Insult At Quantico

My military experience is limited to having ridden past Quantico a few times on the train. However, the President addressing all the assembled generals has no more experience than me. He didn't even understand why they didn't laugh at his jokes. He doesn't understand that they are supposed to be apolitical. When he suggests that they practice warfare on civilians in our cities, he demonstrates a dangerous kindergarten comprehension of our government.

I doubt that even many Republican veterans could appreciate the reason for the conclave assembled at Quantico. It could not have been more ill advised from any viewpoint.

Fortunately for us, we have a very disciplined military. I expect the fallout will be limited to eye rolling. They knew Trump is a moron, and now they know the same about Hegseth. Hegseth said that generals who do not agree with his agenda should resign. Most of those generals earned their stripes the hard, long way, and know that the constitution will hopefully improve the current situation in another three and a half years.

Witnessing History

On Monday afternoon, President Trump said I got to witness the greatest accomplishment in civilization. Well maybe, if Hamas accepts the deal, it is an accomplishment. Greatest in history? That statement is one for psychology, not history. 

Netanyahu said that if they didn't do it the easy way, they would have to do it the hard way. What was hard was watching them say so little, with so much pomp. I hope that for the hostages and the Palestinians, Hamas accepts the proposal, but my regard for both Trump and Netanyahu won't improve.

I think that Trump should say nothing without a teleprompter, not even hello or goodbye.

Tenderizing MacKenzie

I grew up working in a meat market. People often would buy a round steak, and ask the clerk to tenderize it. You ran it through a machine with steel teeth on opposing rollers. Those thousand perforations made the lower cost tough steak tender. 

Multiple ads in the Morning Call have been tenderizing Mackenzie for next year's election. They don't really expect Mackenzie to vote against the administration's budget, but the purpose is to suggest to the voters that he's voting against their interests.

Although the Democrats won't be deciding on Mackenzie's opponent until next May, expect to receive many mailers and see many ads in the meantime. Money is no object when they attempt to turn a tough cut into hamburger.

Looking Like The Students

Nobody wants to be called a racist, and everybody walks on eggshells when discussing the current situation in the Allentown School District. The recent fad in urban education was that the person who the students see in leadership, should look like them, and that meant black or brown, but not white.

School Boards have hired Superintendents of color, who in turn hired principals of color. There has developed a large demand for a rather smaller pool of qualified candidates, who meet the color test. Here in Allentown, the superintendent we hired was actually paid off to leave a similar position in New England. We in turn have just suspended, with pay, a new principal at Harrison Morton, who kicked out the window in a police cruiser last weekend. 

The core of school directors who adhered to the color test are not running for reelection. By good fortune, we have a pool of new candidates, who are very qualified to improve the district.

One Term Mackenzie

On Wednesday's post, a commenter asked me how I claim to be a conservative, when I don't endorse Trump's Americanism. I wouldn't call Trump's agenda American values, and Mackenzie's sycophantic behavior may well be a bad bet on his part. His reported answers on the WFMZ Iannelli interview were way too safe for me. 

The most independent that he could be was to agree with Iannelli that certain behaviors were wrong, such as going after political enemies, but he stopped way short of calling Trump out on them. Closing the border is a horse that can be ridden only so far. 

When science research against cancer is defunded, and a president babbles on against Tylenol, people with a grade 12 education wince. When enough people wince, over one misstep or another, that party suffers in the midterms. The WFMZ interview was an opportunity for Mackenzie to present himself as his own man...he failed to do that.

In terms of being independent and your own man, this blog (me) has moved more to the center. As a conservative independent, many of my readers are Republican. Many people cannot understand that there are independents like myself, who really do not adhere to one party or another. Likewise, they may not understand that this blog is not written for monetary compensation. I express my opinion, readers are welcome to come and go.

This isn't my first post critical of Mackenzie. It is my hope that he comes to assert himself when Trump introduces a flawed policy, and I can vote for him in 2026.

Morning Call Malarkey

The Morning Call headline stated that an Iron Chef is making a bet on Allentown. Anybody who has a paid subscription to the paper knows better than that. We've seen Reilly's City Center RE subsidize one new restaurant after another, since Shula's opened on the Arts Walk in 2015. 

We old timer subscribers have seen one Morning Call Reporter, after another, present a news release as news. 

I watched Josh Shapiro on Meet The Press this past Sunday. As a possible Democrat for 2028, he'll  have to present Allentown as a feather in his cap. When the press comes to the Queen City in 2028, I doubt that they'll be able to eat at Jose Garces' Okatshe Japanese Restaurant. For Hamilton Street, three years is an eternity.