Tag Archives: Current Events

Orban’s cronies leaving with amassed wealth

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One reason a country does not want an autocratic type leader is the leader and his friends tend to rob the country blind. Whether the name is Putin, Mubarek, or Orbán, they enrich themselves.

Per an article in The Guardian, “It is a glimpse of the upheaval that has gripped Hungary as it prepares to turn the page on Orbán’s rule. Since he took power in 2010, a small circle of associates aligned with the leader and his Fidesz party have amassed vast fortunes, partly due to their expanding control over the country’s economy and EU-funded contracts for public infrastructure.

Since the election, the Guardian has learned of three members of this inner circle who have begun moving their assets abroad. The wealth is being moved to countries in the Middle East – Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE – while others have their sights set on Australia and Singapore, two Fidesz sources said.”

You need look no further than the incumbent US president who appears to be taking advantage of his position. His oligarchical friends also seem to be doing quite well. It is vital we have our checks and balances in place. There are rules that are supposed to keep this in check, but are not being followed.*

*Note: Per an AI search summary: “The Emoluments Clauses are U.S. Constitutional provisions designed as anti-corruption safeguards to prevent federal officials from being influenced by foreign powers or corruptly benefiting from their positions. They primarily restrict accepting gifts, titles, or profits from foreign states or U.S. entities beyond official salary.”

Questions to ask staff of GOP Congress

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Please call your Congressperson and Senators, as well as select others (Speaker, Senate Leader, Bill sponsor, Committee co-chair, et al) with your concerns. If you leave a message know you can re-record it, but be prepared to leave a short one when you call (you have about two minutes). Try to mix in some kudos if appropriate. Yet above all be diplomatic.

If you get a staff member, here are a few questions you may want to ask at the end. Note, I have made more than 500 calls, so they are tired of hearing from me. Emails are more than fine, but expect a form letter back.

1) You sound like a young person, you do realize we are leaving these problems for you (debt, environment, climate change, reputational damage, etc.)?

2) What will your boss have to defend tomorrow, next week or next month?

3) Your boss does not even know if the transgression to defend has already been committed.

4) Setting aside your boss’ oath, a reputation is hard to maintain, so how does your boss want to be remembered?

5) You do realize the incumbent president is an anchor (meaning dead weight) for your party, the country and the planet? It is evidence in many votes since he was reelected.

Let me add, violence or threatening rhetoric is not the answer. It is more than OK to disagree, but again be diplomatic and avoid name calling. Give like you want to get. My main theme of late has been we have greatly damaged our reputation in the world. Many think of our country as a pariah or rogue nation.

That is not the kind of reputation I want as a citizen. My guess is many in the president’s party feel the same way I do, but won’t speak up. And, that is one reason I call.

Gambling with too many futures

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I have written before about the vast number of gambling websites being advertised on TV and cable. What the viewer does not realize is the advertisers have a huge profit margin at their expense. And, that does not include the state lotteries who want your money at even worse odds for the bettor.

Yesterday, I read the following article in The Guardian called “US gambling addiction is ‘out of control’ as betting markets boom, policy expert warns” by Anna Betts. The subheadline has a plea to help solve this growing problem “The gambling crisis ‘demands a public health response’ and should be regulated like alcohol or tobacco, expert says.”

Here are a couple of paragraphs. “Gambling addiction is spiraling ‘out of control’ in the US, a leading campaigner for stricter guardrails has warned, as experts from around the world are set to gather in Boston to push for more regulation of the industry.

The rapid expansion of online gambling, prediction markets and sports betting platforms, ‘demands a public health response’ according to Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), urging policymakers to intervene.

‘You regulate the distribution, the speed, the type, the access to the product, because the product is what’s dangerous,’ he said, calling for gambling to be treated like alcohol or tobacco. ‘The problem is the product, not the people,’ said Levant. ‘We have a crisis here.’

The warning comes as experts from around the world are set to gather in Boston today to push for more regulation of the industry. The conference has been organized by PHAI, a US-based non-profit led by Richard Daynard, who led litigation against big tobacco in the 1980s.”

This is a crisis, but I would not totally absolve fault of the bettor and even other influences. The bettor should realize the lure of easy money is a pipe dream. The bettor should realize the odds are too high on certain bets. Yet, the other influences include the high costs of living, reduced working hours, separation and divorce, emergency fund needs for cars, healthcare, etc.

After reading this article, I was standing in a line at a retail store and the man behind me was on the phone saying he lost $2,400 and needed to go back this weekend to try and win it back or at least $1,000 of it. My guess he got money out to pay a debt, then tried to parlay it into more money and lost it all. This is too common a story.

One more gone, one in the wings

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Two articles. Familiar stories.

Per The Guardian: “Donald Trump’s labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is stepping down, the administration announced on Monday, after a series of misconduct allegations including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking on the job.” Apparently, she and her spouse have been accused of abuse of her position.

Per The Hill: “FBI Director Kash Patel is vehemently denying explosive new allegations — and threatening legal action over them. A new report from The Atlantic paints a troubling picture of the man leading one of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world, alleging excessive drinking, erratic behavior and even periods where he was simply unreachable on the job.” (Note: Patel did sue The Atlantic but they stick by their story).

Two more troubling circumstances involving the Trump’s key staff. It has been reported as early as 2016 by Newsweek, a shortcoming of the incumbent president is not vetting people very well in his business dealings. In fact, when a 2017 nominee withdrew after some troubling news emerged, Trump said it was not his job to vet people, it was reporters’ jobs. That is a very inane and naive statement. Of course, it is the hirer’s responsibility.

It should be noted Pam Bondi, who left a month ago after a less than stellar AG performance, was the second pick after Matt Gaetz. The first pick was so fraught with peccadilloes, he withdrew before the Senate voted him down.

Note: Please check out Jill’s post on the first departure :

https://jilldennison.com/2026/04/21/another-one-bites-the-dust-3/

Tariff refund system

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From an article in The Guardian this morning called “Trump administration launches tariff refund system as first step in paying back billions – US politics live” a key metaphor is occurring as we speak. From the piece is a reference from a governmental blog:


“Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

The Trump administration is expected to launch a refund system for businesses that paid tariffs later struck down by the supreme court. It is the first step in paying back $166bn in tariffs after justices ruled the Trump administration was overstepping its constitutional powers.

Importers and their brokers will be able to begin claiming refunds through an online portal beginning at 8 am ET, according to US Customs and Border Protection, the agency administering the system.

It’s the first step in a complicated process that also might eventually lead to refunds for consumers who were billed for some or all of the tariffs on products shipped to them from outside the United States, the Associated Press reports.

Companies must list the goods on which tariffs were levied. If CBP approves a claim, it will take 60-90 days for a refund to be issued, the agency said. CBP said in court filings that over 330,000 importers paid a total of about $166bn on over 53m shipments.

More than 3,000 businesses, including FedEx and Costco, have sued the Trump administration to get refunds, the New York Times reports. FedEx has suggested customers could be in line for refunds for overpaid tariffs while Costco has said it may pass on refunds in lower prices for consumers.”

To me this is a metaphor for the Trump regime. American tax payer dollars must be spent to remedy yet another illegal action by the incumbent president.* But, we have seen charges brought by the justice department to punish people who Trump feels wronged him. There are no tangible reasons for the charges, which have been exemplified by attorneys quitting, so as not to damage their reputation. Plus, the Trump government has spent our money to defend in court other illegal actions.

Another good example occurred in his first term when he set up a committee to investigate his belief that Hillary Clinton could not have won the popular vote in 2016. So, people wasted their time for a whole year before they quietly disbanded finding the count was correct. So, 2020 was not the first election that hurt Trump’s feelings. How much time and money gets wasted because Trump’s ego needs stroking?

*Note: Please refer to Jill’s comment below about the consumer impact of the tariff and its unlikelihood of being rebated.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good

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Time and again, I see people who cite things not being perfect as a reason for failure. Things are never perfect. We are a conglomeration of imperfect people. So, collective entities are not perfect either. So, maybe a dose of tolerance is needed.

I mention this as people see collaborations not working perfectly, so something has to be wrong. Things can still be better by collaborating, but fall short of perfection. It does not mean we should stop collaborating. It just means we need to communicate better and improve where the collaboration is not working well.

It frustrates me to see divisive people look to divide us rather than unite us. This is especially true if they are in a leadership position. Leaders have a responsibility to unite us toward common goals. Collaborations are a good example. While it is easier for a leader to say they do it alone, not valuing the positive influences of collaborations shortchanges the decision process. Plus, no person is island, so we all need some degree of help.

Like any business relationship, the relationship needs to be consistently evaluated, tweaked, modified or scrapped if not working. But, throwing collaborations out without study or simply because someone else set it up is disservice. When new leaders come in, they should respect previous relationships, because lasting ones tend to be of some value. Even good ones fall shy of perfect. If every four years we cease relationships, that does not foment positive business dealings.

A few more dumb questions based on recent events

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Just a few more dumb questions which should be asked of supporters of the incumbent president:

-what kind of person would think it is a good idea to criticize the Pope for a message of peace and cessation of violence?
-what kind of person would think it is a good idea to equate himself to Jesus and then give such a lame excuse to defend what he did?
-what kind of person would say he wanted to erase a country’s existence on one day, then want to be their business partner two days later?
-who would want to do business with someone who flip flops to that degree?

This is an incredibly thin-skinned person. He does not handle criticism well, but also feels the need to pat himself on the back in sometimes over-the-top offensive ways. There is not enough false bravado to paint over this weakness of character. It truly is that simple.

Note: Please check out the letter in Jill’s post written by five psychiatrists to the four leaders in Congress:

But Will They Listen?

“What does the win mean for the EU?” per The Guardian

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Many in Hungary and Europe are hopeful relationships between the European Union and Hungary will improve. But, it will take positive efforts to collaborate rather than the divisive efforts of the Orban regime. In a nutshell, collaboration is hard work. But, the following excerpt from The Guardian offers some encouragement.

“‘Orbán’s frequent efforts to undermine the EU’s attempts at collective action – not to mention his proud defence of the ‘illiberal democracy’ that Hungary became on his watch – exasperated and infuriated the European Commission. His vetoing of a massive EU loan to Ukraine and his strategy of delaying, and sometimes opposing, EU sanctions on Russia, left the bloc looking toothless and divided….

Magyar, on the other hand, has promised to repair Hungary’s strained relationship with the bloc and to address many of its concerns. In a speech on Monday afternoon, he struck a conciliatory note, saying that while the EU was ‘a complicated, bureaucratic, compromise-seeking’ organisation, he felt compromises could be made. ‘I am sure we will have debates,’ he added. ‘But we are not going there to fight for the sake of fighting so we can write on billboards that Brussels is evil and needs to be stopped.’

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, made plain her relief at the election result – and her hopes for rebooted relations with Hungary – in a post on X. ‘Hungary has chosen Europe,’ she wrote. ‘Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country returns to its European path. The Union grows stronger.’”

I am looking forward to the steps ahead needed to make collaboration work better.

An anchor is sinking us

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Just in case you had doubts about the Iran war, here is an excerpt from an editorial in The Guardian by Richard Stengel * called “I was the US soft power czar. Our reputation may never recover from this.” The subheading is even more concerning: “Trump’s venal persona and his war on Iran will do untold damage to America’s ability to make a positive difference in the world.”

This paragraph from the piece cuts to the chase: “But I believe because of Donald Trump and his war in Iran, American popularity will descend to depths it has not seen this century and may never recover to the median levels that we saw with Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Forget Barack Obama numbers – they’re out of reach. Confidence in Trump’s ability to navigate global affairs was already around 30-40% before the invasion of Iran. That will be the new ceiling. ‘The world is watching,’ Trump said in his White House address on Wednesday. Yes, it is.”

*******

*Note: Per Wikipedia: “Richard Allen “Rick” Stengel (born May 2, 1955) is an American editor, author, and former government official. He was Time magazine’s 16th managing editor from 2006 to 2013. He was also chief executive of the National Constitution Center from 2004 to 2006, and served as President Obama’s Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from 2014 to 2016. Stengel has written a number of books, including a collaboration with Nelson Mandela on Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.”

Bill Clinton speech on concerns over defense

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Please check out the following earnest and exceptional speech by Bill Clinton (a link is below). It is lengthy but worth the watch. My wife said it is the best speech she has heard in a long while.

It is entitled “”Most people DON’T REALIZE why Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon is FALLING APART” | Bill Clinton” on YouTube.

This speech should be alarming to all Americans regardless of party. The fiasco occurring in Iran is just one more example – our two military leaders did not gain permission from Congress, cannot articulate on a consistent basis why we are there, have no real plan or definition of success or exit strategy. To me, we are a rogue nation and it embarrasses me.

Note, I sent a variation of this to Senators John Thune, Chuck Schumer and my two senators.

https://youtu.be/YpfIt1cs3hs