Questions We’ll Still Be Asking in 2026

Yes, we the people are still talking about Jeffrey Epstein.  We know from his trial and your trial with E. Jean Carroll that you and your beastie bestie were both sexual predators.  How were you, or people you know, involved in his sex trafficking?  We’d also like to know why Ghislane Maxwell was transferred to a country club prison after meeting with your personal lawyer, B. Todd Blanche.  Will you pardon her if she keeps her mouth shut about you and Jeffrey Epstein?  How many times was your name redacted from those Epstein files?

We’re wondering why our government, which used to only kill foreign nationals in secrecy through CIA covert black operations, is now openly committing War Crimes and atrocities against Venezuela and putting the incidents on television for the whole world to see.  Of course, we will probably never see the video of the second drone attack on September 2, 2025, the strike that was ordered to kill two survivors in the water.  Does “Kill Them All” also mean Leave no witnesses?  Have you ever read the Geneva Convention? When push comes to shove, who will you throw under the bus to save yourself, Pete Hegseth or fat generals?

People are also talking about the Venezuelan Oil Tankers that were pirated, not by Somolli pirates, but by U.S. armed forces.  Is this about oil, or are you trying to start a war with Venezuela?  We’ve noticed that you are cozying up to the idea of calling illegal drugs “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Donald Rumsfeld would be proud of you. 

We’d also like to know why you’re more interested in helping Russia than Ukraine.  Do you want to do to Greenland, what Russia is trying to do to Ukraine?  You tried to force Ukraine to sign a peace deal that was written exclusively by the Russians without any input at all from Ukraine.  Whose side are you on?

What incriminating evidence does Russia have on you?  The Mueller Findings resulted in the arrest of many of your associates.  Is that why you closed those and other investigations?

Why, at the 2018 Helsinki summit, did you publicly side with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election?  Does it have anything to do with your multiple Casino Bankruptcies and subsequent financial recovery thanks to the help of Russian Oligarchs?  Will you give U.S. citizenship to any Russian with $5 million dollars, while deporting actual American citizens and sending them to brutal prisons in foreign countries, even after numerous court decisions have barred you from doing this?

Why are you purposely driving us away from NATO and the rest of our democracy-loving allies around the world, while you praise dictators like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un?

We’ll also talking about the skyrocketing cost of living for the average person, while Billionaires get huge tax breaks. 

Why won’t you admit that your Tariffs are basically a sales tax that is forcing American Consumers to pay higher prices, while you still try to peddle the lie that China is paying the Tariff?

We’d like to have answers on why American Math scores rank 36th in the world, and why even you, a college graduate, are so mathematically ignorant that you repeatedly claim to lower drug prices by 500%, 600%, 700% 800% or more, when everybody with a rudimentary knowledge of math knows that lowering a price by 100% makes it free.  We know that you were already convicted of 34 counts of Felony Fraud in New York.  Was that bad math, or just another con like Trump University, which defrauded students and the Trump Foundation that robbed charities?

Why do you continue to annoy and threaten Canada and Greenland?

Why did you pardon violent Insurrectionists who attacked police officers and pardon people who defrauded Americans of millions of dollars, and even pardon the former President of Honduras who was convicted of smuggling tons of drugs into the U.S.?  Maybe you just don’t like the idea of former Presidents going to prison for their crimes.

What was your involvement in the January 6th insurrection?  You called the people who were arrested, heroes and patriots, so you must have been in favor of it.

What about the Fake Electors you used to try to nullify the election you lost?  Who was behind that?

How about the Georgia phone call where you tried to pressure Brad Raffensberger to give you the election?  How many votes did you want him to add to your total?

We have questions about why foreign tourists no longer wish to visit and spend their money in the United States.  We also would like to know why you’re trying to turn the United States into a police state, sending armed troops into states where they are not needed or wanted.

We still have questions about the Classified Documents you stored in your guest bathroom and shared with others at Mar-a-Lago who did not have security clearances.

Why did you destroy the East Wing of the White House?  Was it so that you could have a fancy ballroom to entertain the billionaires who have donated to your campaign for Kingship of the United States?  Why are you giving billionaires big tax breaks while shutting off American humanitarian aid that saved the lives of thousands of impoverished people worldwide, mostly children?

Why do Cabinet meeting always have to start with a full round of ass kissing?

Why do you insist on defying court orders and the Constitution, which you swore under oath to uphold?

We know all about the Hush Money Case you tried to deny, but we have questions about what quid pro quo you plan to give the Billionaires who are contributing to your campaign and funneling money to you?  How much outside money have you gotten as President.  How much did you grift on the hats, t-shirts, watches, coins, mug-shot mugs, phony AI action cards, etc.?  Where, for that matter, are the tax returns you vowed to release once the IRS cases were settled?  Are they tucked away in the same safety deposit box as the Health plan you’ve been promising to release for over a decade?

We also have plenty of Emoluments Questions that we’d like answered.  What was the quid pro quo in the $400 million aircraft presented by the Qatari royal family and the U.S. and Qatar finalized aviation and defense agreements totaling over $243 billion, including Qatar Airways’ purchase of up to 210 Boeing aircraft?  Will that plane be going to your Presidential Library? We know you don’t like to read. Will there be any books besides Mein Kampf in your library?

Have you tried on the ceremonial gold crown you got from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung?  This preceded expanded U.S.–South Korea security cooperation and trade adjustments.

Do you really believe that a made up FIFA Peace Prize qualifies you for a Nobel Peace Prize?

You also got gold bars and ancient artifacts from several Middle Eastern nations, some of which are estimated to be worth tens of millions. These were presented during diplomatic visits that coincided with defense procurement and energy deals.  How big a bribe does a country have to make to get a deal with the United States nowadays?  How much has your family’s net worth grown since you’ve been in office? How many golf courses have you opened around the world?

You accused President Biden of weaponizing the Justice Department, but you’re the one who has turned it loose on your political rivals and political enemies such as James Comey and Letitia James.   How do you explain that?  How do you explain your campaign against Freedom of Speech for comedians like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and others?

Whose idea was it to put up the ridiculous picture of an autopen for Joe Biden on the Presidential Walk of Fame?  Are you really claiming that you never used the autopen, even though there are so many people who you claim not to know who have been given pardons by you?  Who added the disgusting plaques which mock the other Presidents?  Did you write those yourself?  They look like some of the revolting middle-of-the-night tweets that you post on your mendacious social media site.

If you are still alive, will you run for an illegal 3rd term in 2028?  In a follow-up question, do you think you’ll still be alive in 2028?  What medical problems are you covering up with bandages and make-up? Why did your doctors order an MRI test?  Do you take medical advice from Robert Kennedy, Jr.?

Speaking of the Kennedys, where do you come off putting your name on the Kennedy Center? 

And Trump Class Battleships??? You know that “Trump Class” is an oxymoron don’t you?

Do you really think that all that orange make-up you pour on makes you look better than Zohran Mamdani?

Will you ever apologize to the Central Park Five, who you tried to have put to death for a crime they didn’t commit?

Tell me, Mr. President — what exactly should we be done talking about, and which news stories are too inconvenient to revisit in 2026?

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Own Goal

In soccer, the most humiliating mistake a player can make is the own goal — kicking the ball into the net you’re supposed to be defending. For Republicans, their own goal was Donald Trump.

Terrified of his MAGA voting bloc, Republican congressmen abandoned their constitutional duty of checks and balances. They kissed the ring, rubber-stamped his Cabinet picks, and confirmed judges without scrutiny. In doing so, they surrendered their power — not to the people, but to one man.

The result was a Cabinet filled with incompetence. Loyalty tests replaced qualifications. Pete Hegseth, among others, became emblematic of this rot — a figure whose reckless decisions may one day be judged in the harsh light of accountability. Meanwhile, scandals were buried, Epstein files delayed, and oversight abandoned, all to avoid the wrath of Dear Leader. This wasn’t governance. It was capitulation. And like any own goal, the damage was self-inflicted.

The consequences of this submission are now plain. By elevating loyalty over competence, Republicans enabled chaos, and did nothing to lower the cost of living for working-class people. Families struggling with rent, groceries, and healthcare found no relief from a party too busy protecting Trump’s ego to protect their constituents. The GOP’s obsession with appeasement left ordinary Americans footing the bill for dysfunction.

And then came the moment that crystallized the absurdity: Nobel-snubbed Donald Trump accepting the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize.” A made-up gold trophy, a medal, and a certificate — handed to a man whose tenure was marked by division, not diplomacy. It was a parody of statesmanship, a photo op masquerading as honor. The image of Trump smirking beside a bewildered FIFA official will live on as the perfect metaphor for the GOP’s descent — a party so committed to the illusion of victory that it mistook satire for achievement.

Now, the scoreboard is shifting. Miami just elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in 30 years. That victory is more than symbolic; it is a crack in the dam. Gerrymandering won’t save the GOP in 2026 when voters connect the dots: Republicans chose to confirm incompetence, cover up corruption, and ignore the economic pain of working families. The floodgates are opening, and history will remember not just Trump’s failures, but the complicity of those who enabled him.

The irony is rich. In their desperation to protect themselves from Trump’s base, Republicans scored against their own team. They weakened their brand, alienated moderates, and set the stage for a blue wave in 2026 and a blue tsunami in 2028. Miami is the first ripple, but it won’t be the last.

The GOP thought they were defending their net. Instead, they kicked the ball straight in. And history will record the Trump era not as a victory, but as the greatest own goal in American politics.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

End Racism – One Mind at a Time

I grew up in a conservative household, but my parents were progressive in how they treated people who weren’t like themselves. They taught me to respect others, regardless of race or background. Still, as a child, I carried the subtle belief that people of different races were somehow different from me.

One evening, my family went out to dinner at Beefsteak Charlies, a modest restaurant that catered to families. At the table next to us sat a Black family. I remember looking at their teenage son and feeling uneasy—my first impression was shaped by the fact that he was Black. He seemed intimidating to me.

Then, his mother asked him to take his younger brother to the bathroom. He stood up and asked his brother, “Do you have to do pee pee or boom booms?” In that moment, everything changed. I realized that my fear had nothing to do with who he was, but with my own bias. His words were the same silly phrase I might have used myself. Suddenly, I saw how much we were alike.

That was a great day for me. It was the moment I understood that racism isn’t just about hatred—it’s about assumptions, impressions, and the walls we build in our minds. And those walls can crumble in an instant when we recognize our shared humanity.

A friend of mine, a kind, generous man raised in a white household, never had that moment. He sees a difference where I now see similarity. I believe change happens one mind at a time. If we can share stories that reveal our common humanity, we can help others break free from prejudice.

Racism doesn’t end through arguments or statistics. By winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Jesse Owens singlehandedly disproved the Nazi propaganda that white German athletes were superior to black athletes. That powerful display, however, didn’t open Hitler’s eyes to how wrong his racist ideas were. Racism only ends when someone realizes that the boy at the next table, who looks so different, is really so much like them. It ends when we see the humor, the love, and the ordinary rituals that connect us all.

We can end racism—one mind at a time.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Pay to Play

In 2025, President Trump issued a wave of controversial pardons that raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. While presidential clemency is a constitutional power, the pattern of recipients suggests a troubling trend: those with wealth, influence, or political loyalty were far more likely to receive mercy than those without.

The Donors and Allies Who Walked Free

  • Juan Orlando Hernández: The former president of Honduras was convicted of trafficking over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. His pardon followed lobbying efforts by Trump ally Roger Stone. Roger Stone, by the way, was pardoned by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. He received a full and unconditional pardon for his conviction related to charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and other offenses connected to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Stone had been sentenced to 40 months in prison, but his sentence was commuted and then fully pardoned by Trump.
  • David Gentile: Orchestrated a $1.6 billion Ponzi-style fraud targeting over 10,000 investors. Praised by Trump’s pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson.
  • George Santos: Convicted of wire fraud, identity theft, and campaign finance violations. A vocal supporter of Trump.
  • Changpeng Zhao: Founder of Binance, convicted of money laundering. Binance had promoted Trump family crypto ventures.
  • Trevor Milton: Founder of Nikola, convicted of securities fraud. His business aligned with Trump’s economic messaging.
  • Rod Blagojevich: Former Illinois governor who attempted to sell Obama’s Senate seat. A former contestant on Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice.”
  • Devon Archer: Convicted in a $60 million bond fraud. His ties to Hunter Biden were used by Trump to fuel political attacks.
  • BitMEX Co-founders: Pardoned for violating anti-money laundering laws. Their crypto influence aligned with Trump’s push for digital finance.
  • Henry Cuellar and wife: Facing federal bribery charges. Trump framed their case as DOJ overreach.
  • Michele Fiore: Convicted of charity fraud involving police memorial funds. A vocal MAGA supporter.
  • Scott Jenkins: Involved in a “cash-for-badges” scheme. Tied to Trump-aligned law enforcement circles.
  • Let’s, also, not forget the 1600 MAGA-merch-wearing insurrectionists who were pardoned by Trump for their attack on the Capital and Capital Police. He called them heroic patriots.

These pardons share a common thread: political loyalty, economic influence, or usefulness to Trump’s narrative. While no direct bribes have been proven, the optics suggest a system where clemency is granted not based on justice, but on proximity to power.

Meanwhile, over 80 Venezuelan boatmen—accused of drug smuggling but never tried—were killed in U.S.-led maritime strikes. They had no lobbyists, no campaign donations, no celebrity connections. They didn’t “Pay to Play.” They paid with their lives, and Trump and Hegseth should pay for their “Kill them all” war crimes with Impeachment and prison.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

No Kings, the Rally Heard ’round the World

Yesterday’s No Kings Rally wasn’t just a protest — it was a reckoning. A mosaic of causes, signs, and voices, all bound together by one unifying thread: We the People have been stirred to action. Not by policy differences. Not by party loyalty. But by the cruelty, the malignant narcissism, and the corrosive influence of Donald Trump.

Fascism began as a Roman metaphor: a bundle of sticks (fasces) symbolizing strength through unity. One stick breaks easily. A bundle resists. Mussolini twisted that into authoritarianism. Hitler weaponized it. And Trump? He tried to make the bundle serve only him — demanding loyalty, punishing dissent, and mocking the vulnerable.

But yesterday, we reclaimed the bundle. Not as a tool of domination, but as a symbol of democratic resistance. Many years ago, Chief Tecumseh taught the same lesson with arrows. The Founders echoed it with E Pluribus Unum. And yesterday, the signs told the story.

The signs and speeches were about:

  • Protecting reproductive freedom
  • Defending LGBTQ+ rights
  • Expanding healthcare access
  • Preserving Social Security and Medicare
  • Combating climate change
  • Supporting veterans and mental health
  • Raising wages and strengthening unions
  • Reforming immigration and criminal justice
  • Fighting voter suppression and gun violence

These weren’t isolated chants. They were verses in a shared anthem: We the People demand better. And we demand it together — because cruelty in power has a way of clarifying what really matters.

And then came the sign that stopped me cold: “They’re eating the Epstein files.”

It wasn’t just funny. It was surgical. A jab at the elite’s appetite for secrecy, distraction, and self-preservation. As the files trickle out, the public appetite for truth grows — and so does the suspicion that someone’s chewing through the evidence.

This wasn’t a rally of factions. It was a rally of fusion. The bundle is back — not in the hands of tyrants, but in the grip of citizens. We’re demanding accountability from Government, and we’re doing it together.

So next time someone asks what the rally was about, tell them this: It was about E Pluribus Unum. It was about We the People. It was about refusing to be ruled by cruel tyrants ever again.

Be there for the next rally.  Courage is contagious.

Peace & Love and all of the above,

Earl

The Department of Vengeance

As America prepares for the No Kings Rally — a celebration of democratic resistance and constitutional humility — it’s worth asking: what kind of kingdom are we resisting?

Recent headlines suggest we’re not just dealing with a president. We’re dealing with a monarch-in-waiting, armed not with a crown, but with a blacklist.

He’s already renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War — now he’s eyeing the Department of Justice for a makeover: the Department of Vengeance.

Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to punish his political enemies. He’s called himself “your retribution”. He’s floated criminal referrals for Letitia James, who dared to hold him accountable for civil fraud. He’s targeted James Comey and John Bolton, not for crimes, but for defiance. And he’s done it all while testing the waters of public appetite for vengeance — a campaign strategy that doubles as a loyalty test.

This isn’t justice. It’s grievance cosplay.

The so-called Department of Vengeance isn’t a real agency, but it might as well be. Trump’s allies have proposed purges of federal institutions, loyalty oaths for civil servants, and even a new “Department of Government Efficiency” — a euphemism for gutting agencies that don’t kiss the ring.

Let’s be clear: this is not about restoring order.  It’s about rewriting the rules so that dissent becomes disloyalty, and accountability becomes treason.

And yet, the system resists. Grand juries refuse to indict political targets. Judges push back. Juries — those pesky peers — still ask for evidence, not vendettas. The machinery of democracy may be creaky, but it hasn’t collapsed.  Journalists, too, are standing up.  They walked out of the Pentagon after they refused to sign agreements that they would only write approved stories.

So, as we gather for the No Kings Rally, let’s remember: the crown isn’t just a metaphor. It’s a warning. When a leader builds a Department of Vengeance, he’s not just settling scores. He’s auditioning for tyranny.  Trump is a wannabe Fascist, but like John Bolton once said, “To be a fascist, you have to have a philosophy. Trump’s not capable of that. You know, Adolf Hitler wrote a profoundly troubling book called Mein KampfMy Struggle. Donald Trump couldn’t even read his way all the way through that book, let alone write something like it.”

Nonetheless, Dumb Donnie wants his revenge fantasies. We just want to keep our republic.  Join the rally and help us.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Don’t Believe Me, Just Watch

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, is most often associated with the quote: “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”  Goebbels’ propaganda strategy was repetition, emotional appeal, and the manipulation of public perception.

Jen Psaki recently aired a chilling montage: 36 Sinclair-affiliated newscasters in 36 different cities reciting the same exact script, word for word. It wasn’t a blooper reel—it was a broadcast strategy to “flood the zone” with their message.  “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.”   Ironically, their message was “We’re concerned about the troubling trend of false news…” Obviously, the irony was lost on them.  What are the odds that 36 different opinion influencers in 36 different cities all had the very same word-for-word opinion about a current problem?  You have better odds of hitting the Powerball Grand Prize. When 36 newscasters in 36 different cities say the same exact thing, it’s not journalism—it’s choreography.

This isn’t just lazy journalism. It’s tactical repetition—a propaganda technique.  Joseph Goebbels believed that if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes truth, not through evidence, but through echo.  The modern Republican messaging follows this blueprint with eerie precision. When a false claim emerges—whether about elections, vaccines, or climate—it’s not debated. It’s deployed. Within hours, the same phrases surface across Fox News, congressional tweets, and local radio. It’s not persuasion. It’s programming.  This isn’t about disagreement. It’s about manufactured consensus. The goal isn’t to win an argument—it’s to flood the zone with noise until truth becomes indistinguishable from fiction.

  • It starts with Centralized Messaging: GOP operatives distribute talking points like marching orders. The purpose is Repetition Over Reason: The same phrases—“weaponized DOJ,” “rigged election,” “woke indoctrination”—are repeated ad nauseam.  Then comes the Emotional Anchoring: Lies are tied to fear, patriotism, or outrage, bypassing logic and triggering tribal loyalty.  The final step is to Flood the Zone. Currently, the Republicans are blaming the government shutdown on Democrats. Not with nuance, not with evidence, but with a synchronized chant: “Democrats are shutting down the government to give billions in healthcare to illegal aliens.” It’s an outrageous lie. A loud, coordinated, cynical lie. But it’s everywhere—on cable news, in press releases, across social media. The goal isn’t persuasion. It’s saturation. “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” 

This isn’t new. But the scale, speed, and shamelessness of its practitioners are unprecedented.

When truth becomes optional, democracy becomes ornamental. Plato warned that unchecked rhetoric leads to tyranny. Goebbels promoted it. And today’s Republican echo chamber is actually proving that it works in real time.  They were able to get a twice impeached, convicted rapist and felon elected to the highest office by spreading lies without caring if they were true or not, “They’re eating the dogs!”

We don’t need censorship. We need media literacy, moral clarity, and the courage to call the repetition of lies what it really is: a weapon.

“Don’t believe me, just watch.”

Bigger than Kimmel: Psaki shows what’s really behind the comedian’s suspension

If you don’t want to hear the entire story, fast forward 5 minutes into the video to get to the reveal.

If you’re disappointed that this post was all about Propaganda instead of Bruno Mars, I included the Bruno Mars video to make you feel better.

Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk (Official Video) ft. Bruno Mars

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Candygram for Earlthepearl137

It happened just after dusk. I was halfway through reheating last night’s chili when the knock came — firm, rhythmic, and suspiciously polite. I figured it was U.P.S. with my Bourbon order. I opened the door to find two masked men, dressed like extras from a dystopian reboot of The Blues Brothers, holding a ribboned box and wearing jackets labeled “I.C.E.”

“Candygram for Earlthepearl137,” one of them said, eyes wide with bureaucratic innocence.

I blinked.  I wasn’t surprised — I’d just published a blog post titled The End of Free Speech: A Love Letter to Monitored Comedy.  I knew the drill. Say something morally clear, challenge selective outrage, and suddenly you’re on the compliance radar.  Satire, when done right, makes some people nervous.

In my latest post, I questioned the double standards of speech policing — how moral clarity gets labeled “aggressive,” while actual harm gets a pass if it’s wrapped in patriotism or profit. I used examples from club signage, media pivots, and the way certain phrases get flagged not for content, but for who’s saying them.

Apparently, that was enough to trigger a “courtesy check.”

The I.C.E. agents didn’t arrest me, though. They didn’t even enter. They just stood there, box in hand, waiting for me to acknowledge the delivery. It was performance art — a compliance ritual dressed as concern. And like all good satire, it left me wondering: who’s really afraid of free speech?

I reached for the candygram, and the masked man winked. Not a friendly wink. The kind that says, We know where you live.

And then I woke up.

I wonder if it was a dream or a premonition.

“No Kings Day” – October 18th. Be there and bring a friend.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

A Timeline of Political Violence

Today marks the anniversary of September 11, 2001—a day of unimaginable loss. Nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered in coordinated terrorist attacks. The grief was real. The fear was justified. But the response? It became something else entirely.

In the name of justice, the United States launched the War on Terror. Over the next two decades, that war claimed the lives of more than 363,000 civilians across Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan. The total death toll—including combatants, journalists, and aid workers—approaches 900,000.

These were not accidents. They were the result of deliberate policy, drone strikes, invasions, and occupations. And they were justified with the same language we hear today: “threats,” “terrorists,” “national security.”

Fast forward to this week.

President Donald Trump bragged about ordering a strike that killed 11 Venezuelans on a boat suspected of drug smuggling. No trial. No names. Just a video of the explosion and a caption: “BEWARE.”

Days later, Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was assassinated while speaking at a university. Trump responded with solemnity, grief, and fury—calling Democrats “terrorists” and promising retaliation.

This is not just hypocrisy. It’s a moral collapse.

A pacifist sees murder as murder. Whether it’s by drone or by gun, whether the victim is a political ally or adversary, the moral cost is the same. The selective outrage—grieving one death while glorifying another—erodes our shared humanity.

The War on Terror didn’t just avenge 9/11. It multiplied its death toll a hundredfold. And now, in 2025, we see the same pattern: state violence is celebrated, while personal violence is condemned—but only when it’s politically convenient.

🧭 What We Must Refuse

  • Refuse to let grief be weaponized.
  • Refuse to let state violence be sanitized.
  • Refuse to let political affiliation determine moral worth.

If we mourn Charlie Kirk, we must also mourn the 11 Venezuelans. If we condemn his assassination, we must also condemn the strike that killed them. If we remember 9/11, we must also remember the civilians who died in its name.

Otherwise, we are not defending life. We are defending a brand.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Wanted in 125 Countries, But Welcomed in Alaska

I almost got kicked out of a diner once for trying to order a Jim Beam milkshake with my breakfast. The waitress said it violated “company policy.” I said it violated my taste buds to drink anything without a little rebellion in it. We settled on a root beer float and a mutual understanding that rules are only flexible when the manager’s on break.

Which brings me to Alaska.

Whoever is running this country must be on a break. This Friday, two men—one a convicted felon, and one wanted in 125 countries for war crimes—will meet at a Hotel in Alaska to discuss peace, war, and possibly who gets custody of Crimea. Donald Trump, who is the only U.S. President with felony convictions, will host Vladimir Putin, a man wanted by the International Criminal Court for abducting Ukrainian children. He is wanted in 125 Countries, while Donald Trump is unwanted everywhere he goes.

Now, before you ask, “How is this legal?”—let me remind you: the United States isn’t part of the ICC. We opted out, presumably to keep our own war crimes tidy and domestic. So while 125 countries would slap cuffs on Putin faster than you can say “borscht,” Alaska rolls out the welcome mat. Probably one with a bear on it.

I imagine the summit will be held in a Bail and Breakfast place, with moose jerky appetizers and a ceremonial exchange of MAGA hats and Kremlin lapel pins. Trump will declare peace in our time, Putin will drink Vodka and nod solemnly, and somewhere in The Hague, a judge will throw a gavel at the wall.  Or maybe one of Putin’s political opponents will vigorously protest by “accidentally” throwing himself off a 30th-floor balcony.

This is not diplomacy. It’s dinner theater.

And yet, there’s something heartbreakingly American about it. We love a good outlaw. Jesse James. Al Capone. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, not to mention the guy who invented the McRib. We don’t mind criminality as long as it comes with a slogan and a side of fries. Trump and Putin are just the latest duo in our long tradition of “bad boys with branding.”

But here’s the rub: this isn’t a sitcom. It’s real. Ukraine is bleeding. Children have been taken. Democracy is being bartered like a used snowmobile. And while the rest of the world tightens its grip on justice, we’re hosting a summit meeting between two known criminals.  The only result anyone expects is for Putin and Trump to issue a joint nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize—submitted in black Sharpie and sealed with a vodka stain.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl