A.I. War

American-Israeli?

America-Iran?

The Iran War

is for…..?

Nuclear

disarmament

and an intent

to change

the regime?

It may seem

a semantic

matter

what to call

all

this,

or is this

history

soon 

to be re-

defined?

Never mind

the stupidity

of no exit

strategy

from the 

unforeseen

tragedy

that always

unfolds

when

a no holds

barred 

approach

with constant 

reproach

is  the

brand of

diplomacy.

Over a

century,

there was

The Great

War,

then renamed

more

appropriately,

World War

One,

which the allies

against

Germany

eventually

won.

Or did we?

The second

World War

brought

the nuclear

age

after we

decimated

Hiroshima

and Nagaski.

Emboldened

and beholden

to the cause

of democracy

we deployed

troops

south

of the DMZ.

Then we chose

to bomb

Viet Nam

so that we

could be

free,

in case

you could 

see red

from

your bed

at home

instead

of in

the jungles.

All the bungles

of that war

and explanations

at the time

undermined

what Americans

saw.

International

law 

prohibited

the bombing

of Cambodia,

but for 

a paranoid

crook

who took

the oath,

Nixon

put the fix in,

but then

the truly

great Americans

forced 

his resignation

over the Watergate

investigation.

At home

and abroad

fraud

counts,

and when it

mounts,

citizens rebel.

The story

we tell

ourselves

about war

is for 

being

a good guy.

The 9/11

attacks on us

gave us 

a reasonable

mission:

defeat 

the seat

of the terrorist

threat

in Afganistan.

But soon

we 

got sidetracked

to Iraq

using artificial

intelligence.

A mushroom cloud

image

was the official

message

to rally

support

for invasion.

Iraqis would

welcome us,

we were told;

a slam dunk!

We were drunk

with fear

and Sadam

was an easier

target

than Osama.

And then

the Ayatollah,

because,

you know,

he’s evil.

It’s hard

to argue

with what

you know

is true,

but who

knows the 

rest?

We don’t.

And I’m

not sure

our Department

of War

or

Commander

in Chief,

who still

refuses

to brief

Americans

beyond

social media

posts,

knows

what to do

really.

Ideally,

a coalition 

of allies

tries

diplomacy,

but see,

he

alone,

can fix

it.

No congressional

approval,

ladies and gents,

just artificial

intelligence

at war

with who

we need

to be.

Gross Out

Blondie Bondi,

no longer

AG,

the chief attorney

of the country

(should be

for the country),

having been 

fired

just after

Kristi,

(now former

director 

of Homeland

Security),

joins the lists

of Trump

loyalists

who get

dumped

like finalists

in a contest

for the grossest.

Her handling

of the Epstein

stuff

was not enough

to satisfy

the guy

who knew

his crew

would be

screwed

if the files

were reviewed

and his lewd

persona

was displayed

alongside

his buddy-

a study

in how power

played

in a gross 

world-

became 

unfurled.

More men

were brought

down,

but the clown

at the top

will

never stop

taking,

making

the world

unsafe 

for democracy.

Who knew

there were

so many

gross

people?

Apparently,

Trump.

Takes one

to know

them all.

If the pattern

continues,

then Trump

will choose

someone 

grosser

in some way.

Jeff Sessions.

Bill Barr.

Pam Bondi.

Out 

with the gross,

in with the

grosser.

Unlike the Pharaoh

in the story

of Passover,

Trump

always lets

his people

go.

Creating crises

east

and west

Trump does

what he does

best:

conquest.

He is our

gross

national

product;

a man

whose

conduct

(or misconduct)

is gross

in every

way.

As Easter

Sunday

symbolizes 

victory

over sin

and even

death,

with the hope

of new life

and spiritual

renewal,

Trump

is a gross

reminder

of the need

to heed

the lessons

of power

and greed

and to become

more vigilant

and intelligent

about 

how to get

the gross

out of 

office 

for good.

Size Matters

Trump finally got

the biggest

crowds

ever

in US

history,

but will

it be 

enough?

The No Kings 3

demonstrations,

3000 

confirmations

of approximately

8 million

frustrations

with this administration

and demand

for democracy

to be

the rule,

not a cruel

fool,

infantile

and vile,

gauche,

louche,

driven

by money

and epic

fury,

proved 

that we

can unite

peacefully

for decency

and democracy.

A protest

alone

can’t dethrone

a would-be

king

or authoritarian

ring.

(See Tiananmen

Square, 1989).

But 

it’s a sign

nonetheless,

that 

in

nearly

every

municipality,

fearlessness

against

venality,

brutality,

criminality,

and more,

is growing.

Knowing

the size 

of the resistance

to the persistence

of this 

menace

should help 

us

flip the House

and Senate.

Let him

take credit

for ending

the war

soon.

It doesn’t

change

that he’s

still

a buffoon,

who will

soon

realize

that congress

must authorize

this “exercise”.

It’s the size 

that matters

most

to him,

whether

bright

or dim,

news

of multitudes

gets 

his attention.

Any mention 

of size

is a prize

to be had

or denied.

Regardless,

he’ll go on

attacking.

Your presence

is paramount

in order 

to dismount

this weak

yet pugnacious

anomaly.

Or is he?

Is he US?

Are we

just a  huge

country

that is obnoxious,

old,

fat,

ignorant,

and gluttonous?

Yesterday’s

No Kings Day

would suggest

otherwise,

based on

the size 

of the crowds

of those

who chose

to exercise

their

right to protest.

I hope

it’s a test

to show

that size 

matters.

Mint Condition

The only 

line

on a bill

that Trump

wants to 

sign

will fill

a tip 

jar

at the coffee

bar.

The at-once 

retro, yet

Crypto,

AI,

Social Media

guy

wants his

signature

bill

to be

a dollar.

That’s

his currency,

literally.

In a world

where

bigwigs

slip a few

to those who 

might curry

favors,

the currency

he savors,

his name,

visible,

is indivisible

from 

the most

powerful

person

“ever.”

“Never

has there

been….”

(nor 

should there

be)

another 

Donald J

Trump.

Sorry, Junior.

This latest

maneuver

by the Commander

in Chief

who neglects

to debrief,

and whose

belief

in distraction

as a course

of action,

wants 

to fulfill

his identity

with the dollar

bill.

The old guy

loves to try

to resurrect

what will

surely

die

as we become

conditioned

to digital

currency

and each

emergency

that makes

fossil fuel

less cool

or necessary.

We want

a breath

of fresh

air—

environmentally

and presidentially.

Only he

would say

that he’s

in Mint Condition.

Cesar Dressing

Many 

a school

and boulevard

is named

for the man

whose

reputation’s

now marred

by the revelations

in the NYT

investigations

into

sexual abuse

by the Latino

and Farm Workers

Union hero,

Cesar Chavez.

Dolores Huerta

the “abuela” 

of the same

movement,

chose silence

about being

raped by him

and his abuse

of girls

and other

women,

for the sake 

of the Farm 

Workers

Union

and Latino

rights.

Now 

at almost

96,

her admission

could help

fix

the trap

of hero

worship.

Leadership

is an ego

trip,

but the script

must be 

flipped

more immediately.

The fear 

and shame 

shouldn’t be

for the victims

of abuse,

but for those

who confuse

title

with entitlement.

Victims

of Chavez

were as young

as 9,

and Ms. Huerta,

whom he twice

raped

at the time,

each time

resulting

in children,

was so 

committed to

her work

with the UFW,

and the rights

of farm workers

and Latinos,

that she chose

silence

for what she

believed

was a greater

good;

but also

for what she

believed

she could

do.

In many ways

our culture

is now more

aware

of the reality

of the pervasiveness

of sexual

abuse.

But many

refuse

to accept

the concept

that women

and children

are actually

not objects.

Even other

humanitarian

projects

carve out

sex

as somehow

irrelevant.

The recent

revelations

show Chavez

was malevolent –

not just

the macho

hero.

And now

bro

culture-

the manosphere-

does appear

to embrace

misogyny.

Accountability

for irresponsibility

much less,

abuse,

finds

an excuse

among

the obtuse

and those

who have

something

to lose.

Of course,

everyone

has something

to lose,

and to choose

to ignore

abuse,

or deviance,

for the convenience

of political

expedience

is itself

an abdication

of responsibility.

Sure,

we give females

our blessing

and yet

insinuate

that dressing

a certain

way

causes

inappropriate

behavior

by invitation.

Only

such a notion

removes

responsibility

for action

and gives

agency

to spaghetti

straps

and mini

skirts.

It hurts

my heart

to learn

this news,

not for Chavez,

but for

Huerta.

She had

to endure

for 

sixty

years

for fears

of “greater”

pain.

But the greater

stain

will be 

on

all of us

who let

injustice

remain.

The Shows Tell

“One Battle

After

Another”

and

“Sinners”,

both

Oscar

winners,

neither

of which

excited me,

still 

invited me

to cheer

the resistance

to the various

nefarious

forces

that resurface

to undermine

from time 

to time.

That Hollywood

would

create

a spate

of movies,

and include

a Brazilian ,

after a million

and one

heinous

acts had

been done

by the current

administration,

is validation

that all

is not lost,

though the cost

increases

daily.

Movies

reflect

and inspire,

which

is why

the vampire

genre

won’t die.

White nationalism

and supremacism,

dystopian

and historic,

with the allegoric

vampire

never dying,

always

vying

to take 

over,

lives

among us

forever.

One battle

after

another

describes

reality,

not just

the movie.

It feels 

like only

recently

the tragedy

of the strategy

of evil

and chaos

would be

possible.

We thought

we won

after WW2.

Humanity

was saved

and would

inevitably

evolve.

But humiliation

and fear

always

reappear

in the form

of aggression

and oppression.

We relaxed

and became

too confident,

never imagining

a modern president

like this one.

Hollywood

has finally

begun

to confront

white nationalism

and supremacy

as democracy

and the world

are now

in peril.

Interestingly,

the supremely

talented

Timothée 

Chalamet,

(who knows

a thing or two

about ballet),

was denied

his Marty

Supreme

Oscar

dream,

perhaps 

because

the theme

was 

him

being

a jerk.

It would

appear

the good 

guys

won

in Hollywood

this year.

In the face

of fear,

it’s clear

that the

real sinners

will reappear

to fight

one battle 

after another.

Everybody

A year ago

my second toe,

and first,

and third,

required

corrective

surgery.

Recovery

would be

slow

to show,

but now

the issue

is scar

tissue.

Meanwhile,

a terribly

difficult

infection

causing

inflammation

in a finger

to throb

and linger

has meant

that treatment

for another

ailment

is contingent

upon

what’s going

on

elsewhere.

And now

my problematic

hips and hamstrings,

additional

chronic

disablings,

can no longer

be ignored.

For all my

recovery talk,

one year later,

I can barely

walk;

an issue,

like my first toe,

started aching

decades ago.

I confess

my anatomical

mess,

less 

to complain

than to sustain

attention

on our duties

civic

to impact

our pathetic

body politic.

See what

I did there?

Compare

my shoddy

body

(and the ailments

I mention,

like 

you may

have,

are only some)

with the problem

of our politics.

As you 

well know,

pain sticks

when what

needs to be

fixed

isn’t.

Like 

an autoimmune

condition,

fighting

itself

into 

submission,

we’re in

a prolonged

flare.

There are

remedies

for various

maladies,

but much

effort

is required.

Mired

in pain

and war

is sure

to make

recovery

slow going.

But knowing

we still

have capacity

and muscle

memory

for democracy,

means

exercising

appropriately,

regularly.

Offerings

like 

No Kings

rallies

may seem

useless

against

our maladies,

but I believe

participation

is the medication

needed.

Support

candidates

beyond

your community

in order to 

strengthen

congressional

immunity

against

the MAGA

virus

inundating

us.

Donate,

show up,

email,

call….

do it all!

The process

of healing

requires

dealing

with building

strength;

a process

of length

and endeavor.

Nothing’s

forever,

but our injuries

may need

surgeries,

and certainly

therapies,

in order 

to facilitate

recovery.

Ultimately,

it’s up

to us

to do 

more 

than discuss

our disgust.

Democracy

is of,

by,

and for,

and therefore

requires

everybody.

Legacy Box

Like in 

a coffin,

we often

try to contain

what will remain

after us,

thus

drafting

and crafting

some image; 

some visage

for lineage

or heritage.

A life 

of importance;

of consequence.

In a sense,

we try

to ensure

that our death

will be more

than 

the end.

No one

is more

concerned

about having

earned

a place

in history

than 

the man

of Epic 

Fury.

Bored 

of peace,

the increase

of aggression

may be his

concession

to a time limit.

Does this war

inhibit?

Prohibit?

Or merely

exhibit

epic

destruction

without

reconstruction

because

we pretend

that’s on

them,

and you’re

welcome.

When Trump

feels boxed

in,

he claims

a win

with

notorious

epic fury.

Who needs 

diplomacy

or policy

when hostility

poses

for expediency?

The decency

of Americans

showed sympathy

for Iranians

who suffered

and died

after 

they tried 

to protest

their government’s

oppression.

The succession

of oppression

is a common

outcome

from

dictatorships.

The second

Assad

was worse

than the first.

And Kim Jung Ił

was still

not as bad 

as his son,

Kim Jung Un.

The legacy

of war

should abhor,

for

more than

a minute.

We enter

militarily

often

from lies

under the guise

that it’s

wise

to avert

iminent

threat,

yet,

we’re met

with the suprise

of hatred

for generations.

Subverting

diplomacy

and democratic

process,

to me inhibits

any success,

and Trump’s

legacy

of travesty

is tragedy

even if

military

victory

killed

the Ayatollah.

Is It Just War?

During Obama’s

presidency

Navy Seals found

Osama’s

residency

and eliminated

the threat.

Met 

with praise

and celebration,

we considered

Al Quaeda’s

decapitation

a major victory.

But our history

with Iran,

especially since

the Shah

was gone

(and given

safe haven

here),

has been 

of humiliation

with 

the hostage

situation

that commenced

with the repressive

revolution,

that sought

the dissolution

of freedom

and western

constitution,

now decades

of our 

seeking

a solution

to their

nuclear

threat

and oppression.

In addition,

more than one

proxy militia,

including

the Houthis

and Hezbollah,

directed by

the Ayatollah,

have menaced

the middle

east

and beyond

for decades.

Recently,

the potential

nuclear threat

was met

with surgical 

strikes,

diminishing their

capability.

But suddenly,

that threat

was imminent

if you listen to

our current President.

So in coordination

with Israel,

we attacked

Iran

at its most

central

and

therefore

consequential

spot,

and killed

the Ayatollah.

Who knows

what follows?

And that’s 

the part

that should be

the start

of any

discussion

of war.

Is it just

an exercise

to exorcise

a demon?

Without advice

or consent

from Congress,

we could be 

in a considerable

mess

again.

No question,

when

we get

the bad guys—

Osama,

Sadam,

Qaddafi,

Khamenei-

it’s easy

to rejoice.

But the choice

for 

war

is always

more

than 

assassination.

By definition,

war is hell,

and yet 

we tell

ourselves

it’s glory.

It’s gory,

and a country’s

past

is not erased.

We have faced

this dilemma

many times,

yet despite

history’s 

rhymes

and war crimes,

we haven’t

grappled 

much with

nuance.

Is it a 

just

war?

Or 

is it just

regime change

in exchange

for more

of the same,

while Trump

gets his name

attached

to a win?

I’m feeling 

queasy

that this won’t

be easy,

and really,

it might

not

be.

We should

discuss

and debate

the fate

of each 

nation-state

with great

consideration.

That was

the idea

in our constitution,

because

a single

individual

should not

be responsible

for putting

our service members’

lives 

or ours

in danger.

Miracle on ICE?

To address

the state

of the union

is to confess

….

wait…

nevermind….

is to profess

success

and redress

how to oppress

and exacerbate

a mess

unnecessarily

created.

Ever the ham

in front of

a cam

who will

hock

anything

he can,

and lie,

deny,

defy,

well,

you know

the guy.

He always

skates by,

and continues

to fly 

by the seat

of his

ginormous pants.

As we’re

whacked

around

with such

incredible speed,

indeed

the analogy

for this

current

pathology

is,

appropriately,

Ice Hockey.

The irony

(or maybe

not)

is the import

of the sport

in The Olympics.

It once 

defined

our win

against

The Soviet

Union

and Communism,

and this year,

both men

and women

brought home

the gold

for US.

Dominating

the ice

(wouldn’t

that

be nice!),

with speed

and tenacity

to upend

the capacity

of the opposition,

is always

the goal.

And whose

soul

has been sold

when Kash

Patel

will tell

the media

that his trip

to the Olympics

was indeed a

part of his

job description?

The Women’s

US Hockey

Team

politely

declined

the invitation

for the State

of the Union

speechification,

while the Men’s

Team 

was awarded

the Medal

of Freedom.

Are athletics

the metrics

of freedom?

(Not for women!)

And FYI,

Trump didn’t 

deny

as he joked,

that if he didn’t

invite the women’s

team,

which also beat

Team Canada

in overtime

for gold,

“I do believe

I probably

would be 

impeached.”

Oh,

the heights

we’ve reached

in our current

state

of the union.