In 1987, I was a young college dropout, and a combat engineer paratrooper, stationed at Fort Bragg, as part of the 20th Engineer Brigade. (We were Airborne, but, we were part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and not part of the 82nd Airborne.) We were deployed to Honduras for approximately 2.5 months to build parking aprons and airstrips to support the Contras as they fought the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. It pains me to see what has happened in Nicaragua - and to see my government come down on the side of Marxism.
1. Trying to analyze Trump from a purely political perspective is a fool's errand. He is neither a Republican nor a Democrat; indeed, he is of no party and has o principles. Or more accurately he is a party of one. He knows nothing of value with respect to history, politics or the military. He is not trribly complicated and to comprehend Trump you only need to understand greed and a smidgen of psychiatry. 2. The knife sharpening reference brought back a memory I had not recalled since childhood. We lived in a row house in Upper Darby, PA, and from time to time we would hear the call "knives sharpened!, knives sharpened!" from the back alley. I would look down from our back porch and there was an old guy (old at least from the eyes of childhood) push a cart carrying a carborundum stone. I suspect if that happened today the poor fellow would be arrested for violating noise regulations or running an unregistered business. Still, a fond memory.
My first lesson about the variety of inflation came from the men who pushed fruit & vegetable carts down west side Detroit residential streets. At first, for years, they sang out, “Strawberries! Four quarts for a dollar!”
Then, one day, it became, “Strawberries! Three quarts for a dollar!”
Trump's speech should never have been given before troops, or at any time discussing our military. Trump has done some very good things correcting Biden's terrible woke, trans idiocy, and cuts of our military. That does not give him a pass on partisan rhetoric before or about our military. President G. W. Bush had a quiet, confident class about him, which we need back in our politics. He also was a fighter pilot who flew the F-102. Going through all of the training to qualify to fly a USAF fighter requires a constant striving to be one's best. It also requires an ability to calmly look at any situation and analyze it based on fact and not emotion. Trump never learned that. Far too much emotion. The discussion about knife sharpening brought back many memories on this Father's Day. My father never would hire someone to sharpen his knives. This was a skill taught to him by his father, growing up, and passed on to me. I still sharpen our knives and garden tools.
"Mores, customs, norms. The older I get, the more I appreciate them (so long as they’re sound). That’s part of conservatism, no doubt." So very true. I also find that, per Joni Mitchell, "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone."
A healing balm in these times of rancor - bless you and yours!
In 1987, I was a young college dropout, and a combat engineer paratrooper, stationed at Fort Bragg, as part of the 20th Engineer Brigade. (We were Airborne, but, we were part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and not part of the 82nd Airborne.) We were deployed to Honduras for approximately 2.5 months to build parking aprons and airstrips to support the Contras as they fought the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. It pains me to see what has happened in Nicaragua - and to see my government come down on the side of Marxism.
1. Trying to analyze Trump from a purely political perspective is a fool's errand. He is neither a Republican nor a Democrat; indeed, he is of no party and has o principles. Or more accurately he is a party of one. He knows nothing of value with respect to history, politics or the military. He is not trribly complicated and to comprehend Trump you only need to understand greed and a smidgen of psychiatry. 2. The knife sharpening reference brought back a memory I had not recalled since childhood. We lived in a row house in Upper Darby, PA, and from time to time we would hear the call "knives sharpened!, knives sharpened!" from the back alley. I would look down from our back porch and there was an old guy (old at least from the eyes of childhood) push a cart carrying a carborundum stone. I suspect if that happened today the poor fellow would be arrested for violating noise regulations or running an unregistered business. Still, a fond memory.
My first lesson about the variety of inflation came from the men who pushed fruit & vegetable carts down west side Detroit residential streets. At first, for years, they sang out, “Strawberries! Four quarts for a dollar!”
Then, one day, it became, “Strawberries! Three quarts for a dollar!”
Paz eterna, Violeta Chamorro.
Reading about her death reminds me of P.J. O'Rourke's article on the Nicaraguan election.
"Is Nicaragua a Bulgaria with marimba bands or just a misunderstood Massachusetts with Cuban military advisors?"
Trump's speech should never have been given before troops, or at any time discussing our military. Trump has done some very good things correcting Biden's terrible woke, trans idiocy, and cuts of our military. That does not give him a pass on partisan rhetoric before or about our military. President G. W. Bush had a quiet, confident class about him, which we need back in our politics. He also was a fighter pilot who flew the F-102. Going through all of the training to qualify to fly a USAF fighter requires a constant striving to be one's best. It also requires an ability to calmly look at any situation and analyze it based on fact and not emotion. Trump never learned that. Far too much emotion. The discussion about knife sharpening brought back many memories on this Father's Day. My father never would hire someone to sharpen his knives. This was a skill taught to him by his father, growing up, and passed on to me. I still sharpen our knives and garden tools.
"Mores, customs, norms. The older I get, the more I appreciate them (so long as they’re sound). That’s part of conservatism, no doubt." So very true. I also find that, per Joni Mitchell, "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone."
Trump's parade and speeches to military audiences: I'm with Peggy Noonan, "we don't do that."
Thank you, Jay for all your wisdom. Every Blessing!