Throw Back Thurday: Karoline Leavitt said, If Not For The US Entry Into WWII, France Would Be Speaking German

Well, NO. It is generally accepted that the Allies would have prevailed over Germany and Italy in Europe without American intervention. But yes it would have taken longer, cost more money, and cost far more lives. 

But now, let's consider our relationship with France. France is our oldest ally. It is also generally accepted that without French arms, money, and personnel, the Colonies very likely would have lost the Revolutionary War to the British and remained colonies. So what does that mean? Well, what comprises the portion of the United States east of the Mississippi would now be part of: CANADA! And we would be eating poutine instead of cheese curds. Lafayette, we are here!

And without the United States, there would have been no Louisiana Purchase. So that third of the current US, west of the Mississippi, would be Louisiana. And we would be drinking cognac instead of Old Mister Boston brandy and we would be speaking FRENCH!

And the great state of Texas, the beautiful southwest, and most of the west coast? Well, it would be a dream come true. There would be no border problem because the current border would be in the MIDDLE of MEXICO. There would be no taco trucks because every restaurant would be a Mexican restaurant. And Corona would be the beer of choice instead of Bud Lite. And we would all be speaking SPANISH!

 And as long we are playing with history and you hold to Leavitt's incredulous statement, here's an idea on how it would have been in post-war England if the Germans had won: Len Deighton's SS-GB

It's Too Bad That Other Nations Don't Have The Wherewithal To Stop Trade With The US

Yes, if say Canada just simply closed the borders and stopped selling anything and everything that the US buys from them, the value of trade would be clearly apparent for all to see. But with modern trade, that wouldn't be possible and of course Trump would reciprocate. 

And because trade is so complex, a one week hiatus wouldn't have much effect because so many items are already in the pipeline and the effects would only be apparent weeks later.

Maybe start small, like having the penguins do it first? If you don't know, Google it.

Why Is Anyone Allowed To Get Away With This? From WI Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez:

This was just posted on the Threads account of Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez: I am posting the original as a screen grab and then the reply separately as a cut and paste  because the type face gets too small to read otherwise. The complete post is posted below for accuracy.

[Yesterday, reporters got a ‘tip’ that my husband is undocumented. Spoiler: he’s a proud, naturalized U.S. citizen. We are five days into this race and my opponents are already resorting to racist, made-up attacks about my family. It’s pathetic, it’s ugly, and it sure as hell won’t lower a single grocery bill or fix a single school. If this is their best shot, they better pack a damn lunch.]

First, since we don't know who provided the tip, I hope that the news agency that received the supposed tip is going to look into the background of the liar and take whatever action they deem appropriate. But if this did come from a campaign, political party, or political activist it should be exposed and condemned. 

Second, we don't know the media outlet involved. But after running a statewide campaign for Lt. Governor and winning, I would expect that the media would have fully vetted Rodriquez a hundred times over by now and wouldn't have given this an ounce of air. WTF you guys?

Wisconsin deserves better!

Sara Rodriguez For Governor (this is for information, it is not an endorsement)

Farm Field In California OR A Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan?

 

Kinda hard to tell, except our troops in Afghanistan most likely weren't wearing face masks.

National Organization, JewBelong, Posted Divisive Billboards Near Summerfest, BUT:

sadly, for Americans they are just stating a fact, re-enforcing the status quo.

Here's the article on JSOnline:Jewish group's billboards ask Milwaukee motorists to imagine being victims of Hamas attack

 "Imagine going to a music festival and not coming home" Imagine indeed, and I imagine they made their point but I imagine that they missed the point here in America.

In a troubled nation desperately clinging to the Second Amendment, many Americans don't have to imagine...they don't come home, they haven't come home.

And not just music festivals, but schools, stores, holiday parties, work places, movie theaters, army bases, navy yards, peaceful protests, churches, Sikh temples, and SYNAGOGUES! 

They missed the point, that unfortunately, the United States is no stranger to random violence.

But just like every one else, they offer no solutions.

We Have An Official Blog Mascot

 A friend of the blog is an animal lover just like yours truly. One of the ways they demonstrate their love is by feeding the feral cats in the neighborhood. And it is with great pride that I announce that they have named this little ruffian capper, after moi, of course.

So it is only right that I adopt little capper as the official blog mascot.

It is also a must that I ask of you to donate to your favorite shelter or rescue that helps all the stray dogs and cats.  If you would like to support my mini-me, just drop a donation to me via Venmo or Paypal at capper42 and I'll see that the money gets to capper's benefactor. Just make sure you note that it is for capper the cat and not capper the union thug.

Also, remember, when you're looking for a companion animal, always adopt, don't shop.

A Brand New Millionaire Who Won't Be Paying Taxes, well, Cause:

 And I don't understand why sports figures make these figures, I mean, until I hit the IL two weeks ago I was playing a solid right field, hitting around .225 and a team RBI leader. Hell, I'll sign for the league minimum. And then there was this too:

 

that should be worth a signing bonus, aina?

Why Is Pete Hegseth Sh*tting On American War Hero And President Dwight Eisenhower?

 I Like Ike!

 

The army base just outside of Augusta GA was formerly known as Fort Gordon, named after a Confederate general and governor of Georgia. During the effort to remove the names of traitors from American military installations during the Biden administration it was renamed Fort Eisenhower. 

I don't think anyone who has studied a lick of American history can deny that after George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower is the most important military hero in American history. But now, to dis everything Biden and feed into MAGA inadequacies, Hegseth has renamed the fort, Fort Gordon. But in an end run around the rules, it's not (wink wink) the Confederate general this time but another decorated American serviceman. 

"At a Senate budget hearing in June, Hegseth said restoring the base names was "important for the morale" of the military."  Hey, Pete! All of the confederate generals are dead. Morale ain't a thing with them.

Obviously you can sense I oppose renaming forts for traitors no matter what subterfuge is being used.

But I am amazed that not a single Republican doesn't find fault with removing DDE's name from a prominent American Army base. Not only was he a great American hero in WWII, he was also a well respected president in the post war era, and a distinguished REPUBLICAN, when there were such things.

I Like Ike

Dear Mr. Kotter:

My son doesn't have a list!

Epstein's mom.

But We Are Supposed To Accept The Bible Verbatim...except

 

Stop making it so confusing...that's it for this Sunday's sermon.

Open Letter To Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Etal: THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE!!

From the Today In History column for July 9th: 

"1795: American banker and businessman James Swan paid off $2,024,899 in national debt that the United States owed to France, which was amassed during the American Revolution."

Billionaires don't beg for tax breaks.THEY PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT! Time to step up to the plate!!

But just imagine how much $2 million was in 1795.

 

The Peter Principle On Steriods: Former WI GOP Rep Can't Run Dept of Transportation So Let's Give Him NASA?

Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy named interim NASA head while still serving as DOT secretary

 

We can't even pretend to find a scientist much less an aerospace expert for the job? I guess the one plus out of this is Elon Musk wasn't given the gig. We don't need any NASA rockets blowing up just...'cause.

Natural Disasters Are The New Mass Shootings

 Every time that there is a mass shooting and people want to discuss reasonable gun laws, the Republicans always say that "it's too soon to talk about that" as they offer up their useless thoughts and prayers" instead of doing anything to actually help save lives.

Now, it's apparently the same for natural disasters.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) 'was on CNN on Sunday mornint to talk about the horrible flooding in Texas that has already claimed over 70 lives.  Castro pointed out that former President Elmo and The Orange Felon slashed funding for the National Weather Service and for DHS, which used to house FEMA.  These cuts prevented accurate forecasting or a coordinated alert system that could have helped prevented much of the disaster in the first place.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (MAGA-TN, who appeared on Faux News later in the day, didn't even hesitate to play the "it's too soon" card:

Blackburn responded to Castro in a Sunday afternoon appearance on Fox News.

"Those are issues that will be addressed by DHS and NOAA and other components as they move forward," Blackburn insisted. "Now is not the day for that type of conversation."

"I would encourage the congressman to be wrapping his arms and his heart and his prayers around these families and to stand with them at this point," she added.

For a party that claim to be all for personal responsibility, the Republicans sure do go out of their way to avoid it.

DVO Against Third Party Because Trump Might Be Held Accountable

 If the gentle reader hadn't heard, former President Elmo wants to create a second party that caters to billionaires because the Republicans were no longer enough or something like that.

Trump's Little Bitch, Rep. Drunken Van Orden decried the thought because he doesn't want to see his sugar daddy being held accountable:

And, of course, it Sugar Daddy Trump is held accountable, that means that Little Bitch Van Orden might also be held accountable for his actions.

It's only a matter of time before something - or someone - breaks.

Remember When The Social Security Administration Was A Non-partisan Agency That Helped ALL Americans Insure Their Retirement?

Or are you one of the millions of Americans. like me, who received this email a few days ago? : Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.

 

 

"The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.

The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy.

“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."

The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.

Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them."

But my friends...not only is this email directly partisan and politically motivated, it isn't even true. But why would I expect anything different from the Trump administration. But once again silence from the GOP as the administration lies and disinforms the American public:

" The Trump domestic policy package, which Congress sent to his desk on Thursday, extends the president’s expiring tax cuts he enacted in 2017, and also creates a temporary tax deduction for earnings from tips and overtime.

But it does not eliminate federal taxes on Social Security. Budget reconciliation, the arcane process Senate Republicans used to pass the bill while avoiding a Democratic filibuster, does not allow changes to be made to Social Security.

The Trump package does, however, include a temporary tax deduction of up to $6,000 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $12,000 for married seniors. Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers argued last month that nearly 9 in 10 seniors would not pay any federal taxes on their Social Security benefits because the new deduction would eliminate their tax burden. "

So you might still pay federal taxes on your social security of your income exceeds that allowed under the earnings deductions...but for most of us things haven't changed much...well unless we itemize and forgo the new deduction limits.

BTW: for those of you who pay state taxes on your social security, you still will pay state taxes on your social security. 

and I surrender to Blogger and give up trying to get the color editing right today. yikes...