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Magdeburg, Germany

I shouldn’t touch this one with a ten-foot pole but when has that stopped me?

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King

A man drove into a crowd at a Christmas market on Friday evening killing at least five people including a 9-year-old child and injuring over 200 others. It was a horrific incident.

The driver in question is a 50-year-old Saudi national living and working as a doctor for nearly 20 years in Germany. He is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. The man also has Islamophobic views and so doesn’t fit your normal profile of a terrorist. No motive has been established yet.

Yet, that hasn’t stopped Germany’s far-right from mobilizing and screaming, “Wake Up Germany!” This was a slogan used by Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler and its usage is a punishable offense in Germany.

Talib A, the perpetrator and driver of the car caused a tragedy of massive proportions but let’s not tar and feather all immigrants as, ‘terrorists,’ ‘criminals,’ and ‘low lifes.’

Let’s take a hard look at Germany’s extreme right. The irony is not lost here. The same groups who promote violence, terror and hate are the same ones marching against violence because in this instance it was caused by a foreign naitonal. The mantra of these groups is “HATE” and “VIOLENCE” is their hand-grenade.

Racist attacks have increased against migrants in the wake of the deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg to the point that it has become a hostile and threatening environment for migrants living there. There has been a significant rise in attacks against foreigners who are seen as “looking different” according to these individuals and they have a target placed on their backs. You may think that this is a recent event because of the deadly incident but it has been ongoing. They (the extremists) look for any excuse to promote violence against foreigners. The extreme-right and neo-Nazi parties are demanding the mass deportation of migrants from the country. Sounds familiar America? The cry is, “Deport! Deport! Deport!”

Here’s the question. Where do you send these “hate mongers?” These perpetrators of hate, violence and even death in some cases. Their brand of violence will never stop because they are blinded by hate and that’s the kind you should worry about. Remember, Adolf Hitler, the most hated man on the planet and the hate and destruction he unleased which in turn killed around six million Jewish people? It was mass murder on an unprecedented scale. Let’s not go down that road again.

It’s time to look at violence and terror from a broad scale. Let’s LOOK at everyone who causes ‘terror’ and not just at the Islamic world. Terror is terror, it doesn’t matter who causes it but it needs to be stopped otherwise we’ll have more innocent lives lost. Working on that solution should be the main focus. PERIOD!

Have an amazing day.

Grandpa Can’t Dance!

At a town hall meeting in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Donald J. Trump decided to cut it short, said to hell with the questions and decided spontaneously to do it the Trump way. He asked his supporters to stay calm and to listen to some of his favorite songs from a rally playlist.

During that meeting, Orange Jesus decided that it would be safer for him not to answer any more questions because the man has no plan only a concept of a plan. So after two medical emergencies which caused interruptions, Grandpa Trump decided to turn it into a “music fest.” He wanted to show everyone there that he was a fun-loving guy and tried to boogie with the best of them but unfortunately the dance moves looked a little constipated and he came off looking like the fool that he is.

His favorite song seemed to be the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A,” as his tan gone wrong face broke into a smile and he did a couple of hand movements as he jived along. It was only 30 minutes into the meeting when the former President decided to make a detour, one of no significance BUT for the time spent answering five questions in total and aiming attacks against VP Kamala Harris. There was no getting him back to the question and answer session because he had decided he wanted a dance party and Orange Jesus always gets what he wants and if doesn’t he would instigate a riot to get it.

After the two medical emergencies, he said, “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Let’s make it into a music…..Who the hell wants to hear questions, right? ” Perhaps the unprecedented move suggested that he had everything in the bag and he was now looking at a clear win and an untethered path to the White House and questions were an absolute waste of time as far as he was concerned.

There were several songs played that night but “YMCA” made the man grin. I think the recurrent theme of “Young man” in the song made him feel young again. Biden is out of the race now so that makes Trump the oldest Presidential Nominee in U.S. history. Trump’s septuagenarian status does come into play, dance party or not!

The town hall meeting was bizarre to say the least but more than that, “not quite all there” comes to mind. If you ask me, the man is not only off his rocker but he belongs in it!

There is over three weeks to go until Election Day 2024. Let’s hope Orange Jesus never makes it to the White House again, ruse or not. Fingers and toes crossed!

The Company You Keep

“When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.” Japanese Proverb

Donald J. Trump loves the strong men type, more specifically the dictator types and that is a well-known fact. The man who once called Neo-Nazis and the like “fine people on both sides,” is not shy about his approval for autocratic dictators.

However, his latest obsession with Laura Loomer, hard-right conspiracy theorist and travel buddy has definitely raised more than a few eyebrows.

The 31-year-old who is known for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and for spreading conspiracy theories one of which is that illegal immigrants from Haiti are eating domestic pets in a small Ohio city which has caused quite a stir. This baseless claim was later regurgitated by Trump on the debate stage between him and Harris.

If that wasn’t enough, Ms. Loomer took it upon herself to come out of the closet as far as her “racist” self is concerned. How better to do it than to bring race into the playbook and she is no novice as far as that is concerned. This time, she went gunning for Kamala Harris by posting, “The White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be facilitated via a call centre” if she wins the November presidential election. Typical racist insult which comes from the underbelly of racist propaganda. Instead of shutting it down, Trump had this to say:

“I don’t control Laura. She’s a free spirit. She’s strong and has strong opinions, but that’s not up to me.” There’s that word again. “Strong” seems to get his attention if you know what I mean. It also seems to get his juices flowing and he refuses to cut ties with her.

Laura Loomer is an outspoken advocate of all things racist. This far-right activist and provocateur is known for pushing the boundaries of what is not acceptable and her views are rooted in extreme idealogy and conspiracy theories.

According to Loomer, 9/11 was an “inside job.” She calls herself a “proud Islamophobe.” She has posted derogatory comments about Muslim immigrants and stoked the fires of fear and division. She has been banned from major social media platforms including Twitter (X), Facebook and Instagram because of hate speech and inflammatory propaganda. However, Elon Musk has reinstated her account which says a lot doesn’t it?

COVID-19, according to Loomer, was a “scam,” and that it was aligned with broader government controls. There’s plenty more of such rhetoric but you get the picture.

If you want to know the true character of a man, watch who he praises and keeps company with and it will take you to the heart of the matter. Trump is a wanna be dictator and rubbing shoulders with similar people who do the “speaking” for him is his agenda. If you want to know the true character of the man, look no further than the company he keeps!

Joyful Warriors vs. The Weird Duo

Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz say they are, “Joyful Warriors,” compared to Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance whose campaign smirks of loom, doom and gloom.

According to Harris, they are looking at a future filled with optimism unlike Trump who she accused of being stuck in the past and preferring a confrontational style of politics and folks that is putting it mildly! Furthermore, she added that, “Someone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again have the chance to sit behind the seal of the United States.”

Tim Walz is upbeat, energetic and has a perpetual smile plastered on his face and he is the symbol of joy itself. Add Kamala’s raucous laughter and her message of unity, community and working together and you’ve got a winning ticket. Walz coined the term, “weird” to describe Vance and it has taken hold in more ways than one. He also had some choice words to say about Trump saying the former president “mocks our laws, he sows chaos and division amongst the people and that’s to say nothing of the job he did as president.” A takedown like no other!

The two waltzed their way through the swing states, with glee, with humor and a positive message. Walz bowed, he waved, he grinned, he laughed and if he could have, he would have danced the night away. When it came to his turn to speak, he turned to Harris and said, “Thank you, Madam Vice-President, for the trust you put in me but maybe more so, thank you for bringing back the joy.” A breath of fresh air no less!

Donald Trump was looking at a sure second win just weeks ago but when Biden ended his bid for re-election, and handed the reins to his VP, the Democrats were back in command again. Harris nailed it when she asked this question. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, of compassion, of rule of law? Or a country of chaos, fear and hate?” This was followed by the cry, “We’re not going back.” That was the nail in the coffin. Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers said, Americans are faced with “which side are you on’ moment” and he went on to say, he was siding with the “badass woman who stood with us on the picket line.”

Badass, she definitely is. More than that, if elected she would be the first female president and don’t let that loud, raucous laughter fool you. She raised $36 million in the first 24 hours after naming Walz as her running mate and that is a record haul. Just as her no-nonsense reply to her protesters, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.” Trump, on the other hand, was experimenting with more nicknames saying, “We’re going to evict crazy Kamala.” Harris is a giant compared to petty, name-calling, size mongering, temper-tantrum throwing Trump. If all he has to offer is just insults and who can hit better below the belt then the man doesn’t stand a chance!

Kamala Harris, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey

“My daily challenge to myself is to be part of the solution, to be a joyful warrior in the battle to come. My challenge to you is to join that effort. To stand up for our ideals and our values. Let’s not throw up our hands when it’s time to roll up our sleeves. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Years from now, our children and our grandchildren will look up and lock eyes with us. They will ask us where we were when the stakes were so high. They will ask us what it was like. I don’t want us to just tell them how we felt. I want us to tell them what we did.”

Insults Galore

Biden has dropped out and he has endorsed his VP Kamala Harris to run in his place. The Clintons have endorsed her saying that, “America’s future depends on it.” Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have also endorsed her saying, “Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.” Those are nice words compared to what is coming out of the Republican camp.

It is a gloves off and let’s roll in the mud mentality combined with an all out assault. Nothing new here but is Trump running scared? Looks like it, doesn’t it? “She’s the same as Biden but much more radical. She’s a radical left person and this country doesn’t want a radical left person to destroy it.” The former President went on to add, “If she becomes president, Kamala Harria will make the invasion exponentially worse, and just like she did with San Francisco, just like she did with the border, our whole country will be permanently destroyed.” Can he go any lower? Oh yes, he can! “I call her Laffin’ Kamala. You ever watch her laugh? She’s crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. She’s crazy. She’s nuts.” Hmm…..takes one to know one uh? I guess her laugh is better than your constipated orange laugh which makes you look like a turtle at times!

Rightwing podcaster, Megyn Kelly threw this out. “She actually did sleep her way into and upwards in California politics and most women (and men) may learn that and see it for what it is: evidence of an unqualified political aspirant getting ahead based on smthy other than merit.” Really Megyn? You do have a smug way about you but your comment or rather insult just goes to show how low on the totem pole you can go. Perhaps that’s why you’re doing a podcast and nothing more.

Harris is smart. She is the first Black woman to be elected District Attorney, the first woman to be California’s attorney general, the first Indian American senator and the first Asian American VP. She is a trailblazer and a prosecutor to boot. She also has a degree in political science and economics and the lady has chutzpah and if that’s not enough, she is all of 59-years-old. She could and would run circles around the former 78-year-old president. He wouldn’t know what hit him except that he got trounced and to the bone.

If you’re wondering about the insults, the hot, heavy and nasty ones, it’s because as Socrates said, “When the debate is lost, insults become the loser’s tools.” It will be Trump’s turn to feel the heat as he faces off with Harris on that debate stage knowing full-well that nothing, not insults galore, not steroids or whatever he is on will be enough to put her in her place and I guarantee he’ll be shaking in his boots or whatever he is wearing. Laffen’ Kamala will be a formidable opponent and that folks is the honest truth.

The Manchester Uproar

Derek Michael Chavin, a former police officer, murdered George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020 by kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes while Floyd kept calling out, “I can’t breath,” and slowly snuffed out his life. During his tenure as a police officer, Chavin had 18 complaints against him and was involved in three police shootings and he had received two letters of reprimand for misconduct.

On April 20, 2021, he was convicted on all charges and was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison. He is just one of many officers involved in the killing of black males and for using excessive force while serving as a police officer. Police officers have always marched to a different drumbeat it seems, that of carrying a gun and a badge but when it comes to paying for their indiscretions, murder no less, they are untouchable or they walk off with a slight reprimand and are free to carry on as if nothing had happened while their victims lay six feet under, their voices silenced forever. Since 2015, police officers have shot at least 135 unarmed black men and women nationwide. At least 75% of the officers involved in the shootings were white. Excessive force and overkill was and is the name of the game. Willie McCoy, a black rapper, was sleeping in his silver Mercedes CLS500 outside a Taco Bell minding his own business when officers, six of them arrived and within minutes they had fired 55 shots in 3.5 seconds killing him. They put it down to “imminent danger,” and self-defense” would be the other and most often used excuse for the killing of unarmed black men.

Fast forward to what happened across the pond in Manchester, UK. A video has gone viral showing a police officer of the Greater Manchester Police kicking and stomping on a man’s head while he lay motionless on the ground. An older woman is seen trying to protect the young man on the ground. The uproar around this situation brings back shades of what happened in the US and the protests that ensued after the killing of black males in the US. As usual everyone especially the police are scrambling to come up with legitimate excuses for use of such excessive force BUT the video speaks for itself. The man has a cyst on his brain according to CT scans and his condition has worsened. Whatever happened before the attack by the police officer has nothing to do with this excessive use of force. The man on the ground was unarmed, motionless and no threat to any of the officers involved. Did racism play a part in this horrific and over-excessive use of force? Definitely.

According to a University of Birmingham report, “Police violence is not just a problem in the United States – it’s a reality in the UK, and at its core is “warrior culture among police officers. Warrior culture is defined as, “police officers defaulting to violence and aggression when conflicts arise.” It is, “largely characterized by aggression, machoism, intolerance, bias, suspicion, and detachment from policed communities,” which creates a ‘us versus them’ mentality. Furthermore, “policing research over many decades has consistently found that misogyny and racism persist in UK street policing culture.

The uproar is justified, the outrage more so. The officer or rather officers involved in this incident should lose their licence to practice or rather their badges should be taken away from them. They do not belong in a police force that is supposed to be out there to protect and to treat every individual equally and they certainly should not be condoned to go out and unleash the brutality they did. Having a badge and a baton does not give you the right to act with no principles and with such aggression. Shame on you!

Apple River Stabbings

Nicolae Miu, a 51-year-old mechanical engineer from Prior Lake is accused of killing 17-year-old Isaac Schuman and stabbing four of his friends, Rhyley Mattison, A.J. Martin, Dante Carlson and Tony Carlson. The victims were between the ages of 17 to 24 years of age. He says it was self-defense and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The incident took place at the Apple River in Wisconsin on September 2022. State prosecutor, Karl Anderson, calls the deadly attack, “senseless and horrific.” According to Anderson, “All Nicolae had to do was walk away. He eventually did walk away, but not after stabbing five people.”

What started out as a fun day on the river for the teens ended in tragedy when they came into contact with Nicolae. Words were exchanged and when a group of adult tubers intervened things escalated. In a video shot, Nicolae is shown holding a knife in his hand. He was wearing bathing trunks so how did he manage to hide the knife and why carry a weapon? Within a span of 25 seconds, he had killed one person and stabbed four others.

Defense attorney, Aaron Nelson is saying that Miu stabbed the tubers in self-defense because he feared for his life. The defendant who is of Romanian descent immigrated to the U.S. as a teen and has been described as an “intelligent” and “peaceful” man. He had also undergone a quadruple bypass surgery two years before the deadly incident.

The teens are being described as unruly and drunk and had been “smoking stuff.” Isaac Schuman’s autopsy revealed he had a blood alcohol level of .219. They are also being accused of heckling and humiliating Miu calling him a raper and a pedophile and that “he was looking for little girls.” Video footage of the incident does show the teens circling Miu and pushing him into the water but there was no other weapon in sight except for the one in the defendant’s hand. This is a hard one folks.

If convicted, Miu is facing a life sentence in prison but than again he did take the life of a 17-year-old not to mention the tremendous psychological trauma he caused the surviving teens. This was clear to see as we watched each of them take the stand only to break down in tears at the memory of what had taken place and over the loss of their friend. Self-defense has often been used in cases where the victim had no weapon and the aggressor was the only one who had the ability to cause damage and in this case he did. Will this defense fly? Will he walk? Remember, he had the choice to walk away but didn’t. He was the adult in this situation but he chose to stay and showed his anger to a group of teens who didn’t know any better. You’ve heard the saying, “Children will be children?” Well in this case, teens will be teens but it still means the same thing. They are noisy and when in a group boisterous and do things that they wouldn’t do if by themselves. Miu should have walked away BUT he didn’t.

Trial is continuing.

Trump’s Legal Woes

Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

According to David A. Graham of The Atlantic, “merely keeping track of the many cases against Donald Trump requires a great deal of attention, or both.” I say it’s going to take all of that and more to keep an eye on the 91 felony counts spread out across two state courts and two different federal districts that Mr. Trump is facing not to mention the civil lawsuits.

The 77-year-old is the first former president in US history to be criminally charged and that hasn’t been held against him so far. He seems to be doing fine and well as he makes his way to meet up with Joe Biden in November.

Let’s look at four of the upcoming cases that could spell trouble for Mr. Trump.

A payment of $130,000 was made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep the affair quiet, hush money so to speak. Trump, however, is denying he even had sex with her but I guess that’s what cheaters do. That aside, the former president is accused of falsifying his business records and saying that the expense was for legal fees. He’s facing a whopping 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws.

Trial is scheduled for 15 April.

Next in line is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case on whether Trump illegally conspired to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden. We know he did but that’s besides the point. He’s been charged with four criminal counts which includes conspiracy to defraud the US and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.

Trial has been postponed until the Supreme Court decides if a former president should be prosecuted like any other citizen. Justices will hear the case on 25 April and make a decision by June. I think this one will be in his favor.

The next one is a huge racketeering investigation led by none other than Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis and she had this to say about the upcoming trial. “I do think that there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming.” Trump and 18 other defendants are accused of conspiring to overturn his narrow defeat in the State of Georgia 2020 election.

Trial is set to take place at the beginning of August but a date has not been set yet.

The Mar-a-Lago documents case is next. It focuses on whether Mr Trump mishandled classified documents by moving documents from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence. Most of the counts are for the willful retention of national defence information, which incidentally falls under the Espionage Act.

Prosecutors want the trial to start in July but Trump and his lawyers want to put it off till after the presidential election.

There you have it. The former president and the current Republican nominee is facing an explosive amount of legal battles that could derail his run for the presidency, however, as I have said before “Orange Jesus” is like a cat with nine lives. If you ask me, he’s going to walk away with a light tap on his fingers, a cat that swallowed the cream smile plastered on his orange face and a HUGE click of his heels as he goes on his merry way only to create more havoc in the near future.

A Nightmare in the Making

A nightmare is defined as “a very unpleasant or frightening experience or prospect.”

And the nightmare is getting real! Donald J. Trump has won South Carolina’s Republican primary beating Nikki Haley in her home state and it seems that a rematch between Trump and Joe Biden is inevitable. Trump for his part took the stage and declared, “You can celebrate for about 15 minutes but then we have to get back to work.”

“Orange Jesus” is a nightmare in the making and it seems that it will go on for quite sometime from the look of things. Mr. Trump seems to have an iron grip on the Republican Party not to mention his supporters and if that’s good or bad is besides the point. The fact is the man has 91 felony counts against him, add to that his incoherent babbling which makes you want to grit your teeth and the role he played in inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol should be enough to stop him in his tracks but he is moving at high velocity towards to the White House and this should scare the bejesus out of anyone but only in America folks. He is looming large and hissing at the fringes and still there is no end in sight and that is scary to say the least.

The man with the unruly hair, the copious orange tan and with his stupidity in tow is heading into Super Tuesday on March 5 with the confidence of a bull in a China shop as if he has already won the race. If he loses, he will throw his temper tantrum, cry foul and maybe even demand a recount. He’s the same 5-year-old in a grown man’s body. Nothing has changed there. When he doesn’t get his way, he will stick his thumb in his mouth, stand on his head and scream bloody murder for all to hear.

Ron Kaufman, a Republican presidential strategist had this to say:

“There isn’t anyone who doesn’t perceive Trump as being the nominee, including Nikki Haley. Whether you like it or don’t like it, everyone understands he is the perceived nominee.”

That right there ladies and gentlemen is the stuff nightmares are made of!

“They said all dreams come true, they forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams too.” Unknown

DA Fani Willis Dilemma

Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis brought her indictment charges against former President Trump and it went like this:

“Defendant Donald John Trump lost the United States presidential election held on November 3, 2020. One of the states he lost was Georgia. Trump and the other Defendants charged in this indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.” Furthermore, “That conspiracy contained a common plan and purpose to commit two or more acts of racketeering activity in Fulton County, Georgia, elsewhere in the State of Georgia, and in other states.”

The 41-count indictment involved Trump and 18 others which included such big names as Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, Jeffrey Clark and John Eastman. The indictment also charges Trump and his co-conspirators with conspiring to commit election fraud. The crux of the matter lies on two presumptions. First, the indictment rests on state law charges which means Trump can do little little to derail it even if he were to return to the White House because clemency power does not extend to state offences.

Secondly, if the trial is televised and it probably will be because Georgia law allows cameras in the courtroom, citizen Trump will be front and center and on full display. This might not be to his advantage as “Orange Jesus” is known for opening his mouth and inserting his foot in it.

It was looking like a slam dunk case for all purposes if it wasn’t for Fani Willis doing the unthinkable. She is accused of having a romantic relationship with special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, a member of her team which brings about ethical misconduct on her part and may be enough to derail the case and have her removed from the State’s election interference case. Trump and his allies, co-defendants, are claiming that the relationship is a conflict of interest and Willis should be removed from the case and that the case is also politically motivated.

If that isn’t a right royal mess for Ms. Willis, her combative nature on the witness stand and her bombastic testimony with her screaming, “I’m not on trial here!” got our attention, that along with, “When I travel, I always pay cash,” testimony. There were almost no receipts to show for money changing hands and that in itself is a dilemma my lady.

Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney had this to say:

“Fani Willis made a terrible decision to date Nathan Wade, and that may bring ethics issues for her, but her testimony dispelled any kickback scheme that would disqualify her. Nothing about this effects the fair trial right of Trump and co-defendants.”

However, Doug Weinstein, a Georgia lawyer wrote, “I respect her and her office, and putting the Trump trial at risk in this fashion, even if she did nothing wrong, demonstrates poor judgement.”

It seems Ms. Willis has got herself in a pickle this time, perhaps she should take this phrase to heart, “Never eat where you sh**,” and things might just work out better for her the next time around.