The Change We Lived and the Change that is Approaching

Over the last decade, I have often written pieces that deal with the change in generational, cultural, and societal morals, ethics, and values.  There is little question that a large part of my…let us say confusion…with the evolution of our nation has been trending upward in sync with my age; these two things are likely not unrelated.  Just as my parents and their parents before them were puzzled and somewhat resistant to change, so too am I.  Old habits are simply hard to break and we all seek a comfort zone in our life’s environment.  That zone is largely based on our personal beliefs and opinions and more or less establishes a model that guides our lifestyle and values. I oftentimes wonder…How many people out there see the world as I do?

 

The first confirmed American case of covid-19 was in the state of Washington on January 20, 2020.  In December of 2020, the first covid vaccines became available to the public on an emergency use authorization basis.  May 11, 2023 marked the end of the Federal Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration.  This historically significant period of time included the transition of the White House from Republican Donald Trump over to Democrat Joe Biden on January 20, 2021.  Any person who lived during this episode in American history, having the ability to experience and remember, will always recall the profound impact this sweeping pandemic had on the United States, its people, and its government.  I have three distinct recollections of the event.

 

First there is the raw and tragic loss of innocent life as a result of covid.  It seemed to indiscriminately and somewhat arbitrarily seek out those among us who had inherent physical/biological weaknesses and then maliciously stole their lives; leaving behind a trail of tears and sorrow.   Apart from this personal loss, America’s citizenry voluntarily ceded a large portion of their fundamental and legitimate freedom and liberty to state and federal control under the auspices of public health concerns.  Time has revealed to us that not all of these concerns were factually-based, entirely noble in intent, and the efficacy of their overall imposition was questionable.  Our governments, both state and federal, mandated many restrictions upon the governed that have since been revealed to have been arbitrary, contradictory, and little more than opportunistic power grabs by overzealous bureaucrats.  Oh…and one other thing.  The already exorbitant federal spending by our elected officials was kicked into warp-speed overdrive to the point where they were literally throwing money away like drunken sailors. There are some good references to this feckless covid spending at the end of this piece: https://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2026/01/venezuela-greenland-and.html .

 

The three unhealed scars…eternal sorrow of loss, unbridled abuse of authority by those in power, and spendthrift lunacy by Congress and the Executive Branch…have, to a significant degree, remained woven into the fabric of our country even after the terrible scourge is considered passé.  There are still millions…or quite possibly billions…of federal covid relief dollars still sloshing around in our economy.  Look around you and note how many people are still working from home in a largely ineffective and inefficient manner?  Can anyone deny the withdrawal pains…both real and imagined…many are experiencing from the cessation of covid relief payments? 

 

Before covid, America was predictably going about its business in an unpredictable fashion…as it had for generations and decades before.   Change is eternal, evolution is undeniable, and nothing in America ever stays the same.  This is the normal chaos that is part and parcel of our democratic form of government and society.  But the post-covid span of time that we are now enduring has clearly retained remnants of those three elements previously mentioned.  Somehow …some way…the unwritten rules that were generally accepted pre-covid were lost in the transition to post-covid.  And now, in a very large and very real sense, we as a nation are trying to come to terms with a new set of…as yet undetermined…unwritten rules.   

 

Many of those select few who were presented greatly increased autocratic authorities have fought tooth and nail to maintain possession of those powers.  Having lost their understanding and consciousness of federal debt, responsible federal spending, and the significance of zeros in the definition of monetary amounts…elected officials from both national parties show no desire whatsoever to return to the days when at least there was some semblance of concern over spending multiple times the amount of money above and beyond that which is available to spend. 

 

While dealing with this unique mix of national uncertainty and social upheaval, we have continued to descend into a deep and dark abyss of partisan warfare.  It would seem the combination of the covid hangover effects with this political vitriol has somehow strengthened and invigorated each of these two poisonous components.  Covid somehow cracked the door and the loonies have rushed into the room.  They appear to feed off of each other in an ever-increasing race towards diminishing those qualities that make our country special, envied, respected, free, virtuous, fair-minded, ethical, prosperous, and quite simply a good place to live and enjoy life.

 

Who knows what the state of affairs might look like had covid never occurred?  Things might be better; things might be worse; things might be remarkably the same.  But it did happen.  Not like a cry or whimper, but like a thunder clapping, earthshaking, cataclysmic event not unlike a deep, flesh ripping wound that leaves a terrible scar. 

 

There are so many issues to take note of these days…the Iran conflict, the gerrymandering wars, the cost of living, the bubbling controversies in education, the state of health care, the need for national immigration reform, the ongoing effects of AI and new technology, the pervasive incompetence of our elected officials, the devolution of statesmanship and decorum in our government.  We as a nation and a people will meet these challenges in the time and place presented to us; notwithstanding what has come before. But it is quite possible that we are approaching another seismic event on the scale of covid that will lay down an historical marker for America and largely determine its fate for decades to come. 

 

That event will be the decision by both national political parties of who they will select to lead their factions into a post-Donald Trump America.  For all intents and purposes, the Democrat Party has been ruled by the Obama/Biden political philosophy for the last decade.  The Republican Party is a full reflection of Donald Trump’s political philosophy and has been beginning with his first term.  Both of these politically iconic chapters are coming to an end over the next two and a half years. Inevitably, the new leaders each party chooses will usher in their own political agenda.

 

Have we as a people, a nation, or a government learned anything useful or beneficial from our covid episode or the political death match that is now playing out?  Will we somehow realize that the function of our government will only get better when the quality and character of the people running that government improves?  Will we ever again willingly surrender the precious freedoms gifted us by our Constitution?  Have we yet begun to realize that if we allow ourselves to be empty vessels in need of filling, there will be no end to those who will fill us with ideas that serve their interests rather than ours?   Here is our covid lesson: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  What should we learn from the ongoing partisan warfare: Elections have consequences; we get the government that we deserve.

 

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Are we approaching the end of the Ukraine/Russia War and the Iran conflict?  We can only hope and pray…

 

https://reason.com/2026/05/03/a-fear-that-settles-in-your-heart/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/08/trump-should-end-the-iran-war-now-with-an-ultimatum-to-tehran-not-negotiations/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/09/will-the-yalu-river-run-through-the-strait-of-hormuz/

 

https://www.city-journal.org/article/council-on-american-islamic-relations-hamas-california

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/05/the-global-ripples-from-the-iran-war/

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/america-and-russia-are-both-fighting-wars-only-one-is-in-a-quagmire/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/how-russia-inadvertently-expanded-nato/

 

https://nypost.com/2026/05/04/world-news/putin-zelensky-declare-dueling-cease-fire-dates-in-ukraine-war-for-this-week/

 

The gerrymandering madness continues unabated, with no end in sight.  Trump started this mess; it is not clear who will end it…

 

https://nypost.com/2026/05/02/opinion/new-supreme-court-ruling-means-a-new-political-map/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/virginia-supreme-court-rejects-dems-aggressive-mid-decade-redistricting-plan/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/05/virginia-democrats-get-their-comeuppance/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/05/09/the-gerrymander-debacle-in-virginia-leaves-the-democratic-party-with-a-dangerous-agenda/#more-244242

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/some-further-thoughts-on-the-end-of-the-virginia-gerrymander/

 

Podcast: https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/07/democrats-lose-gerrymandering-wars/

 

The contest to elect the next president is beginning and is daily building in content and intensity.  Both national parties are seeking new leadership in the person of their next presidential nominee.  Having lost the last run for the White House, the Democrat selection process is running a bit ahead of the Republicans.   But even though President Trump is loud and in charge, there is little doubt that the game is on behind the scenes to be his successor.

 

Is this the message that both sides will adhere to?  We can only hope: https://americanmind.org/features/the-age-of-america/the-meaning-of-the-american-creed/

 

For the Republicans: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/marco-rubios-hope-for-america/

 

For the Democrats…

 

https://johnkassnews.com/the-boy-who-cried-trump/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/07/the-democratic-party-is-dead-long-live-the-jacobins/

 

The separation of powers between the Judicial Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Legislative Branch is getting blurred; but this is likely the process our founders envisioned…

 

https://reason.com/2026/05/07/federal-court-trumps-newest-tariffs-are-also-illegal/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/08/neil-gorsuch-is-wrong-america-isnt-a-creedal-nation/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/05/04/colorblind-constitution-the-roberts-court-ends-a-sordid-business/#more-243994

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/05/05/baseless-and-insulting-three-justices-chastise-jackson-for-a-groundless-and-utterly-irresponsible-claims-over-the-finalizing-of-the-voting-rights-opinion/

 

Our government…shrink it, cut it, downsize it, make it more efficient, demand better performance, and hold people accountable…

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/05/federal-government-employment-down-again.php

 

https://reason.com/2026/05/11/dont-waste-time-arguing-over-the-surgeon-general-nominee-abolish-the-office/

 

Education…Education…Education…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-long-march-continues/

 

https://jamesgmartin.center/2026/05/student-loans-a-multi-generational-financial-trap/

 

Five quick hits on the way out the door…

 

Coming to a farm near you? https://reason.com/2026/05/07/expect-the-data-center-backlash-to-get-worse/

 

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth? https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/05/the-rich-already-pay-more-than-their-fair-share/

 

New technology does take some getting used to… https://reason.com/2026/05/02/self-checkout-is-under-fire-across-the-country-is-theft-really-the-reason/

 

Precisely how much “Freedom of Speech” should the media enjoy? https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-case-against-new-york-times-v-sullivan/

 

A candidate for our 51^st state? https://reason.com/2026/05/07/why-oil-rich-alberta-may-secede-from-canada/

 

Is Donald Trump the Ocean’s Daughter?

I will be truly shocked if a single reader of my blog initially gets the connection in the title of this piece.  Now if I told you that the most memorable line from the song in which it occurs is “Can’t Get It Out of My Head”, some might recall that it was a 1974 hit by Jeff Lynne and ELO (#9 on Billboard Hot 100).  However, very few indeed will know that the subject of the song was a nymph-like figure sighted from a shoreline perspective and called “the ocean’s daughter”.   So…what in the world does this song have to do with Donald Trump?  As a pretext, here is that great song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA111Tb9GCE .

 

In the song, the singer is totally obsessed with his seaside vision…to the point where he can think of nothing else.  She dominates his every waking hour and haunts his dreams.  His entire life and world has come to revolve around this one illusive and unattainable ideal.  Now if I were to tell you that in my analogy, Donald Trump is the ocean’s daughter, then who do you think would be playing the role of the mesmerized individual staring into the waves?  That’s right…it is the Democrats.

 

In the presidential election of 2020, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.  It was bitterly contested, has been assiduously analyzed, and remains an unhealed wound between MAGA Republicans and the Democrats.  And even though Donald Trump and many Republicans refused to accept this defeat for several weeks (some…perhaps longer), it was ultimately accepted by all sides that it was indeed the law of the land and would be enforced.  Smarting as they were, the Republicans in Congress and the party in general complied with their role as the minority and settled into a consistent, faithful, and dysfunctional position as the loyal opposition to the Biden Administration.

 

In that liberal halcyon that was the first two years of the Biden presidency, the Democrats ruled the roost and essentially marginalized the Republicans to a point of irrelevance.  In their collective mind, they had dispensed with the Demon Trump and banished him to never be heard from again.  Intent on foisting their progressive agenda on the American public, they proceeded in hell bent fashion to legislate and administrate their policies.  And they did so quite effectively; to the lasting detriment of this country and its citizens. 

 

In the last two years of Biden, the Republicans began a semblance of opposition with a new-found majority in the House.  But with the Democrats still controlling the Senate and the Executive Branch, they could do little to mitigate the Democrat march towards implementing their radical agenda.  Towards the end of his term, when his mental and physical condition could no longer be papered over, Biden became a ripe target for not only elected Republicans…but from the general Republican population as well.  Heck…by that time, even his own party had turned on him to a point where they utilized extraordinary measures to remove him from their party’s ticket. 

 

To any reasonable observer, the level of vitriol in the overall Republican opposition to Joe Biden cannot begin to approach the level of spite, malice, political chicanery, and hatred directed at Donald Trump by the Democrat Party from the inception of his second term through to this very day.  Trump Derangement Syndrome is a very tangible and powerful political reality and it was a conscious choice made in the last two months of 2024 by the leaders of the Democrat Party. 

 

Not content to play out their role as the loyal opposition to Trump Administration policies, the individuals in control of the party apparatus chose to not only make things difficult for Donald Trump’s presidency…they chose to make things impossible.  Schumer in the Senate, Jefferies in the House, mainstream media, academia, Hollywood, the deep state in the Department of Justice and State…they all collectively determined that Trump would be ridiculed, demonized, and unflinchingly opposed in every word or deed that he pursued…regardless of the merit within his pursuits.  The day after the second election of Donald Trump, the New York City/Brooklyn duo of Schumer and Jeffries decided that they would dedicate every…single…ounce of energy and influence they had to making life miserable for President Donald John Trump. 

 

What we are witnessing today in Congressional paralysis, government dysfunction, the coarsening of political rhetoric, and the national partisan divisions that have become so pervasive in our culture and society…they all trace their origins…in the main…back to those critical two months at the end of 2024 when the Democrat Party decided that it was more important to destroy Donald Trump than it was to govern responsibly as the minority party in America.  They mortgaged not only their own souls, but also the fabric of this nation.

 

In November of 2024, Donald Trump won 312 electoral votes to 226 for Kamala Harris.  Donald Trump won the popular vote 49.8 percent to 48.3.  There was literally no dispute as to the legitimacy of his election.  Think for a moment…How much positive accomplishment could our nation and her people have realized out of the last 16 months if the Democrats had simply licked their wounds, rethought their policy positions that were so roundly repudiated, and chosen to offer fundamental and reasonable alternatives to Trump’s initiatives?

 

Instead, Schumer and Jefferies have literally attempted to burn down the institutions of government with their irrational, unhinged, and crazed fixation on all things Donald Trump.  To the exclusion of all else, their sole priority in civil service is to be against anything that Donald Trump is for.  He is truly their Ocean’s Daughter and they simply Can’t Get It Out of Their Head.

 

                       ---------------------------------------------  

 

On to the news…deep and wide….

 

Trump has a strangle hold on Iran.  The hammer is raised above their heads and their bank account is frozen.  Time would appear to be on the USA’s side, but public opinion and the looming mid-term elections are increasing the pressure for a rapid settlement.  We can only hope that Trump has the political courage to hang on long enough to insure that all that has been invested thus far is not wasted on a quick, but unsatisfying solution.  Mr. President…settle this issue for once and for all.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/30/trumps-foreign-policy-between-the-retreat-narrative-and-a-new-projection-of-american-power/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/what-america-is-getting-right-on-energy/

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/finance/treasury-department-sanctions-chinese-refinery-vessels-providing-oil-iran

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/26/chekhovs-lesson-for-tehran/

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/europe-gas-prices-top-10-gallon-iran-conflict-drives-surge

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/energy-price-watch-europe/

 

The foreign policy challenges that face this nation in the foreseeable future are daunting.  The unholy alliance of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran has become a global threat to the security and well-being of all nations.  If America is going to face this dilemma with any degree of success, it must find a way to rediscover a united, nonpartisan voice when addressing international issues.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/24/grappling-with-hydras/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/americas-war-in-the-americas/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-china-model-falters/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=hero&utm_content=related&utm_term=first

 

The wolf in sheep’s clothing has become the progressive in moderate’s clothing.  The Democrat Party’s new playbook is to run the primary buck naked, baring all of your progressive radical proclivities and then, having secured the nomination…campaign in the general as if you are and always have been a vanilla-flavored moderate.  It is has worked with remarkable success in more than one instance.  How will it play out in the upcoming mid-terms?

 

https://jewishworldreview.com/0426/harsanyi042426.php

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/24/va-gerrymander-language-is-so-dishonest-dems-refuse-to-defend-it-in-court/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/28/incredible-unstoppable-titan-of-terror-the-lobster-that-devoured-virginias-constitution/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/electing-communists.php

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-absurd-rise-of-graham-platner/

 

In the midst of the loud and boisterous gerrymandering battle that has been unfolding between Republican-run and Democrat-run states, the SCOTUS has dropped a bomb.  In their recent ruling on Louisiana vs. Callais, the Court performed a long overdue cleansing of Section 2 from the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  The Court’s decision accurately reflects the wise remark from Chief Justice Roberts stating that the way to stop discrimination is to stop discriminating.  In other words, reverse discrimination is simply discrimination.  Until America stops seeing all things in terms of skin color, race hustlers will always wreak havoc with public opinion and policy.  This recent ruling is the latest in a string of events that just might signal our nation coming to understand the true meaning…and profound wisdom…of Martin Luther King’s oratories.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/supreme-court-orders-louisiana-to-redraw-racially-gerrymandered-congressional-map-in-major-blow-to-voting-rights-act/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/a-righteous-blow-against-racial-gerrymandering/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/the-supreme-court-does-justice-on-districting.php#google_vignette

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/callais-callais-callais-callais/

 

https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/01/georgia-gop-could-move-towards-redistricting-top-officials-say/

 

National and comprehensive immigration reform continues to knock loudly at our government’s front door.  How much longer can it be ignored? 

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-case-for-denaturalization/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/30/scotus-weighs-whether-temporary-status-for-foreign-migrants-is-actually-temporary/

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/24/civil-liberties-groups-sue-for-information-on-ices-speech-chilling-subpoenas/

 

The domestic side of our nation’s security, culture, and society is truly chaotic and oftentimes appears to be in a perilous and fragile condition.  I continue to believe that even as presidents come and go, and as the national political parties swap turns controlling the levers of our government…the fabric, faith, and will of America’s people will persevere and continue to be the shining light for liberty and freedom on this planet. 

 

But sometimes…it gets really dark.  Both national parties bear some blame for the unmitigated hate and violence that has become so prevalent in our politics; but there can be no doubt the Democrat Party shoulders a much larger portion of that blame.  The language used by both sides is vulgar, inappropriate, and classless; with no individual bearing more blame than our President.  But the Democrat rhetoric far too often crosses over into hate speech with violent overtones.  

 

I will say this…I have many good friends and neighbors who are life-long Democrats.  They are fine people…good people.  But they have allowed their Party to be commandeered by a radical element of progressive extremists…elected and otherwise…who DO NOT represent them or the majority of their party.  Even worse...they continue to support these fanatics by blindly voting the party line.  The Republicans have their fringe; but that fringe element DOES NOT RUN THE PARTY.  Therein lays the difference between the two.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/carnival-of-fools/the-left-is-lying-to-itself-about-the-cost-of-its-rhetoric/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/28/a-nation-divided-new-survey-shows-changing-views-of-democracy-and-political-violence/

 

Please Mr. EX-president…..just go away. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/barack-obama-is-still-annoying/

 

https://jewishworldreview.com/0426/lowry042426.php

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/29/theres-never-just-one-cockroach/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/chicagos-may-day-action-civics-nightmare/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/25/i-didnt-read-the-news-today-oh-boy-embracing-the-news-avoidance-pandemic/

 

Our nation must come to terms with a pragmatic and rational approach to balancing reasonable climate concerns with the realities of current and future energy demands.  A symmetry must be obtained that can responsibly address both the need to produce abundant and adequate energy with the acceptance that production must be regulated in a common sense fashion. 

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/26/chernobyl-was-a-communist-disaster-not-a-nuclear-one/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/29/californias-climate-overreach/

Looking Ahead…Through a Glass Darkly

Looking ahead for this nation and world is…unsettling, at best.  It is now a bit over six months to the mid-term elections.  Six months is a lifetime in politics; but the tea leaves are beginning coalesce and give us an idea of how those elections might turn out. 

 

Even though it has been essentially crowded out of the headlines, the Russia/Ukraine war continues unabated.  The daily carnage has apparently reached a level of normality for the mainstream media that makes it unworthy of headlines…but the evil abides with us.  The Iran conflict is headed somewhere…just hard to say where.  The ever-changing updates from the White House are leaving everyone guessing as to who is doing what to whom, who is running the show in Iran, and precisely what is the end game of the Trump Administration in this battle of will, rockets, planes, ships, bombs, and bluster.  Canada, France, and China appear to be closer together than America, NATO, and the North American continent.  The USA is shooting manned spaceships to the moon and we are hearing about military weapons that heretofore have only been mentioned in science fiction.  Hardly a day goes by without some new AI-created marvel being unveiled.  Our Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been unfunded for weeks now, but no one seems to notice anymore.  The Democrat Party’s rhetoric is getting cruder and this coarsening of the legislative process has spurred our infantile President to lower himself to their level in words, deeds, and thoughts.  The Supreme Court of the United States is torn apart by partisan rancor and rife with unethical leaks that are destroying its credibility.  Our national economy, like the international economy, is struggling with the ever-present uncertainty that continually ebbs and flows.  And in the midst of all this chaos and turmoil…the band plays on.

 

Even now, given all the above-mentioned madness that surrounds our country and the world, there appears to be an underlying sense of muted optimism that is unspoken.  It feels to me like a pent-up urge to build something, expand something, buy something, make a career change, or set up a new business.  Democrats don’t address it because anything positive in nature might possibly benefit Donald Trump.  Republicans don’t talk about it because they are dysfunctional, at war with each other, fearful of being labeled “Trump Toadies”, and essentially content to play political defense rather than partisan offense.  What does all of this tell us about the upcoming midterms?  There are a few scenarios and each has a reasonable chance of occurring.  Let us consider a couple of them.

 

Best case for Trump and the Republicans.  The Iran conflict wraps up in the next month with the crippled and neutered Iranian radical leadership still in charge…but powerless in military capability, impotent in an economic sense, and reeling from a stinging defeat with civil unrest boiling.  American forces come home, the straits are once again open to free shipping, Israel is content with the lessened threat they must daily face, and far more extensive and costly conflict is ultimately avoided.  Trump realizes that stirring up a hot mess in Cuba prior to the mid-terms does not make a lot of political sense and somehow manages to stifle that ambition until next year.  The economy begins to bloom with optimistic attitudes based on positive activity; interest rates remain flat or possibly drop a bit; unemployment remains stable or decreases; inflation is steady with a tilt towards decline; and the non-stop riffing that seems to flow from the Trump Administration is strangely muted, thus permitting people to judge current events for themselves.  Given this big exhale of relief by the American populace…the Republicans hold the Senate, maintain their slim majority in the House, disjointed Congressional legislative efforts continue in fits and starts, and the government finds an acceptable rhythm that gives the impression of competence and proper function.  President Trump is content to build ballrooms and paint swimming pools, while Republicans tout a robust economy with great potential.  With Republicans in control of the White House and Congress, we barrel into a free-wheeling political circus over the next two years where both national political parties will choose their future leader and their future policy direction.

 

Best case for the Democrats.  Trump’s “on again, off again” series of Iranian cease fires and negotiations continue into the summer with a simmering aspect that looks promising, but offers no tangible evidence of real…and final…success.  If it comes to an end at all, it will be wholly unsatisfying and anti-climatic, leaving more questions than answers.  No sooner is the US presence removed from the Middle East than the new talk about regime change in Cuba is fired up and this becomes Trump’s quest du jour.  Republican disunity in Congress fails to fund DHS, the legislative process stalls, and the carnival atmosphere surrounding the Legislative and Executive branches continues unabated.  The mainstream media is obsessed with international relations and the degrees to which our alliances are improved or damaged…with most emphasis being placed on the damage.  Without any relief from daily conflict and tension, the economy remains unsettled with energy market uncertainty holding up or even slightly increasing inflation rates.  Economic performance is lukewarm at best and is effectively…and fairly…laid directly at the feet of President Trump.  The Republicans manage to hold a slim Senate majority, but surrender House control to the Democrats with a small, but larger than current, majority with which to operate.  Divided government is once again the rule of the land, and the House Democrats are ready to roll…indicting, investigating, impeaching, legislating dead-end bills with no prospect of Senate passage, and basically bringing any semblance of routine legislative function to a screeching halt.  For the next two years leading up to the presidential election of 2028, there will be nothing in Congress but the unmitigated partisan warfare that we have seen glimpses of before, but never with the scope and intensity that will be forthcoming.  The unquenchable TDS disorder of the Democrats will be all consuming and the frustration and lame-duck status of our President will lead him into some of the worst presidential behavior we have seen in decades. 

 

It is beyond foolish for anyone, especially a uniformed hack like me, to prognosticate about what the next couple of years hold for this nation and its government.  Goodness knows the intricacies and complexities of the upcoming political and global dynamics are entirely impossible to predict with any degree of accuracy; and they hold the potential for any number of outcomes…none of them purely good or bad.  But think for yourself.  Consider the political gamesmanship that we experienced in the last two years of the first Trump Administration, the corruptive abuse of power and rank incompetence we witnessed during the Biden Administration, and now look at the gaping/raging/incoherent/out of control partisan divide that currently exists in our country.  Is either one of the two scenarios really that unreasonable or bizarre?

 

With either scenario in play, America is in for an extended period of raucous political theatre.  Each national party is going to struggle through an internal civil war that not only determines their next presidential nominee; it will also largely determine the very future of their parties.  These two individual struggles will then setup the penultimate decision facing this nation in the next presidential election.  A lot of dramatic and consequential history will be made over the next two and half years in our country.  We should all choose wisely.

 

                          ------------------------------------------

 

The Iranian conflict is facing an age old dilemma…how do you negotiate with madmen and what is the fair price of freedom and security?

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/19/the-geopolitics-of-epic-fury/

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/04/20/unfiltered-media-trumps-iran-initiative-resonates-voters

 

https://www.zinebriboua.com/p/the-iran-question-is-all-about-china

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/23/how-iran-committed-suicide/

 

An interesting and consequential aspect of the Iranian conflict is how it will undoubtedly trigger a reassessment of our global alliances.  Who is our friend?  Who is our enemy?  Who is reliable and valuable?  Who is weak and malleable? Most importantly…who can we trust?

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/20/sanchez-lenin-and-global-opposition-to-trump/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/20/use-the-momentum-the-eu-moves-to-destroy-the-last-vestiges-of-national-sovereignty/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/16/its-time-to-rethink-nato/

 

An elephant in the room that no one wants to address is the absolute, irresponsible, unforgiveable, and profligate spending of federal tax dollars by our elected officials from both national parties.  They spend too much and lie constantly about it.  They are fiddling while Rome is burning around them.  The only difference between the two is the causes they choose to overspend on. 

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/19/one-thing-every-modern-president-has-in-common-they-all-spent-more-than-the-last-guy/

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/16/the-rich-dont-pay-their-fair-share-and-4-other-tax-myths-that-wont-die/

 

Education…Education…Education

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/18/socioeconomic-status-does-not-explain-the-black-white-achievement-gap/

 

https://jamesgmartin.center/2026/04/in-praise-of-the-4-4-load/

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/17/yale-admits-self-censorship-and-political-bias-are-eroding-trust-in-higher-education/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/23/more-heat-than-light-ucla-law-school-students-disrupt-federalist-event/

 

I am about to line up a series of links that offer us a glimpse into how Democrats like to govern.  But before I do that, I want to link this first article to establish the fact that the Republicans are certainly as capable of government corruption as are the Democrats.  The difference between the two that I see is the simple fact that the depth, width, frequency, and competence to execute abuse of federal authority is so much greater in the Democrat Party than it is in the Republican Party.  Both parties have corruptive elements…but in the Democrat Party, it is far more pervasive and tolerable.  You can judge for yourselves.

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/23/the-fbis-alleged-probe-of-a-reporter-for-stalking-breaks-new-ground-in-criminalizing-journalism/

 

And now the Democrats…

 

Their vision…

 

https://victorhanson.com/all-the-dream-houses-of-the-left/

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5830141-socialist-mayors-struggle-delivering/

 

In the realm of justice…

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/17/new-docs-reinforce-the-newest-dc-district-judge-is-a-legal-hack-skilled-in-abusing-power/

 

https://justthenews.com/accountability/whistleblowers/ided-witness-2-helped-ukraine-whistleblower-worked-strzok-wrote-2016

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/22/the-disbarment-of-john-eastman-the-california-bar-bags-a-trump-lawyer-and-leaves-troubling-questions/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/17/john-eastman-disbarment-marks-new-low-in-lawfare-against-conservatives/

https://justthenews.com/accountability/political-ethics/democrats-ukraine-narrative-has-gone-reverse-gop-seeks-expunge

 

Trump Derangement Syndrome…

 

https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/opinion/michael-goodwin-chris-murphy-is-cheering-for-americas-enemies-as-dems-spew-lies-about-trump-israel/

 

How they portray themselves as moderates when running for office and then once elected, boldly pursue their progressive goals…

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/18/spanberger-signs-unconstitutional-bill-to-strip-confederacy-linked-groups-of-tax-exempt-status/#more-243465

 

Gerrymandering is messed up.  President Trump started this whole deal with his irresponsible rant about Texas redistricting.  As I said before…if you want to fight the Democrats in the corruption arena, you are going to lose every time.  Trump should have kept his mouth shut.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/florida-pump-the-brakes/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/virginia-voters-approve-democrats-aggressive-mid-decade-redistricting-proposal/

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/22/virginias-grotesque-gerrymander-and-the-bipartisan-death-of-redistricting-reform/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/virginia-votes-against-its-citizens-while-national-republicans-sleep/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/on-the-virginia-referendum.php

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/virginia-democrats-cast-republicans-into-the-outer-darkness-on-a-bare-majority-vote/

 

The Democrats have always had a big advantage because of their dark sources of cash and mainstream media support.  Occasionally, the curtain gets pulled back and we get a glimpse of how we are deceived and manipulated…

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/manufacturing-racism/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/22/the-southern-poverty-law-center-indictment-can-public-interest-groups-run-alleged-black-bag-jobs-and-confidential-informants/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/todd-blanche-splc-indictment/2026/04/23/id/1253912/

 

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/splcs-offshore-assets-ballooned-as-embattled-left-wing-darling-secretly-funded-kkk-and-other-violent-extremist-groups-and-reported-owning-accounts-in-the-cayman-islands/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/a-look-back-at-the-splc.php

 

Here are four quick hits in closing.

 

History is controlled by those who hold the writing instrument…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/who-owns-american-history/

 

It is always fascinating to see how the ultimate arbiter of American justice operates behind the scenes…

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/22/how-justice-alito-assembled-the-coalition-that-sent-roe-to-the-dustbin-of-history/

 

Peace through strength is essential…

 

https://americanmind.org/memo/how-the-u-s-can-restore-its-arsenal/

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-rearms-iran-ceasefire-advanced-munitions-supplies/

 

Behold the sticky wicket that is gun control…

 

https://reason.com/2026/04/17/the-gun-debate-hasnt-changed-in-500-years/