illegal immigration! The same problems exist in the UK and in continental Europe, specifically Germany. It's a very difficult problem, dealing with illegal immigration but you have to deal with it humanely.

Trump does not really want to deal with it humanely. I think we have to ask ourselves whether we would do the same thing as illegal immigrants if we were in their position. I certainly would. I would look for a better life. And if you can make it work by simply walking into America then you do it. It's one world. We are all in it together.

To return to the pictures. The picture of the ginger tabby holding up the Kamala Harris placard is misleading. It's entirely misleading. It's a lie! But then, Donald Trump is very good at lying isn't he?

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Kamala Harris accused of wearing earpiece earrings during presidential debate

It seems that the Donald Trump Cult followers have hatched a new conspiracy theory which as planned has gone viral on social media the purpose of which is to claw back some credibility for their leader after his disastrous performance during the debate as he ranted on about migrants in Ohio eating domestic cats without reasonable evidence. 

It all seems so bizarre to me. All of it. Including this latest conspiracy which has been covered by the English version of France 24.

Their video assesses this conspiracy theory and concludes that it is FAKE. As I have said things seems to descend into chaos when Trump is around. 

Here is the story in a video:

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

German Foreign Office states in a tweet that they don't eat cats and dogs in Germany!

The German Foreign Office has dived into the viral online discussion about Donald Trump's screwup during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris in which he ranted and raved about Haitian migrants killing and eating pet cats and dogs in Ohio. 

His claims were based upon what appears to be anecdotal witness statements, perhaps from biased people who have an agenda against migrants. I don't know. But there were and currently are no hard facts that Haitian migrants eating cats and dogs in Ohio and therefore Trump was foolish to discuss that point in front of millions of Americans in a crucial debate.

I have argued that because of this he is not fit to be president because he is a poor decision-maker. He had plenty of time to decide what to debate and to behave professionally but he behaved like an amateur with a poor mind.

Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables. And we are shutting down – not building – coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest. PS: We also don’t eat cats and dogs. #Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/PiDO98Vxfo

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) September 11, 2024

And above is a tweet from the German Foreign Office about renewable energy and about eating cats and dogs! The reference to renewable energy is because of Trump's attack on Harris's bid to move America towards a more diverse and sustainable mix of energy sources. Trump apparently said that Germany had tried and failed to give up fossil fuels.

Germany is counteracting that false Trump argument with this tweet. Just another example of the falsehoods disseminated by Donald Trump. He lacks integrity. We know that because of his cheating at golf. And he lies. He is misogynistic and he's a felon. And to that long list I've added his poor decision-making. A president must be an excellent decision-maker. There is no alternative. Trump fails.

Finally, I'm told that Germany supports Kamala Harris for the next president although they've not made a formal announcement.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Trump's POOR DECISION-MAKING evident in his rant about pet-eating migrants during presidential debate

Americans expect their next president to be able to make excellent decisions as and when necessary. It is the hallmark of a good president. It is their raison d'être. An American president must be able to make great decisions. The best possible decisions, balancing up all the various factors and influences and consequences. I would expect that an American president makes hundreds of decisions every day all of which have the potential to improve for worsen the lives of Americans.

Screenshot from the debate. An angry as usual Trump and a smiling Harris.

The recent much-publicised debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris emphasises, as far as I am concerned, the fact that Donald Trump makes poor decisions. He is a poor decision-maker.

During this debate he had all the opportunity to discuss issues that are central to the lives of Americans such as healthcare and the economy. Immigration might also be in that discussion. Uncontrolled immigration is important to many Americans as it is too many other citizens of other countries including the UK.

Both parties to this debate had plenty of time to prepare for it. Donald Trump had the choice whether he should rant and rave about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield Ohio, or is it Canton Ohio, we don't know exactly? He could have avoided the subject completely. He could have addressed immigration but in a professional and balanced way.

But he went on - in his usual way - about a viral social media story which Springfield officials and police say is untrue. They say that there are no credible reports of pet-eating migrants. However, Ohio's Republican Attorney General has launched an investigation into the claims. Link to a further discussion on this.

And there's a video on social media of a Haitian woman, Allexis Telia Ferrell, being arrested and reportedly charged by the local police.

The police officer - as they approach the woman - receives a witness account from people standing by saying that she ate a cat. Were these witnesses truthful or did they have an agenda to further? And I'm told that she was charged - I guess on the basis of that witness evidence - but we are getting very mixed reports on this topic.

The point I'm making is this: at the moment there is no hard evidence that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating pet dogs and pet cats in Springfield or Canton, Ohio, USA. There appears to be some witness evidence but it's been hyped up on social media. It might be unreliable and biased.

And it appears to be hyped up on social media in order to further Donald Trump's political campaign about uncontrolled immigration into the country. He is very strong on that and it appears to be one of his major platforms for history election.

But you cannot, as a potential president of this great country, rant and rave about something on mainstream television in a very major debate that is not based on hard fact at the time you talk about it. 

In the heated exchange, Harris turned to Trump and declared that as vice president she had spoken to foreign leaders who "say you (Trump) are a disgrace."

He has egg on his face. He looks stupid. I am embarrassed for him. A really good person with a good mind would not do this. It's incredibly careless and stupid. It makes him look stupid. And it makes him look like a poor decision-maker. And unfit to be the next president.

I'm pleased because I am very much a supporter of Kamala Harris and I don't think that Donald Trump was a good president. I've said before that if you combine Putin with Xi Jinping you will get a kind of semi-chaos.

Trump's sidekick also fell into the same trap:

“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” JD Vance wrote on X/Twitter. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Xi Jinping + Putin + Trump a recipe for chaos

I think these three are a huge danger to the world. We are stuck with Xi Jinping and Putin of which Putin is the worst by far as he is a mass murder and inveterate liar of gargantuan proportions. Putin is a stain on the history of humanity. But Americans can stop adding Trump to this toxic mix. Vote for Kamala instead please. Trump is an aberration. I believe that he became popular because he is anti-politician. People became disenchanted with politicians for good reason and wanted something different and got it. But there is a strong argument for a 'normal' person in the White House and someone younger with a balanced and sensible approach to the presidency. Also Trump is now officially in the early stages of dementia 😱😎. That's what I say based in X reports!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Kamala is 'Comma followed by 'la' and Walz is 'Walls'. Got it!

There has been a 96-hour coronation for Kamala Harris. It seems to me that when it comes to campaigning to be the president of the United States, the American citizens need to have some sort of leader to look up to which can lead to a kind of cult. Trump was said to be a cult figure but now I think we can call Kamala Harris a cult figure judging by the recent super-energetic Chicago convention at which, she apparently, made a rather weak speech but that doesn't matter because the delegates were super-excited and in all there were about 66 speeches apparently! She has amassed a $500m war chest. She is that popular. May it continue.

'Comma' followed by 'la' Harris! She is great. Image credit see base on article.

But one thing came out of this convention which is that I discovered how to pronounce 'Kamala' and the name of her running mate Tim Walz. He's been specifically picked to look 60 years old and white!

Trump has consistently used nicknames to belittle Kamala Harris. And he tried to pick holes in her ethnic background which I think is horrendously bad. He's been criticised for this. For sniping and stupid insults. Well let him continue because the more he does it the less effective he looks and the more stupid he looks as well.

Okay, to the point which is in the title to this article. The exact way to pronounce her name is apparently to first say the word "comma" and then add to that the French word "la". And regarding Tim Walz, the way to say his surname is as follows: "Walls".

RELATED: Kamala Harris is an animal champion. Donald Trump has a poor record on animal welfare.

I bet you didn't know that! Perhaps you did but I certainly didn't and it is nice to finally get to the bottom of it. I believe that the unusual way to pronounce her name comes about because of her ethnicity where her name has a meaning: lotus flower.

FYI: Kamala is an Indian name, and her middle name is Devi— a South Asian middle name. Kamala Harris's ethnicity is Indian and Jamaican. Vice President Kamala Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican-born father and an Indian-born mother.

Image: By Lawrence Jackson - https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-harris/ (direct download), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103324295

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. What else!?

You are a cat lady and want to support Kamala Harris? Buy this T-shirt.

Kamala has an online store where her campaign sells items at high prices (? 💕😃) in order to raise campaign funds. It is okay. All in a good cause if you are a Democrat or if you want to keep that narcissistic madman out of the White House.

It is a Mickey take on the misogynistic JD Vance comment about childless cat ladies which got him and the Trump campaign into a lot of trouble. Trumps campaign is faltering. His rallies look flat as his followers become tired of the old mantra "Make America Great Again". It has become a cliche.

It cost $32. Link: Cat Ladies For Kamala Tee - Harris Victory Fund Webstore (kamalaharris.com)

A lot of people are pulling for Harris at the moment. Many groups have formed a coalition. They say it is a bit like the Obama years when he was campaigning to be president.

Here is another 'tee' on the bonfire.com website:

Link to the above website: Cat Ladies for Kamala 2024 | Bonfire

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

People displaying shirts or stickers mocking political opponents are more likely to have psychopathic tendencies (infographic)

A study in the US found that people who engage in “ideological poking” - displaying political symbols designed to mock their opponents score more highly for psychopathic traits by Michael Broad

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This, for me, is an interesting piece of research and I immediately thought of Donald Trump and his army of supporters. We see them being very vociferous at rallies. We see them wearing T-shirts emblazoned with praises for their great demagogue of a leader and we see stickers on their car bumpers praising Trump. We also see T-shirts and car bumpers criticising and even insulting Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's competitor in the race to the White House. 

And of course Donald Trump is very prone to using nicknames for Kamala Harris which I argue are a form of insult. They are belittling and deliberately so in my opinion. He likes to belittle his opponents which is a cheap and nasty thing to do and it is very reflective, I would argue, of his character.

And today, in The Times, we have a report on this study and the article is entitled: "Steer clear of drivers with bumper stickers-they could be psychopaths."

And they ask whether your T-shirt informs people about your political affiliations or whether you have a bumper sticker which announces to the world your political affiliations.

And I'll quote the author here: "Well, then you are letting people know about two things: your politics, and, quite possibly, your tendency to psychopathy."

This study conducted in the US found that people who engage in ideological poking which means displaying political symbols designed to mock their opponents are more likely to score highly for psychopathic traits.

The study was led by Matejas Mackin from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He carried out the study because he saw the bumper stickers of post-Trump America and it felt like something had changed.

He said that, "When I was a little younger, I would typically see campaigns with signs that would say something like "Hope" or "Vote Obama" or "Vote McCain". Then from 2016 onwards, you start to see more and more people expressing their beliefs by insulting the other side. I was interested in understanding this phenomenon. Why do people do it?"

His study is published in the Journal of Research in Personality. It involved almost 500 US residents all of whom completed a questionnaire to assess their tendency towards 'dark personality traits'.

The conclusion was that there was a link between "ideological poking" and psychopathy. It wasn't a big effect but it was certainly there but it doesn't mean that people who did it were clinically psychopathic but there was a link.

He said this might explain some of the toxicity that we had seen in the past decade. He added, "It does seem to be the case that the contemporary polarised political climate might give individuals with slightly darker dispositions more of a channel to speak."

"Studies have suggested that the display of political apparel, including t-shirts supporting particular candidates or causes, is more common among supporters of conservative or Republican politicians compared to liberal or Democratic supporters. This trend has been observed with Trump supporters as well. Surveys and analyses have found that Trump supporters are more likely to wear apparel with pro-Trump messages, slogans, or imagery compared to non-Trump supporters. This could include t-shirts, hats, buttons, and other items expressing support for the former president." - Google Gemini.

In a recent bizarre attempt to insult Kamala Harris again he said: “She sounds more like Trump than Trump, copying almost everything. She is conning the American public, and will flip right back. I will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! There will be no flipping!!!”

His rallies are becoming less and less populated and the MAGA mantra sounds tired.
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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Tim Walz turned a failing high school American football team into winners

There is a great story in The Sunday Times today about Tim Walz turning around the fortunes of the 1999 Mankato West High School American football team from long term failure to becoming state champions for the first time. At the time Walz was the assistant coach. The team was struggling. They'd just been trounced by Owatonna High.

Almost forgot: Walz likes cats! Great. And Kamala is an animal champion. They've got to win for animal welfare.

Tim Walz's Coaching Style: How He Led Suburban High School to State Championship - Newsweek. 

Walz persuaded the coach to change the team's defensive alignment. The team was called the Scarlets and they learned the new formation in a week.

John Considine was a member of that team. He is now 43 years of age and he said that "We all bought into it". He played right tackle, one of the players who protects the quarterback. He added that Walz told us "we could resurrect the season. And we did. That was the turning point."

From the next game, the team went on to a winning streak and ultimately crowned state champions for the first time in the school's history.

The Democrats will hope that Walz could do the same thing for their party. You may know that Walz, who is now the governor of Minnesota, spent more than a decade of his career as a geography, history and government teacher, mostly in Mankato. This was a town of about 40,000 people at the time and a big farming community.

The students remember a "man with bouncing enthusiasm who couldn't stop socialising, who acted as a fatherly figure and set high standards for others."

Kamala Harris, calls him loudly and proudly and often as "Coach Walz."

The former head coach of that team, Rick Sutton, says that he immediately recognised the advantage of bringing Walz onto the coaching staff because he cared. And he could bring energy and enthusiasm as the team's defensive coordinator.

They had lost 27 games straight when the two coaches started their first season together in 1996. Expectations were low. They had to convince their players to be more dedicated and more optimistic.

They trained every night after school for two hours until 6 PM. For these two coaches it was like running two jobs, their teaching job and the coaching job.

Considine remembers the motivational pre-game speeches from Walz. "He had high standards for us and did a great job motivating young men to do their absolute best."

Becoming state champions for the first time was "pure jubilation". They had never achieved it before. It was unheard of.

It looks as though Walz is a good pick as Kamala Harris's running mate. They are doing well. On X today there is an excellent video of a huge audience welcoming and listening to Kamala Harris deliver her speech. This brings to mind immediately Don Trump's lies about the audiences that he manages to cobble together. He always exaggerates their numbers. He always has. Right from the day he was inaugurated.

I'm afraid he's a liar, and a narcissist. He has a borderline personality disorder in my opinion and there are concerns now that, at 78, he is entering the phase of life when dementia starts to creep in and if he is appointed president, over the following four years he may well develop dementia. It is said that his rambling speeches are possible signs of early dementia. American wants a young, vibrant and enthusiastic president and that person is Kamala Harris.

Experts say Trump’s speaking style shows ‘potential indications of cognitive decline’

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Kamala Harris's relative youth (59) highlights Trump's age problem (78)

This is an interesting and welcome development in American politics. Biden had to drop out of the race to be the next president because of his age essentially. It appeared to Americans that he had developed early-stage dementia. He was clearly unable to be the leader of the world's most important democratic country. Kamala Harris the Vice President has successfully stepped into his shoes although Honest Joe continues to run the country or he wants to.

Kamala Harris is 59 years old. She is relatively youthful and it shows. A lot of commentators have said that her relative youth is very welcome. It actually stands out starkly in comparison to the previous two contenders, Biden and Trump.

Which is exactly why Trump now looks like an old man. His age is now, for the first time, a real barrier to him beating the Democrats. Before it was a competition between Biden and Trump; the former being older than the latter. Now to competition between Harris and Trump with the former being a lot younger than the latter.

And I think both Democrats and Republicans were unhappy with the fact that Biden and Trump were so old. You need someone useful to lead the country. Somebody with an abundance of energy who can connect with younger people. So both parties were unhappy with the age problem.

That problem has now gone away with Kamala Harris and it presents a beacon of light and rationality to the presidential race. At last America has somebody of a reasonable age who might become the next president. 

Normality has resumed in the form of Kamala Harris which pushes Donald Trump into being an outsider because he's too old. 78 is too old because over a four-year term as president he will be 82 while being a president. 

We don't know how his brain will deteriorate over those four years. He might himself develop early-stage dementia and become less competent. There should be no issue whatsoever of a president suffering from dementia. That shouldn't be anywhere near possible. The way to protect against that problem is to select somebody who is youthful enough.

A recent poll supports what I've just written. According to this poll 51% now see Donald Trump as too old to be president and more than a third of voters doubt he would be able to serve a full four-year term.

This new poll conducted by Morning Consult also indicates that Vice President Harris has "widened the trust advantage that Biden held on handling issues such as abortion (her biggest lead), climate change, education, healthcare and protecting American democracy. 

Trump's advantages over Harris are on gun policy, crime, the economy and foreign policy but they are smaller than they were with Biden.

In conclusion, Harris has erased the Biden age problem which is why I think Harris will now win.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

American people CRAVE a good leader and Kamala is that person

Judging by the adoration of the crowds attending Kamala Harris's first speech at her campaign rally, it is clear to me that (1) they are pleased Biden has dropped out at last, better late than never and (2) they really do crave a leader that they can genuinely look up to. And she has a cracking smile hasn't she? It is the best one I have seen. She is light and optimistic. Perhaps she can flower into being a great leader.

Note: No one knows for sure if she will be a good leader is elected but I have decided that she will be. 😎👍

Kamala Harris. Photo: X.

They roared with happiness at the speech (20 seconds in the video) and would not stop. It seems that when Biden was in the race to the White House the Democrat section of American society (about 50% of the citizens?) were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They had Biden who was clearly failing rapidly and frankly unelectable and Trump who for many democrats is the kind of person that Kamala Harris describes: a dodgy wheeler-dealer, and a criminal. A convicted criminal as it happens. Actually a felon.

Kamala Harris's speech was brilliant 🔥

If I were American, she'd have my vote 👏 pic.twitter.com/aRzmNQhaRT

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) July 23, 2024

Here is a quote from an X feed:

It's refreshing to smell the aroma of new enthusiasm in the political air. Suddenly, Trump becomes the old, stale, deranged felon, Autocrat Wanna-Be, loser rapist. Kamala is that breath of fresh air. She'll save democracy. The 'prosecutor vs. the felon' is classic

They are correct. For me it goes deeper. Americans crave a good leader. Biden was no longer capable because of his dementia and Trump has always been dodgy. For many he is slightly deranged.

It's refreshing to smell the aroma of new enthusiasm in the political air. Suddenly, Trump becomes the old, stale, deranged felon, Autocrat Wanna-Be, loser rapist. Kamala is that breath of fresh air. She'll save democracy. The 'prosecutor vs. the felon' is classic. #Kamala2024 pic.twitter.com/bFdLGqRG1w

— Chetter 🌊💙🏳️‍🌈🇺🇦🗽⚖ Democracy needs YOU! (@ChetterHub) July 23, 2024

The truth is that ALL citizens of all countries crave a good, fair and wise leader who will guide them through tough times. 

But in the top video we hear this need expressed in cheering and applause. A gushing of emotion that perhaps they have that leader. There is optimism.

Netflix made it possible for there to be a female President! It is time for a female president. It calls into question the pluses and minuses of female over male leaders.

Arguably this is a time for a female mentality. Drop the ego and the macho. Embrace the solution-finder, the compromiser. Compromise in a complex world is always the best solution. But she'll need to be strong and fearless too.

And as for animal welfare, she has a good track record we are told:

[She is] the first presidential candidate to have endorsed, helped to pass, and helped to enforce strong, specific pro-animal legislation throughout her political career. - A-Z Animals website.

For people like me this is very important. All leaders should be sensitive to animal welfare. It indicates an awareness of the need to help the vulnerable and support equality.

Trump and his colleagues will be concerned. Kamala has received an unprecedented surge in campaign funds from donors of $230 million keen to see her elected as America's first female president.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Joe Biden "Rage, rage against the dying of the light"

President Biden and Kamala Harris. 

The world now knows that Joe Biden has, at last, stood down from the election battle and handed the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a letter posted on X, the 81-year-old said: "It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President.

“And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

He has been brave, perhaps foolish, in fighting his rapid mental decline. Struggling to accept it. Until convinced by his colleague and perhaps his wife to stop. It isn't just about now and the race to become the next president. It is about how he would have faired if he had become the next president. He'd simply be unable to cope.

But he raged against the dying of the light in the words of that well-known poem by Dylan Thomas. It is a poem that - for me - urges all elderly people who are at various stages of dying (which applies to Biden) to fight to the end. To live as good as you can to the end. To never give up. Biden did this but unfortunately to the detriment of the Democratic party. Trump is almost bound to win now and become the next president. Hold on to your hats. Update: Kamala Harris is destined (hopefully) to become the next president. So things are looking up for the Democrats and common sense.

The recommendation by Dylan Thomas applies to 'ordinary' people, in their homes, going about their business in their twilight years. But Biden did what Thomas suggested and in some ways it is commendable, brave and to be expected of a fighter. A political warrior who could not stop. Who refused to succumb to the dying of the light.

Here is the poem:  Do not go gentle into that good night.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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It is in the public domain which is why I can publish it here. The advice in the poem is sound. Old people should do all they can to be as active as possible both in mind and body to their end. Hard though it is. You have to have discipline and drive to the end of one's life. To maximise life.

One vital factor in this journey is not to be become fat!! You can't max life if you are obese as it damages health and severely curtails mobility. Biden was slim unlike Trump who is obese. Biden had discipline. He was not self-indulgent. He was a servant of the people.

Here is Dylan Thomas in a Welsh pub. A great man in his own right. He died aged 39. He lived dangerously. {{{(>_<)}}} And I think he 'raged' throughout his life....!

Credit: By Rosalie Thorne McKenna - https://hrc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15878coll98/id/7222, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=141683289

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.