MAY 29, 2024 AN IMPORTANT DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY - ON THE PATH TO A 1-PARTY POLICE STATE

     The Trial of former Pres. Donald Trump for having sex with a very attractive porn star, paying her $$$ to shut up, camouflaging the item in his books, was made into a show trial by the Democratic Party.  Who cares who the rich guy has sex with?  If he did not pay her, that would have been a crime.  She wants to make a lifetime goldmine of her body part noodled by Trump.  Did the Democrats go after John Kennedy like this?  Or the Bill Clinton?  Or druggie Hunter Biden???  The same corrupt Hunter involved with Joe Biden in various corrupt deals?  Democrat Merrick Garland probably worked with numerous attorneys to try to knock the popular Trump out of the presidential race.  The Democrats now have at least one guilty verdict against Trump, so they may now call him a convicted felon.  But, tho early, it seems as if the Trumpers are remaining loyal to Trump.  One can only worry what other actions the Democrats, and their friends in the intelligence bureaucracy can take to topple Trump.

    Calling Trump a "convicted felon" may have little effect.  With all the many times Martin Luther King was arrested, I suspect he too was a convicted felon.  Even I was one too, with a few others, after the Jew Orleans DA came down to Woolworth's on Canal and North Rampart Streets in the first lunch-counter sit-in in what was then the largest city of the South, to read us the segregation law from a massive lawbook, and have us arrested.  Even in the old days, they may not have used the phrase, but when Jesus was executed, he must have been found guilty of a serious crime.  Ditto Socrates.  A convicted felon - Trump stands in some good company.

     Of course, though somewhat elderly, Biden is still active too.  Each day, through his policies, he aids and abets the foreign invasion of the United States.  I think there is a word for that, but I don't wish to be rude.  Especially on the day when the Democrats unleash their police-state tactics against the popular candidate, Donald Trump.

     On this day, also, Newswer had a headline, "Trump Gives Musk and Ear - and Possibly a Job."  I submitted a comment about the story, here-

     Musk is a native of South Africa. In a short 30 years the socialist African National Congress has crippled the economy of that nation. Now, crime is higher even than in the United States (be wary of the recent stats that allege that crime is down, for fewer are simply reporting crimes); the once proud South African airline is now mainly on the ground, rails are stolen, so train service may be spotty, electricity is often off, as the infrastructure falls apart and is stolen, and lately, water may not come from the taps. With the Democrats in office in the US, today's failed state of South Africa may become the future of America. Trump should talk to Musk to make sure that America does not repeat the mistakes of that presently failing state at the southern tip of the continent.

HUGH MURRAY

MY REVIEW OF THE 2016 FILM "ALLIED" WITH MARION COTTILARD AND BRAD PITT

Last night I wanted to watch some tv, but noting interested me. I went to Pluto, and to their many movies menu. One seemed interesting. called "Allied." It was about to begin, and I read the few sentences description. Well, I watched the full film, and if it was not made in France, it should have been. It was not Hollywood. Hugh Murray 

 I posted the review on a film website. I had never heard of Cotillard and disliked the last Pitt film I had watched, simply killing German bastards during WWII. Assumed I would watch only about half an hour, but, wait, this begins in Morocco, in Casa Blanca; will this be poor imitation? No, it was just different. I soon realized this was NOT a typical Hollywood film. Slow, Pitt kills a German in a phone booth, but so quickly it seems too easy, no one stops to question him. Weapons beneath a food table at a reception for the German ambassador? More fantasy. A bed scene and she is going down on her husband Pitt in a way I've never seen in a Hollywood film. And the ending is totally un-Hollywood. Fun, beautiful people, but no Casa Blanca.  I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

FROM RT - DISCUSSION OF NATO TRAINERS OR TROOPS IN THE UKRAINE, QUOTW VICTORIA NULAND

 Nuland comments on potential official NATO deployment to Ukraine

The presence of Western instructors would “directly implicate” the US-led bloc, the former official has said

FILE PHOTO ©  Danil Shamkin / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former US diplomat Victoria Nuland has argued that officially sending Western instructors into Ukraine would create unnecessary risks – as NATO already provides a “huge amount” of training for Kiev’s forces on member states' territory.

Facing a severe troop shortage, Kiev has allegedly asked the US and NATO to help train some 150,000 new recruits inside Ukraine, so they can be sent to the front faster, the New York Times reported last week.

In an interview with ABC on Sunday, Nuland – who was responsible for Ukraine in her State Department role and served as US ambassador to NATO – acknowledged Russia’s renewed offensive is making it hard for Ukrainian troops to “come off the front” and train abroad. However, she warned against sending Western instructors in.

“I worry that NATO training bases inside Ukraine will become a target for Vladimir Putin. And it does directly implicate NATO on the ground, which could… escalate the war in a different direction and cause Putin to think that NATO territory might be fair game for him,” Nuland said.

READ MORE: NATO members ‘considering’ sending troops to Ukraine – NYT

The White House has repeatedly insisted that it will not deploy American troops – even instructors – in Ukraine. The retired US diplomat argued that “it still makes most sense to do most of the training outside of Ukraine but to give advice inside Ukraine.”

The US-led military bloc has been training Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of member states including the UK, Germany and Poland, teaching them how to use Western-provided weapons. European officials have previously acknowledged the presence of some military personnel in Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict in 2022, without clarifying whether they were training local forces.

However, on Monday Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas claimed that military personnel from some NATO member states are already training Ukrainian soldiers inside the country. She insisted this will not lead to a direct confrontation with Russia because the personnel are doing it “at their own risk.”

READ MORE: NATO countries already training troops in Ukraine – Estonian PM

French President Emmanuel Macron first raised the issue of sending NATO troops to Ukraine back in February, calling it an idea that should not be ruled out. Estonia and Lithuania have since expressed support for either sending instructors or support troops, to free up Ukrainian soldiers for combat duty. 

In early May, the Russian Defense Ministry estimated that Ukrainian military losses had surpassed 111,000 this year alone. Kiev now intends to mobilize hundreds of thousands of additional troops under a new law cracking down on draft avoidance.

Over the past six weeks, Russian forces have taken more territory than Ukraine managed to capture in the six months of its failed counter-offensive last year, the Washington Post admitted last week, citing numbers from the Institute for the Study of War, a DC-based think tank run by Kimberly Kagan – Victoria Nuland’s sister-in-law.

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This part is not from RT. Victoria Nuland was not merely a high-ranking American government official and diplomat, she was sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the Color Revolutions." In 2014 the duly elected president of Ukraine was deposed by a color revoluton. He had been generally sympathetic to Russia, and indeed, the Donbass areas were more Russian than Ukrainian. Nuland's husband, Robert Kagan has a new book out in 2024 in which he views the Trump voters (and Trump) as threats to democracy in America. Yet, as Elon Musk just pointed out, it is President Aelensky of the Ukraine who has cancelled presidential elections in his nation that were scheduled for this year. Zelensky has had political opponents arrested, and critical media squelched. But American Pres. Biden and Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives assure us we are spending billions in Ukraine to defend democracy. I forget whether the Speaker is Mike Johnson or Hakeem Johnson. Hugh Murray

RETIRED PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH TIME. WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ALL THAT TIME?

ONE DAY (Friday 18 May 2024) by Hugh Murray

   Today I was up early (how I hate that, because mostly I go to bed at 2am or a little alter.  Because I had a doctor's appointment I went to bed a little earlier, 1:45am.  Up at 7, got to the doc's office by 9:45.  I have to go about every 6 weeks to receive an injection in my right eyeball.  I had an aneurism inside the eyeball several years ago and the vein can flare up and distort vision greatly.  The shot seems to keep it smaller.  They must numb the eyeball first, and that will last up to 2 hours.  After, the eye begins to run, and it affects the right sinus, so then my right nostril runs.  I use a kleenex on my eye, then on my nose, then on my eye then on...This can go on for hours so forget about reading or doing anything on these shot days.

   It was a beauriful sunny day, but I had brought a removable sunglass attachment that fits on my regular glasses, because walking in the sun hurts my eyes on such days.  I planned to go to the supermarket while the eye was still numbed.  From home to doc's, to supermarket 2 miles, and from supermarket to return home, another 2 miles.  I was there and back weekly with my groceries.

     With warm weather, I wanted to buy some cheap sodas.  In my neighborhood a 2-liter 7-Up is $3.20 or so, but Kroger had 4 2-liter sodas for $5.    The problem, each bottle is slightly over 4 pounds weight.  Bought a half-price pastry, and 4 2liter bottles of Kroger diet lemon soda (7 Up) and Kroger Diet Soda.  Decades ago I would walk home with 3 such bottles in one hand, and the groceries in another, but have  not done that in years.  Am I up to it?  Put 3 in plastic bag in my right hand, one and the pastry in the left. Sun glass to protect my eye.  Gloves were not used so much weight, and my fingers were hurting.  Half way, at Red Arrow Park, sat on a bench. moved 1 bottle from my right hand bag and placed it in my rucksack (backpack), drank a swig or 2 of water, and moved on.  On Wells Street, across from the Milw Public Library, had to stop under a tree, and rest a minute.  Then made it back home.  Normally, I do not stop at all but normally I am not carrying so many liquids.  Age makes a difference.

     Home sweaty home, by 1:30pm.  Took off most sweaty clothing, AND for first time this year, opened a window a few inches.  Eye was tearing, so rather than sit around with klenex all afternoon, took 2 aspirin and some water, and slept till 5;30.  Rather than a big meal, decided on soup and toast with butter.  Kroger vege beef soup on the fire, 2 slices of toast in the toaster, butter in microwave at 9 seconds to soften it.  Plugged it in, and it blew a fuse or something in the micro.  And it's almost new, I bought it in 2009 (or earlier).

    Ate half the soup and the toast/butter, and some pudding to which I added cottage cheese, and for a final snack, pretzels for salt. especially after sweating so much.  I can watch tv, but not too much computer as the brighter light annoys my eyes after the shot.

     I made it through another day.  When you get to be 85, that is an accomplishment.   Hugh  

  

SOME ODD THOUGHTS - NOT MY USUAL BLOG POSTS

 Socrates, condemned to death by the people of his city.  Friends worked to help, and suddenly he had a  choice, a chance to run away.  Socrates is by now old, and rather than run, chooses to stay and drink the prescribed hemlock.  He assured his students that he is more than a physical body, and his ideas will live on.  But he did have a choice.  Was this suicide?

Young woman, pregnant, boyfriend does not want it, pressure to abort; parents against. she is confused. Her boyfriend, angry, nasty, why doesn't she get the operation?  Slams the door, gone.  She cries.  Looks at her phone, takes many sleeping pills.  Looks at her phone again, decides to call her mom, lifts her phone, it slips from her fingers.  She never wakens.  Is this suicide?

Jesus brought before Jewish high priests, accused of blasphemy, he clams to be a Messiah, healed on the sabbath, drove demons from a woman, causes confusion among the faithful.  Jesus now  puts upa poor and no defense, mainly silent, or retorts, You have said it, with their own accusation.  Next day, brought before Pilate, the Roman governor.  Again the accused is silent.  The people demand the death penalty.  The verdict is carried out, and Jesus is crucified, along with 2 others.  He dies on the cross.  According to many Christians, Jesus was the Son of God, with powers of God.  If he had the power to stop the crucifixion, and did not do so, was this a suicide?

I have lived a long life, and have crossed many bridges.  I have also burnt my bridges behind me.  Now, when things go awry, I no longer have a bridge to jump from.       Perhaps, this is a good thing.

After the crucifixions of the 3, the body of Jesus was taken to the large tomb of a wealthy sympathizer.  There were other caskets in the large tomb some relatives of the gentleman, some from before he purchased it.  To protect them all, when finishing the process of the body, a large stone was placed to close the tomb. and night had already fallen.  A few followers of the heretic, mainly women arrived outside the tomb, and prayed.  The dark clouds of the day had blown away, and the moon shone brightly above the deserted area.  All was quiet.  Suddenly, some thought they heard, like a stone or something quite heavy move.  One woman praying; gasped, and others woke.  Now they all heard more movement.  Then they saw, a hand now outside engaged in pushing the huge stone aside.  The heartbeats of the followers were racing, and their faces filled with amazement.  Then one man shouted - NO! And began to run away.  Soon, all were following the man running, some almost tripping with their garments.  The man who emerged from the tomb was surprised, and wondered, were they expecting me?  Why did they run?  I am back, Drac, he coughed to get some of the dust from his throat, as he'd been asleep for a decade.  He thought, I must go hunting soon to quench my thirst before the sunrise.

This is my homage to E,C. comic books that I read as child/young teen.  They were sometimes, mere ok, but sometimes quite thought provoking.----HUGH MURRAY

Another anecdote.  It was about my first year at Tulane U. and I was in a class studying the German language.  Our professor, U. Fehlau, was discussing Goethe's Faust, the Prolog as I recall, where God and the Devis converse.  At some point, God laughs.  Fehlau then remarked, how unusual, for we never think of God laughing.  I then blurted out for all to hear, that is so we can distinguish Him from Santa Claus.  The professor began to breathe heavily, and said slowly, Mr. Murray.

In my junior year, probably around spring 1959, I entered the university oratory contest.  My title, "Look Not to Outer Space."  I discussed some recent films in which world peace was brought about either by the good advice of friendly visitors from other worlds, or earthlings united to fight hostile invaders from outer space.  My point was if we earthlings were to have peace, we would have to work for it ourselves, and not count on aid from other planets on from the heavens.  I won the gold medal.  I may have been ahead in the notty trend, which reached its crescendo during John Kennedy's 1961 inauguration, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."