“He knows what he wants,” was the message by Conrad Black to a parliamentary committee examining the current situation on trade relations with the United States. The former Canadian and now an ex-convict and Lord Cross-the-Pond or some such title, was telling the committee about his friend Donald Trump who
Continue readingTag: American politics
Babel-on-the-Bay: The myth of America’s FBI.
There is a very bad television show on television these days called Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. A weak spinoff from the highly successful Criminal Minds show that is now ending its twelfth season on CBS, the Beyond Borders version tries to replace strong characterizations with travelogues and requires that the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A hundred days in America.
Marking his first 100 days in office, U,S. President Donald Trump told the media that he thought the job as president was easier. It is an admission that he has neither the training, nor experience nor temperament to handle the position. He has proved to the world that he is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Donald Trump has a plan?
Heard any good conspiracy theories today? It is amazing how many pundits are writing about Trump’s real plans for world-wide dictatorship. They see Trump’s actions in the White House as part of a scheme. They think it is designed to keep outsiders confused. But it should be obvious to everybody
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Nationalism on the Rise – Trump and Bannon speak.
Nationalism is one of the major currents in US society that is wearing away the roots of their democratic nation. The capitalist 1%’ers are using their political and media distractors in a desperate ploy to place the blame for working classes on immigrants and people who are not white.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Justin the adult in the school yard?
Has Prime Minister Trudeau been getting advice from psychologists on how to handle a bully? It is certainly to his credit that he is keeping his cool. Donald Trump continues to lob his ignorant taunts over the longest undefended border in the world and Canada’s prime minister just says, “We
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trump’s ‘Milk of Human Kindness.’
“Once again unto the breach” (sorry Mr. Shakespeare) President Trump jumps into a situation of which he has absolutely no understanding. He is making a habit of it and this time he is trying to skewer the Canadians. He has pitted the free market, unfettered Wisconsin dairy farmers against what
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Mother of all Bombs: No oversight required?
During his presidential campaign, President Trump promised to bomb the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL) brigands in the Middle East back to the Middle Ages. He now seems to have given America’s generals carte blanche to do that. The only problem is that the ISIL fanatics involved
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “You don’t say, Mr. Spicer!”
On the wall above our computer is an old framed black and white Frank & Ernest cartoon with four characters in the wigs and knee-britches of the colonial period. One of the gentlemen, who does not look like George Washington is saying: “’Cannot tell a lie,’ eh? … In that
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: You think Trump got it right in Syria?
There were pictures in North American papers the other day of Trump and his key advisers in a small room at his Florida resort. The captions explained that they were being briefed on options in Syria. The question that has to be asked: Is a strike against one airfield any
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Teaching Trump ‘The Art of the Deal.’
The first thing Canadians should do is stop sweating over renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It has never been a really fair deal and it became overly complicated when Mexico joined. Given the opportunity to renegotiate, Canada could improve its position. The only problem is that we
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Universal Health Care in the US? – Ralph Nader Opines
I’m wondering when (if) the US will join the rest of the industrialized world in offering Universal Health Care for the American people. It seems like such a basic need, even a human right, depending on who you ask. Not having the stress and anxiety over having to constantly navigate
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trump sure doesn’t know America.
When driving back with the wife from a trip to Washington several years ago, we took a lazy route north through the Appalachians. It was early summer and it was a stunningly beautiful vista in those ancient mountains. It was a great trip until we crossed into New York State
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Lies. And Trudeau-Trump lies.
You have come to expect it in the daily reports from the American White House. You know that the man in the White House tells lies. You just do not expect it from the guy in charge in Ottawa. And you already knew that the guy in charge at the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: You want Trump to go? And then what?
There seems to be a growing consensus among mental health professionals that Donald Trump might be crazy. After all, he thinks he is President of the United States. How crazy can that be? And the man does seem delusional. We all saw it early in his campaign. He would preen
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Trudeau fighting out of his weight class?
The reason why boxing promoters will not allow a lightweight boxer to take on a heavyweight is that the lightweight might not last two minutes. The lightweight might be fast on his feet but the heavyweight only needs to land one punch. That is why Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Who’s sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom?
It used to be that if you donated enough to the American President’s political party, you could get an invite to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House. There is a possibility that is where President Trump is trying to sleep when in Washington. And Honest Abe is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: What would Dr. Goebbels say?
Did you miss the new lie from Donald Trump? He dreamed up a complaint that President Obama had his phones at Trump Tower in New York tapped during the campaign last year. It seems a novel suggestion but nobody can come up with any idea why Obama would bother. If
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trump’s Throne Speech.
Americans would not necessarily recognize what President Trump was doing in his speech to Congress the other night. It was easily recognized by any Brit or Canuck as a typical Speech from the Throne. It is a speech read by the Queen or the Queen’s Representative telling the assembled legislators
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trumping the News Media.
The other day one of our American relatives asked: “Why are you writing so much about Trump?” The simple answer is that President Donald Trump is an ongoing saga of the worst of things that can happen in politics. There are also the greatly increased readership statistics when writing about
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