The Cowardly Racist

I have been doing a lot of reading lately, and a book that I highly recommend, especially to Americans who deny their country's innate racism,  is The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson. The book tells the history of the migration of over six million Blacks from the Jim Crow south that took place from WW1 to 1970. While revolving primarily around three people, whose stories she renders in heartfelt detail, it is a stark reminder of the terrible prejudice, injustices, abuses and murders Black people have faced for so many years, realities that did not end with their emancipation.

All of which brings me to state the obvious: Donald Trump is a blatant, unapologetic racist who uses his Executive bully box to cultivate and inflame, not heal, the deep divisions within his country. The latest of many instances of Trump's vile nature is perhaps one of his most shocking - the depiction of the Obamas as apes. It is a depiction for which, typical of his cowardly nature, he offers no apology, 

Donald Trump said on Friday evening, after a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes had been posted to his social media account and then deleted, that he had directed aides to post the offensive video but that he hadn’t seen that portion of the clip and he refused to apologize for it.

The clip appeared during one of the 79-year-old US president’s increasingly frequent late-night posting sprees to his Truth Social account, and shows the laughing faces of the former president and first lady superimposed on the bodies of primates in a jungle setting, bobbing to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Trump accepts no responsibility for this loud dog whistle sure to appeal to his MAGAT followers..

Although the White House initially defended the video in a statement from the press secretary, the video was later deleted and reporters were told that it had been posted, without the president’s knowledge, by an aide.

What led to the deletion? Apparently, a rare instance of a few Republicans showing a soupcon of spine as they joined with Democrats to condemn the deeply offensive post.

Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator, the only Black Republican in the US Senate and a former contender for the party’s presidential nomination , posted on X: “Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”

Earlier, Mike Lawler, the Republican congressman from New York, had posted: “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive – whether intentional or a mistake – and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”

That spine was notably absent from Senate and Congressional leadership, however.

Neither of the top two Republicans in Congress, Thune and Mike Johnson, the House speaker, offered comment, prompting Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and the Senate minority leader, to post on X: “Racist. Vile. Abhorrent. This is dangerous and degrades our country – where are Senate Republicans?

In the Wizard of Oz, the cowardly lion finally found his courage. In this reality, however, neither the cowardly Trump nor his most ardent supporters have any desire to find theirs. 

 

 

 

 

Can We Show Some Spine?

The images emanating from the U.S. are something most of us never thought we would see. Masked government gunmen in the streets, tearing people out of their vehicles, demanding to see their papers, using battering rams to enter homes, and murdering people protesting their fascist ways. Such scenes must challenge even the most experienced denialist.

As a nation, we do not fall into that latter category, and yet there is a conspicuous absence of condemnation, even 'diplomatic' censure, from our government. While I realize it is always a fraught experience to deal with a fascist madman, surely it is time for our political representatives to show some spine.

That is indeed the opinion of Manitoba's premiere, Wab Kinew, one he expressed during the first ministers meeting last week.

Kinew says when he talks to his fellow Manitobans, they tell him how disturbed they are to watch the scenes from Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, which has resulted in two deaths and rolling, often violent confrontations between citizens and agents for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

“I felt compelled at the table, just given how much I’ve heard about this from Manitobans,” Kinew told reporters after the meeting ended.

Kinew said he has called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and asked what he can do to help. Walz and other people in the midst of the turmoil have told Kinew they want people — yes, Canadians — to speak out against what they’re witnessing.

The premier is on side with that request and is hoping other political leaders are too.

Unfortunately, silence seems to be the strategy of most of the political class. 

... neither Mark Carney nor the other premiers made any statements about Minnesota. Kinew, who understands that they have to present a careful, united front in the face of Trump, especially with regard to trade, nonetheless hinted at some regret for the silence.

Kinew realizes what is at stake, especially with the CUSMA review pending, but he seems to have a moral clarity others are lacking. 

... we also have to call a spade a spade. We also have to look clearly into some things that are happening right next to us that are very unjust, and be able to say that we are going to continue being a voice of moral clarity that’s important for us as Canadians, so that we can hold our head high no matter what happens in our trade relationships with other countries.”

Heather McPherson, currently running for the leadership of the federal NDP, is also very concerned.

She wrote a letter to Carney this week, calling for sanctions on any Canadian connections to ICE, whether that is business or government, and the closure of ICE offices in this country. The ICE website lists five of them here: in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

“What Canadians are seeing south of the border, in Minnesota and beyond, is terrifying. The Trump administration’s abuses have no limits,” McPherson wrote in her letter. 

Now the pragmatist will say, "Keep your head down and carry on." Indeed, Trump has instilled deep fear in much of the world owing to his unhinged and brutal assault on what we once considered collective values. But perhaps the timid should keep in mind one basic fact: our traditional behaviour of creeping quietly around the elephant is no longer a viable strategy. With the mad king, one thing or another will always arouse his baleful, idish impulses. Confronting those impulses in a united way, as Europe did in his mad quest for Greenland, may be the only way to ultimately survive him.  

 

Amerika's Terrible Trajectory

We are away right now, having escaped the terrible weather currently pummeling Ontario. The internet is not working well here, so I don't think my graphic will appear, but you can see all of the relevant images here, part of a disturbing story about ICE.

y now, you will have heard of ICE's latest killing this one 37-year-old Alex Pretti. That it was murder there can be little doubt. A CBC article sheds light on why this lawlessness of law enforcement is taking place. In a word, it is who ICE is recruiting. It is all in the language and imagery being used, all of which appeal to the far-right supremacists that infect Amerika.

"I would describe it as oddly very familiar as someone who has been looking at the white nationalist and neo-Nazi movement for nearly a decade now," said Hannah Gais, a senior research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a non-profit that monitors right-wing extremism. 

"It's disturbing to see that coming from a government agency."

On Aug 11, 2025, ICE posted an image on its socials of Uncle Sam at a crossroads. It included the tag line "Which way, American man?" [Please see above link]

...  the phrase itself is taken from the title of a 700-page antisemitic nonfiction book written by William Gayley Simpson and published by a neo-Nazi press in the late 1970s. 

The book has long been a favourite among white supremacists.

It all follows part of a troubling pattern that caters to the racist president and his acolytes, and ecnhoes Amerika's essential racism.

In October, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, posted an image of George Washington on horseback with the URL to the ICE recruitment page. This time the tag line read "America for Americans."

It’s a slogan that was used in a xenophobic speech by President Theodore Rosevelt in 1916, before being picked up by the Ku Klux Klan, according to America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States by Harvard history professor Erika Lee.

 Not long after, DHS borrowed imagery from the popular video game Halo, writing "destroy the flood" atop an armed vehicle. 

In the world of the video game, the flood refers to a parasitic alien lifeform. It’s also reminiscent of the language far-right groups use to describe non-white immigrants, according to Gais.

Most recently, in the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, ICE put out a recruitment post emblazoned with the line "We’ll have our home again."

Apparently, ICE's recruitment strategy is 'paying off'.

ICE says it received around 220,000 applications during its recruitment drive last year, and hired 12,000 new officers, more than doubling the size of its force.

 A Proud Boys chapter reposted the "We’ll have our home again" ad next to a picture of a literal dog whistle, adding the line "message received."

Another chapter also reposted the ad, commenting "Hahah. If you know, you know."

While the Department of Homeland Security denies such allegations, it is clear that the Gestapo-like tactics currently afflicting Minnesota and other states are indicative of a mindset that respects only brute force, intimidation tactics, and terror. To challenge those 'values' enrages the agents.

Only Americans themselves can change this terrible trajectory.

Please note that if you make a comment and it doesn't appear here, it is du to a cranky internet, not a cranky blog writer.

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Carney's Words Reverberate

I only have time for a short post, so I offer this point. While one hopes Mark Carney's words lead to lasting changes in international relations, one thing is certain. Many people are talking about it and even offering ways in which the Americans can be brought to heel. Two letter-writers demonstrate this:

Well, well, Prime Minister Mark Carney broke the internet. It’s not exactly on the scale of Taylor Swift but it’s so satisfying to see many political commentators, journalists and ordinary Canadians shower him with praise. Carney’s speech is well-structured and direct. It’s smart that he takes complex ideas and renders them in language that the ordinary person can understand and be convinced of. I think it is particularly smart of him to admit that Canada is a “middle power.” We are for sure not a superpower like the U.S., but if this middle power forms a strong alliance with the other middle powers of the world, our impact may exceed that of a superpower. I am extremely doubtful that Pierre Poilievre will be able to write or deliver a speech similarly powerful and substantial. Thank you prime minister, we are so proud of you.

 Gloria Fung, Unionville, ON 

How middle powers could impact the U.S. economy

As of November 2025, the top five holders of U.S. Treasury Securities were, in billions of U.S. dollars: Japan, $1,203; U.K. $889; China, $683; Belgium, $481; and Canada, $472. All others held $4,920.

NATO countries, including France; $378, Norway; $219, and Germany; $110, hold a total of at least $2,549 which is more than one quarter of all foreign held U.S. Treasury Securities.

There is already a trend for foreigners to reduce their already large U.S. Treasury holdings due to low-yield and increasing risk. If NATO countries, along with some non-NATO others, sold off their U.S. Treasury Securities in a co-ordinated response to aggressive action against Greenland, the risk of financing the increasing U.S. budget deficit would decrease incentive for foreigners to finance additional U.S. government borrowing.

The resulting higher U.S. interest rates and reduced government spending would have a major disruptive impact on the U.S. economy.

Mike Priaro, Calgary, AB 

One can only hope that the momentum continues.

And since Trump is so fond of A.I., here is a video posted by a social media wag:

A Masterful Speech

 One cannot help but be impressed and inspired by Mark Carney's speech at Davos. I encourage you, if you have the time, to listen to it in its entirety. No matter what critics may say, in my view Carney is the right man to be

representing Canada at this perilous time.

The Face Of Pragmatism

The trade deal that Mark Carney just made with China has elicited a wide range of reactions. There are those who are exultant, such as Scott Moe for what it does for canola exports, and there are others who are predicting doom. The auto industry fears it is the death knell for the Canadian car industry (although it is hard to fathom why the importation of 49,000 Chinese EVs would have such an effect). Captain Canada (a.k.a, Ontario Premier Doug Ford) is thundering against it. And PP is doing his usual posturing about Chinese security threats and how the government has betrayed Canada. However, from where I sit, the deal makes eminent sense.

Carney, embracing pragmatic politics, said this: 

We take the world as it is – not as we wish it to be.”

Which, of course, means recognizing that the United States is no longer a reliable trading partner, a view bolstered this week by Trump's proclamation that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada, and that he isn't even thinking about the CUSMA deal. Those who still hold out strong hopes for a renewal of that agreement are, in my view, indulging in magical thinking, and it is an abandonment of that thinking which, I believe, informed Carney's bold move with China. 

The world of realpolitik is not a pretty one. It involves a recognition that ideology can take a country only so far, and in the face of external factors far beyond one's control, it is better to put one's head down and move forward, in this case making deals with countries that don't share our values. Indeed, it can be argued that is exactly what we are doing in our efforts to maintain our trading relationship with the U.S., but given its volatile, insane leadership, the Americans represent diminishing returns.

I am glad Carney has finally understood that appeasing the mad king is pointless. However, the road ahead is still fraught with possible pitfalls. Even though Trump has given his initial 'approval' of Canada making a deal with China, one wonders whether that reaction will change in the coming days. Already, U.S. trade Jamieson Greer sounded an ominous note:

“I think it’s problematic for Canada,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC Friday morning. “There’s a reason why we don’t sell a lot of Chinese cars in the United States. It’s because we have tariffs to protect American auto workers and Americans from those vehicles.”

One is reminded of Trump's initial dismissal of Doug Ford's anti-tariff ad in the U.S., only to replace it with anger and the termination of sectoral talks with our country. Similarly, it seems likely that whoever is the current Trump "whisperer" will tell him that his initial response was wrong; after all, the deal might encourage other 'vassal states' to go their own way in trade. The Empire cannot encourage such independent thinking.

Nonetheless, the risk is well-worth taking, in my view, and this is the first time I have felt some pride in our prime minister. The scales have fallen from his eyes, and he is conducting himself in a way I suspect the majority of Canadians will applaud.

Opening Your Eyes Can Be Painful

I would like to think that Canadians far and wide harbour few illusions about the United States. Seeing them as a trusted ally harkens back to an earlier era, and most understand that harsh truth. Indeed, statistics support that many, many of us are shunning visits to that benighted land, supporting provincial bans on U.S alcohol, and working fervently to buy Canadian and non-American products as much as possible. 

However, the hope that a new and more productive relationship with the Empire is possible still stubbornly resides in the upper echelons of government. Yes, Mark Carney is doing the right thing in trying to diversify our trade, a process that will take many years to bear real fruit. But he is seeking these new relationships with one hand tied behind his back where, his fingers crossed, hoping he can do so without enraging the beast. 

Carney is now visiting China with hopes of reseting relationships there; however, as has been widely reported, many say he has to tread a fine line, lest he do something (like reducing the tariffs on Chinese EVs in exchange for canola tariff relief) that will provoke Trump. And that's where I think many government mandarins prefer a sweet lie to a bitter truth.

The bitter truth? That there will always be something the Americans don't like, and with that displeasure will come more punishing sanctions. Consider, for example, that U.S. trade representative Jameison Greer recently said:

Dropping provincial boycotts is part of a longer list of conditions ... 

that Canada must meet in order to extend the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement (CUSMA).

Fortunately, all provinces except Alberta and Saskatchewan are holding firm on that ban. 

Another demand is that we dismantle our supply-management approach to farming, a sacred cow for provinces like Quebec, and one that Carney said he will protect. 

As well, consider this:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on trade is “irrelevant” to him and Americans don’t need Canadian products.

“It expires very shortly and we could have it or not,” Trump said while touring a Ford plant in Michigan. “It wouldn’t matter to me. I think they want it. I don’t really care about it.”

Trump statements have rattled Canada and Mexico ahead of a mandatory review this year of the future of the continental trade pact. The president told reporters that “Canada wants it” but the United States doesn’t need anything from its northern neighbour.

Perhaps it's a negotiating ploy or perhaps he really means it. To me there is little difference, inasmuch as it amply illustrates the volatility and irrationality of the American leader who, emboldened by his coup in Venezuela, feels every right to rule the world, or at the very least dictate all policy, both domestic and foreign, to his vassal states, i.e., the rest of the world.

I could adduce a lot more evidence of the unrestrained imperialism that now grips the mad king and his enablers. However, in the final analysis, the quicker we realize that we are in a rigged game we cannot win, the faster we can break free and chart, as much as possible, our own course. 

Unless, of course, we are content to live as a mere extension of "the American Dream."

Well-Said!

I came across this on Facebook, and the Australian who offered this hard-hitting post sets into stark relief what we are contending with today. It is also prescriptive for Americans,, as you will see.

Alright, I’m saying this as an Australian who is absolutely sick to death of watching the world hold its breath every time this blabbering blubbering blithering blustering baffoon opens his grotesque mouth.

You see folks, as far as I can tell, from the outside, this is what it looks like: America has elected a man who talks and behaves like a megalomaniac, and the rest of the planet is supposed to just trust that he won’t completely lose his grip on reality and drag us all into catastrophe.

You want to steal Greenland.

You want Cuba to “make a deal before it’s too late”.

You talk about bombing or invading Mexico.

You kidnap a President and knock off the peoples oil in Venezuela.

You joke about annexing Canada like it should be a shopping centre car park you can just claim because you feel like it.

Do you have any idea how insane that sounds to the rest of us?

This isn’t tough talk. This isn’t strategy. This is a deeply unstable old man threatening sovereign nations like he’s flipping over a Monopoly board because he’s losing. This is not normal behaviour. This is not leadership. This is not strength. This is a walking, talking international crisis.

And Americans, this is where it comes back to you. Not just MAGA, not just the people who voted for him, all of you. Because when the President of the United States starts talking about kidnapping leaders, annexing countries, and issuing ultimatums like a mob boss, the rest of the world doesn’t get a vote. We just get the consequences.

You don’t get to shrug and say, “Well I didn’t vote for him.” That might fly at a dinner party, but it doesn’t fly when nuclear powers are watching this circus and recalculating their own red lines. This is your system. Your presidency. Your responsibility.

From the outside, it looks like America lit the fuse and then wandered off while everyone else stands around the bomb wondering who’s going to cut the wire.

And let’s be brutally honest. This man is nearly 80. He’s frail. He’s clearly deteriorating. He is not some long term visionary playing chess. He’s at the end of his lifespan and acting like nothing matters after him. That is the most dangerous type of leader there is. A man with nothing to lose and an ego that demands constant feeding. [Emphasis added.]

Why should the rest of the world pay for that?

Why should families in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, anywhere, have to worry about war, trade collapse, energy shocks, or global instability because America couldn’t get its own house in order?

This is not about left or right anymore. This is about basic sanity. This is about stopping a psychopath before he does something irreversible. Because once a war starts, once a country gets invaded, once alliances fracture beyond repair, you don’t get a reset button.

So yes, this falls on Americans. You got the world into this mess, and you damn well better roll your sleeves up and get us out of it. Impeach him. Remove him. Contain him. Do whatever your system allows, but do it fast.

Because the rest of us just want to live our lives, raise our families, pay our bills, and not wake up one morning to find out World War Three started because an unhinged old man wanted to feel powerful one last time.

This isn’t funny anymore.

It isn’t theatrical.

It isn’t tolerable.

Get this lunatic under wraps before he ruins it for everyone.

UPDATED: Pandering To The Emperor

I'm often fond of saying that nothing surprises me anymore. Although my  capacity for disgust remains, wars, rumours of wars,  state executions, invasions of sovereign territories, etc., none of those truly rattle me. 

Given my world-weary cynicism, to say at my age the world still disappoints is a strange statement. Yet that's how I felt this morning when I read this:

President Trump indicated on Thursday evening that he will meet with María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, next week in Washington, after refusing to support her to lead the country following the U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro.

Ms. Machado has tried to ingratiate herself to Mr. Trump and earlier this week offered to give him the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded last year. Mr. Trump has long coveted the award.

No matter how Machado tries to spin it, this craven, servile offering to the emperor can only be interpreted with extreme distaste, but spin it she has:

On Monday, Ms. Machado said on Fox News that presenting the prize to Mr. Trump would be a token of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for the removal of Mr. Maduro. She had previously dedicated the award to Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump said in the Thursday interview that “it would be a great honor” to accept the award, adding that it was “a major embarrassment to Norway,” where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, that he had not been given the prize.

Such fluffing of the monstrously egotistical Trump can only lead to more horrors, but so far that is stopping no one from feting him thus. He has already said that he will be the final arbiter of what is right and wrong. 

President Trump told The Times during a wide-ranging interview ...that he alone was the arbiter of his authority as commander in chief. He brushed aside international law and other checks on his power to order the U.S. military to strike or invade nations around the world.

When asked if there were any limits on his global powers, Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” 

It was the most blunt acknowledgment yet of Trump’s worldview: that national strength alone should be the deciding factor when nations’ interests collide. Past presidents, he suggested, have been too cautious with American power.

The world is now awash with toxic arrogance. To fan the flames of such is only to invite more death, more destruction, and more steps toward world domination. 

UPDATE: It appears Ms. Machado's  efforts to bribe thank the Emperor for his 'intervention' in Venezuela cannot come to fruition; perhaps her 'offer' should be filed under But it's the thought that counts, eh? category.

On Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute clarified the rules governing the award, writing that the facts were “clear and well established.”

“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” the institute wrote. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”

No doubt Norway will face some form of reprisal from the Trump regime, but it is indeed refreshing to see someone exhibit a measure of integrity in these trying times. 

 

They Have The News Anchor They Want, Not The One America Needs

I can only imagine that Walter Cronkite, the esteemed icon of CBS News who presided over many earth-shattering events, is gyrating wildly in his grave, and the still-alive Dan Rather is weeping deeply. The reason should be clear to anyone who has tuned in to CBS News since Trump-enthusiast Bari Weiss (she of 60 Minutes infamy) chose Tony Dokoupil to be the new anchor of its evening broadcast. Dokoupil's first appearance in that position came on Saturday, where he enjoyed a 30-minute interview of Pete Hegseth following Amerika's invasion of Venezuela.

The session was a nauseating exercise in extreme sycophancy as the anchor acted as the second banana to the Secretary of War. The tone was set with his opening remarks, which went along the lines of Dokoupil expressing relief to Hegseth that no American lives were lost during the 'operation'. Other gifts to Hegseth included his asking whether there would be American troops staying long-term to "stabilize the [Venezuelan] government. Conspicuously absent were any questions about the legitimacy of the invasion. 

And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Referencing the above interview, Daniel D'Addario says it was an unchallenging interview

in which the administration’s perspective was aired so thoroughly as to raise the question of when an interview becomes a press release. 

Then, in Monday's broadcast,

Dokoupil blandly stated to the camera that a Russian-Chinese-Iranian base of influence in Venezuela will be destabilized by the U.S. military action, without citing any source or consulting any guest...

As well,

a brief interview with a financial expert about how the events in South America will affect the price of gasoline never broached the notion of whether the U.S. extracting Venezuelan petroleum is legal.

One of the most disquietly segments of last night's broadcast was his interview with Doctor John Lapook about new guidelines issued by Bobby Kennedy regarding childhood vaccines:

Dokoupil began... by asking what this expert would say to “parents out there who are celebrating,” because they thought their kids were obliged to be injected with too many vaccines. He ended the segment by declaring “So, parents are going to have some options for themselves!”

You can watch a clip of the above here.

D'Addario ends his piece with a prediction that CBS will continue to occupy the basement in network news ratings:

Thankfully, just like parents, viewers have some options for themselves — and few, it seems likely, will choose this reboot. The hypothetical viewer who wishes their news were pitched at a more conservative tenor is super-served by Fox News and Newsmax...

People who have read this blog for a time will know that I have long been a supporter of MSM. To say that faith has been shaken over the past few years is perhaps to state the obvious, but just as many others have done, I am finding more and more relevance in alternative media sites readily available on YouTube. Yet I must confess to a sadness that objective news reporting in any form is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. 

UPDATED: War Mongers - 2026 Edition

 

Well it didn't take long for old Uncle Sam to flex his muscles. After getting in shape by murdering Venezuelans in boats, he decided it was time to strike a blow for 'freedom' and attacked the South American country, kidnapping its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife to face 'justice' in the United States.

The legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 — exactly 36 years ago Saturday.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York.

Team Trump is exultant, if the wormlike VP. is to be believed.

Vice President JD Vance said in a statement on X: “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.

Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”

 U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says the military action and seizure of Maduro marks “a new dawn for Venezuela,” saying that “the tyrant is gone.”

He posted on X hours after the strike. His boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reposted a post from July that said Maduro “is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government.”

World reaction to the attack is less enthusiastic.

 “The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.”

— Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for “de-escalation and responsibility. International Law and the principles of the United Nations Charter must be respected,” Sánchez wrote on X.

— Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it is “extremely alarmed” and called for “immediate clarification,” according to a statement posted Saturday on the ministry’s Telegram channel. The ministry said such actions, if confirmed, would constitute “an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of an independent state.”

— British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. was not involved in the U.S. operation in Venezuela and that he would seek more information from Trump. 

As they say, there is more to come, with Trump scheduling a news conference later this morning from his gilded Florida compound. In the meantime, no doubt there is some solace to be found for those who crave consistency in these troubled times: 2026 is already showing that might still makes right, eh? 

UPDATE: Well, this is certainly reassuring news, eh?

The United States will run Venezuela following a "large-scale strike" early Saturday that ultimately resulted in the U.S. capturing the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday.

The United States will lead Venezuela until a "proper transition can take place," he said during a news conference.

As well, there is this: 

Asked about the future of Venezuela’s oil industry, Trump replied: “We’re gonna be very strongly involved in it. That’s all. What can I say? We have the greatest oil companies in the world – the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

Capitalism and fascism. Could there be anything finer?  

My Wish For 2026

 My favourite editorial cartoonist, Theo Moudakis, expresses it best.

Happy New Year, all.

Remembering Trump

 I'm still on a break from this blog, but I came across something too good not to share.

Gee, I hope I'm not accused of having TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).

UPDATED: A Tale Of Two Corporations

 

Well, as the year winds down, I find myself with the same thoughts as I'm sure many others have: the ongoing devolution of the United States into outright fascism. A recap of all the examples attesting to this fact seems hardly necessary unless you live off the grid in some remote realm, so I'll skip them to focus on one aspect: corporate appeasement of Trump.

Myriad examples exist: the corporate rush to abandon diversity initiatives and the settling of meritless lawsuits: YouTube/Alphabet, Paramount/CBS, and ABC/Disney. These are but the most egregious instances of craven corporate submission. There are many others, but the following offers a study in contrasts between both submission and resistance, serving as a striking illustration that resistance is not futile.

First, the servile grovelling, via Home Depot:

Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot, says he has “never been more excited about the future of America” than he is under President Donald J. Trump. In an interview on CNBC, Langone praised President Trump’s economic policies, leadership, and return of the American spirit.

Here’s what you missed:

• On optimism: “If I told you how bullish I was, you wouldn’t believe it. I have never been more excited about the future of America than I am right now, right this minute, for a lot of reasons. Number one, like it or not, this guy is getting things done … He’s acting presidential. I’m impressed with the people he’s got around him.”
• On his past reluctance: “I am sold on Trump … I think he’s got a good shot at going down in history as one of our best presidents ever … What I’m seeing happening is absolutely nothing short of a great thing. People are walking with more bounce in their [step] — it’s all around … When you made a mistake, admit it.”
• On tariffs: “Initially, my concern was I don’t like tariffs; I like free trade. However, I think — damn it, give Trump credit. His instincts are good. Some of these things need to be fixed.”
• On the One Big Beautiful Bill: “I was worried about inflation and I was worried about the deficit. I think there’s a lot of merit to the notion that it’s going to trigger such significant economic growth that we might see tax revenues going up through the profitability bracket.”
• On foreign policy: “The world is a mess, but I think it’s coming more in our direction than it was. I think that strike in Iran had significant symbolic meaning for the world that America is here and when our interests are at risk, we’re going to do something about it.”

 

Next is Costco's approach, as reported by Eric Blais:

 The U.S.-based retailer — which, in an irony not to be overlooked, has become one of the most trusted institutions in this country — filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging the legality of Trump’s emergency tariffs.

And it didn’t do it with grandstanding or theatrics. Its complaint is calm, methodical, and devastatingly clear: Trump’s tariffs are unlawful, economically reckless, and imposed under emergency powers that courts have already said don’t apply.

Costco is a store I have patronized for a long time; many years ago, my son worked there while a university student, and I was impressed by the way the company treated him and all of its employees.

 Earlier this year, Léger released its annual reputation survey ranking the most admired companies in the country. Costco was the No. 1 most admired retailer in Canada across more than 300 companies in 30 sectors.

Noteworthy as well is the fact that Costco refused to abandon its diversity initiative, remaining steadfast in the face of a Trump administration hostile to anything that doesn't especially and exclusively favour white people.

And rather than simply label some products with a T (to indicated a tariffed item) as many stores did, Costco's approach has been refreshingly defiant.

Costco is ... challenging the government responsible for the tariffs in court. Not as activism, but as brand behaviour. Costco’s identity has always been rooted in stability and fairness. It cannot function in a landscape shaped by improvisational trade policy and “emergency” powers deployed like marketing slogans.

Blais suggests that such behaviour needs to be rewarded.

Corporate behaviour responds to incentives. When a retailer pushes back against political overreach, especially from a president known for punishing dissent, consumers should be willing to say: this matters. We notice when a company defends transparency and predictability. Values that ultimately protect Canadian consumers too.

 In a perfect world, we wouldn’t rely on retailers to steady the geopolitical turbulence swirling around us. But in this moment, Costco has done something rare: it stood up. Calmly. Respectfully. Persuasively.

And Canadians should notice.

Because the marketplace could use more courage.

And Costco, astonishingly, but not surprisingly, just showed us what that looks like.

And to that, I have nothing to add.

On a personal note, I will be taking a break for a few days this holiday season, so I'll use this opportunity to wish all my readers the best of the season, and extend a thank-you for reading my blog. 

UPDATE: For the latest in corporate cowardice, click here to read about the most recent fiasco at CBS, this one a tawdry tale of overt political censorship exercised against 60 Minutes.