There is no savior of the country on the horizon.

 BETTER TO HOPE FOR THE BEST WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

COUNTRIES PROBLEMS CANNOT BE CURED BY ANY ONE MAN

It is now still 2025 and we see speculation on who is going to save the country in 2028. No man, is going to save this country from itself. There is no magic candidate, no reversal of present policies will save us. Most hope to just continue on the unsustainable path we are on, hoping to keep the things going, at least till they are done breathing.

Before we get to 2028, it will be made clear that the economic policies of many decades have led into a crisis with no magic way out. By 2028 we will see that we can no longer intimidate the rest of the world to submit to our desires or mandates. By 2028 we will find that we can no longer provide the benefits promised by many decades of selling votes for promises. In reality, all that is happening right now, if willing to see the situation, in a clear objective light.

So, forget about 2028, while Trump has been handed a plate with a myriad of insoluble problems, it will only be far worse for anyone who should want the job in 2028. Maybe only the delusional will even want the job in 2028.

I suspect that time is running out and 3 more years without any progress, inflamed by partisan lust for power, will lead to a situation of survival after the collapse caused by decades of failed policies.

A better plan would be to do the best that we can, with what we have, while often not what many would like, it is the only thing we have for the time we have left. Time that is ticking away. I hear lots of criticism, but I hear few solutions, because it is easier to blame others for insoluble problems, than to offer real solutions, especially when there are no painless solutions to be had.

Thanksgiving, truly an American holiday.

 STILL RELEVANT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

WE ALL HAVE MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Another thanksgiving, for some the only time that family is all together and no matter the peril being experienced by some, we can all find many reasons to be thankful. It is a time to take a pause and count the blessing we have all experienced.

While the country may have many challenges in the near future, for now, we are all blessed to live in these United States. We can still worship as we are led, we can still pursue our dreams and hopes for the future. We have the ability to speak our mind as no where else on earth. We have all been blessed, probably more than we deserve.

As in the tradition of those who really had the reason to be thankful for their survival, we can in some way be empathic to understand how they understood to  offer up thanks.

For all Americans and also all our brothers and sisters around the world,  give a little prayer of thanksgiving for those blessings you have received, no matter how small.

Economic Strangulation goal in Venezuela.

 NAVAL BLOCADE, SANCTIONS AND TARIFF'S

$10 MILLION A DAY COST TO U.S.

While military attack may not be on the menu, unless Venezuela can be provoked into retaliation, economic death seems to be the goal. With an armada of warships discouraging ships from servicing the country and tariffs on anyone who does business with Venezuela, it may be a very hard future for the people of Venezuela.

With the excuse of labeling the country both a drug cartel operation and now a terrorist organization, I suppose we are all to demand the end of the government of Venezuela. This is nothing more than a warmed up John Bolton plan from the first Trump administration. It is obvious that the originators of the Bolton plan are still working within this administration.

The original Monroe Doctrine was meant to keep European influence out of the western Hemisphere, with the acknowledgment that the U.S. would stay out of European disputes. It was later modified by Theodore Roosevelt into "Speak softly and carry a big Stick" Now we have mostly given up on the soft speaking in our relations with others, in this hemisphere, as well with the rest of the world.

While, maybe, military action is not the goal, death and destruction by economic strangulation will still be the result. While residents of Washington and Wall street can rejoice at their win with the accompanying access to a largess of resources, I suspect the people of Venezuela will most likely not be better off. 

If this continues, and now may be irreversible, we can expect a new forced migration in the region, hostility from any country now effected or fearing they will be next. It will further add to decline of the image of the U.S. around the world.

One must wonder if this is now the alternative prize with the least risk by Washington after failing in Ukraine and deeming war with Iran too risky. It is like a predator choosing the victim who has been weakened by years of deprivation and is now an easy kill.

Perot & Buchanan's prophetic 1992 presidential campaign.

  REVILED AT THE TIME, THEY WERE RIGHT

TRADE AND DEBT WERE THE WARNINGS

The 1992 U.S. presidential campaign was a prophetic warning for the nation. In the Republican primary, Pat Buchannan warned of trade deals that would hollow out the U.S. economy, destroy the manufacturing base and pressure the middle class. He predicted what would later materialize and provide Donald Trump with some of the main issues in his campaign. He also warned about unlimited and lax immigration enforcement. After a strong challenge in New Hampshire, he was assaulted with  overwhelming accusations of racism and anti-Semitism. George Bush won the primary 72% to 23%. Bush 's popularity was weakened by his former pledge of " No new Taxes" which he quickly broke and his boasting of some kind of "NEW world Order" which raised alarm bells in some circles. Was this onset of the lone remaining super power ideology and endless war?

In the general election, Ross Perot, a Texas businessman,  ran as an independent, Bill Clinton was the Democrat and Bush. Perot was surprisingly very competitive, even rising to the top the of polls at one point. It was an indication of the growing discontent with the candidates from the entrenched parties. Perot was famous for his description and prediction of the "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the nation. He also was hoping to pay off the debt and stop deficit spending. When it seemed that Perot could actually win, he suddenly withdrew from the race claiming that his daughters life had been threatened, something that seemed outrageous at the time, but certainty not by today's standards.

While Perot reentered the race, his momentum had stalled and he ended with winning 18% of the vote, Clinton 43% and Bush 37%. some accused Perot of throwing the election to Clinton by his candidacy, but it seemed he was very sincere in hoping to move the nation in a new direction. 

Both Buchanan's and Perot's analysis of the direction of the country was very accurate, maybe they were just too far before their time and it was in an era were the media was of one mind and no alternative available. 

Clinton went on to approve NAFTA and GAAT that globalized trade and contributed to the decimation of the U.S. manufacturing ability. He pretty much did the same things that one could have predicted from Bush, regime change war in Yugoslavia, NATO expansion, and the policy of U.S. power expansion in the name of expanding democracy. He did cooperate with the opposition party to nearly erase the budget deficit and reform welfare, but in trade and foreign affairs he was like many, probably not in control of the ship.  

While Trump capitalized on the crisis of immigration, loss of manufacturing and regime change wars whose seeds were formed at the time of the 1992 election, it has now all blossomed into a myriad of problems that under the best circumstances will take decades to correct.

West on Ukraine: Out of sticks, and have no carrots.

 COMPROMISE OR GO TO WAR

TIME TO SUCK IT UP AND MOVE ON

We now have a 28 point peace plan, one that the West wants to negotiate and Russia will express interest, while devastating what remains of Ukraine's army. The reality is that NATO expansion has failed and any attempts to declare victory in defeat is just going to add to the costs. While many are looking for ways to declare victory, it will be a hard sell.  

While Russia has suffered greatly from this conflict, its suffering does have an expiration, when this conflict ends. One can expect the suffering in Eurozone will not expire but continue to decline into unpredictable internal problems. The entire west is suffering from unsustainable debt and deficits far into the future. Then in the Eurozone there is the inability to fuel their economies in a competitive way. Their green policies have devastated their economies and their savior, cheap Russian energy, may never come back. Then there is their massive immigrant problem that will be compounded by those same problems.

As for Russia, it has been able to forge new economic and even military alliances due to the wests obvious attempt to punish everyone who has either sided with Russia or even attempted to remain neutral. The political and economic damage will last for decades. Russia's position in the rest of the world has been enhanced and the BRICS economic union will thrive far into the future.

While the West has used up most of its sticks, except for outright war, which would be even a worse disaster, its attempts of offering carrots are now, too little, too late. Russia, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, hoped to become an equal economic partner in the global economic system. It was at first subtly rejected and then transparently rejected and offered the choice of submission or destruction. 

At this point, Russia understands that there will not be any cooperation, just a temporary peace until another opportunity for destruction is available. Offers of increased trade with the United States and a seat in the G7 are all without much attraction. There is now a better and more reliable economic union on the horizon and it will not be discarded for some fake offers of entry as a partner in the existing economic order as a inferior partner.

While the global south and most of Asia now have high hopes of a new economic order, it hopes to co-exist with the present system, much as one would with an ex-spouse, tolerance and accommodation when possible, an end to hostility, but mostly just a hope to keep it all at arms length.

Trump only has one more war to avoid.

 ONLY VENEZUELA IS STILL IMMINENT

PRESSURE TO PULL TRIGGER WILL BE MASSIVE

The pressure to go to war has been intense for the last 10 months, so far, Trump has avoided getting the U.S. into a major war. While we all witnessed the strike on Iran, many still believe it was a way to end the pressure by declaring victory. At present, the possibility of war with Iran by the United States or even Israel is much less. The ceasefire in Gaza, no matter how meaningless, is still a political reason to avoid war with Iran and Iran is now prepared in such a way that such a conflict could be disaster for Israel.

It is clear, that the United States is disengaging from the Ukraine conflict. While the EU countries still talk of entering the war, they will not, without the support of the U.S.. The latest peace plan, while a step to satisficing many of Russia's conditions, will not be, or can be, supported by Zelensky, as long the the hard right has the power to stop any peace plan. With the government is in disarray due to corruption revelations, Zelensky will most likely need to be replaced for any serious effort to stop this war. While Russia has not offered a position on the plan, they understand that Ukraine will  not accept any plan that gives up territory and saves them from rejecting the plan. Russia wants an end that will result in long term peace and security and that requires a WW2 type of ending.

Then there is Venezuela, this may be, at least for now, a situation that Trump needs an exit opportunity. One can speculate that his advisers have assured him that the threat of military force will pressure Maduro to flee or for the internal opposition to stage a coup. While there is opposition to Maduro, and many claims of voter fraud, it is still a 50/50 situation with the population, much like the United States. An attack will most likely rally support, giving Maduro a plurality and could be a disaster for Trump. Just what Trump's opposition dream of. 

Venezuela has rallied its military and other supporters, possibly enhanced it's air defenses with Russian anti-aircraft equipment and if started, will cost the lives of many on both sides. While ultimately the U.S. would  prevail, it would be a political disaster for Trump and the U.S..

We must all admit, Trump can be very slippery, either subtlety or even outrageously transparent. One can expect he can find a reason to declare victory one way or another, without going to war. It will be interesting to see if he can wiggle out of this without appearing weak or indecisive.

We are now all the audience to this global reality show.

 IT WILL CONTINUE EVEN AFTER TRUMP

AUDIENCE IS ALSO AN INTERACTIVE PARTICIPANT

We all witnessed the opening of this ongoing real life reality show with the introduction of Donald Trump as a main player in this ongoing saga. Many believe it was just Trump, but while he has savored this new ability to take center stage, it may have more to do with the internet, new alternative media and the ability to stream global events in almost real time.

In the past, we were at the mercy of the established media and often did not have access to real events until days or weeks after the fact and then it was often edited and manipulated to create the right narrative. While that still goes on, the manipulation is now part of the story. The media is also an interactive part of this ongoing real life drama.

While Trump may be the first to understand this new reality, I suspect other players are now recognizing this opportunity and making the most of it. Putin,  Zelensky, Xi, Khomeini, Netanyahu and Maduro are now also big players in this new story.  We can hear them and see them in near real time and they are able to become real participants and real people rather than just some caricature created by the media. 

The story, the play, the characters are real and come with all the human weaknesses, strengths and failings. We can watch all these human emotions and human nature on display, no less than in the best Shakespearean play. 

Much like the best theatrical production we have multiple plots and subplots some connected to a big picture cooperation, some isolated. Some are short lived and some continue for years. 

Then you have the ability of the audience to then become an interactive player in many ways, protests, coordination with the main actors and I suspect that it has led to an increase in voter participation fueled by emotions created by this new global reality show.

While we watch the show, we all must speculate what the ending of this show will be, as the plot thickens we are led in many direction and speculations as to what the end of the story will be. Then again, I suppose there will never be an end or final act as long as the internet and the ability to watch and participate continues.