When Tariffs Were Trump's Big Fumble

The tariffs were Trump's first fumble, but nothing compared to the war with Iran. When Colorado Congressman Jeff Hurd voted against the tariffs, Trump supported a primary opponent against him. Now that the midterms are looking more precarious for the White House, he has bribed the opponent off, and is supporting Hurd.

Who could have foreseen that beating up our allies with tariffs could have consequences:) Who could have foreseen that attacking Iran could end up affecting world energy prices:) When a president has surrounded himself with such experienced, seasoned advisors, and is open to push back, what could go wrong:)

Although I believe that the Republicans will lose bigly in the midterms, it doesn't matter that much. Not having had 10cents worth of institutional knowledge in the Trump White House, will cost this country for at least the next decade.

Local Allentown Blogger Goes Underground

Michael Molovinsky was last seen early Friday making his usual morning rounds of the Allentown park system, Speculation is that upon arriving back home, he saw the article about the Russian blogger who criticized Putin, and immediately went into hiding.

Molovinsky has been accused of TDS, and worse, by his readers now for several months. He knows that Trump admires Putin, and has used the FCC and other government agencies to silence critics. 

                                                                     Joanne Silver, copy editor, molovinsky media

ADDENDUM: Mr. Molovinsky will remain underground, but has made provisions to resume posting himself, starting Tuesday morning. js/mm

Trump Tries To Control The Damage He Caused

How Netanyahu sold Trump on attacking Iran isn't completely known, although I suspect flattery played the main part. Trump must now restrain Netanyahu from bombing Iranian oil and gas infrastructure, to stave off Iranian retaliation against infrastructure throughout the Gulf. Trump is also scared of $5 a gallon gasoline before the midterms.

Another sector severely impacted by Trump's decisions is international travel to United States. Las Vegas and Disney parks are hurting, along with all the associated businesses and their employees. Yesterday, when I mentioned Vegas in a comment, a Trump supporter replied, yes, open the borders. The tourist industry has nothing to do with border security or boys in girl's sports, but with the world's perception of America under Trump.

A local Republican wrote on Facebook that opposition to the war is really just opposition to anything Donald Trump. Considering that the National Counterterrorism Director resigned because he felt Iran was no threat to us, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that support for the war is just support for Donald Trump. I fear the reality is even more disturbing. That the support for Donald Trump is really pure partisan politics, wanting a party to stay in power, regardless of policy.

United Gas Station, Front & Hamilton Sts. 1950

New Blog In Dodge

I have started a new blog with an old name, The Morning Chronicle.Net. I have alternately used that name with my independent conservative blog, now titled Rainy Morning.

The first post on the new venue concerns the crumbling ponds at the Rose Gardens. While Molovinsky On Allentown hosts a new post every weekday, The Morning will have no routine posting schedule. It will occasionally make note of local cultural and/or political events.

The Lehigh Valley blog scene remains meager. Most of the weight has been carried by Bernie O'Hare and myself for going on twenty years, but Northwestern and Truth have recently joined the fray. Some former Morning Call employees have a page, but with their hands out for donations:) My new blog only allows comments with a Google handle, either a real name or a pseudonym. Don't comment here that you don't want big brother watching you, he's watching you already!

Crime Against Cuba

I consider the blockage of oil to Cuba a crime. Cuba has gone dark, which includes home medical devices and other powered items essential to people's welfare. I'm astonished how malleable Marco Rubio is. Apparently, even being a senator was beyond his actual pay-grade, while as Secretary of State he is embarrassing...Witkoff and Kushner have been assigned to the lifting.

Trump jests that he might install Marco as governor or emperor of Cuba, or some such title. Trump promised no more forever wars, but he never said anything about endless conflicts. He essentially destroyed our alliances going back to WW2.  

Yesterday, a commenter stated that we should pull out of the Middle East and let Europe deal with the problem in the Strait of Hormuz. He may not realize that it is a problem that we created, and that our departure is the solution. Needless to say that the same commenter had no problem with our embargo of Cuba.

Havana in the dark

When The Bully Needs Help

If the schoolyard bully ever needed help, it wasn't given out of appreciation or other good reasons. Trump now must threaten NATO for help with Iran's control of the Straits. I remember the photo in his first term, pushing people out of the way at a G7 conference.

He has done more to alienate our former allies in 15 months than most Trump critics could have feared. His lack of history and diplomacy is stunning, and we're paying the price. The MAGA flags on the pickups will come down as the cost of living rises. 

The sycophants in the administration are being marginalized by their spineless compliance to his lunacy. Marco will never step beyond those oversized shoes he wore out of the Oval Office. The mission now isn't to make American great again, but to make America respected again.

Raging Against Change In Allentown

I know about raging against change in Allentown. When Billy Joel wrote the song, those days were much more old Allentown than today. Maybe a lot of factories were shut down, but the town was otherwise the same. In 1985, an upper middle class family from suburban New Jersey became my neighbors in Hamilton Park, so that their daughter could attend the acclaimed William Allen High. 

The Allentown School system is now more of a default for current residents, who cannot afford an alternative. Affordable housing is now the buzzword for politicians seeking the low income vote, which is a majority in Allentown proper. All the new buildings on Hamilton Street have no connection to the reality one block beyond.

A commenter on Friday's post about the commotion in a city park ended the comment asking "Why not post this comment?".  Apparently, I had passed on several of his comments recently. I pass on quite a few raging against the change in Allentown.  Allentown of 2026 is not the same city as 1975, but fifty years and two generations have passed, While I have increased the font size for myself and my older readers, I prefer not to dwell exclusively in the past.

Rumble In The Park

From what I can piece together from my low cost inland Space Coast office, there was a Fight Club event in Clyde E. Bosket, aka Valania Park. For a couple hundred or more youth to meet up at a designated place and time, it wasn't spontaneous, but promoted and circulated on social media.

The Allentown Police Department states that it was be investigated, and the responsible culprits held accountable. One must wonder if they will have more success with this mission than they're having with the dirt bike issue.

As a long time park advocate, I previously posted that I would be visiting city council with some recommendations. I have since changed my mind. In the past year I have made my suggestions known to several people who have influence with the system. It is their decision if they care to take advantage of my familiarity with the parks.