Thank you, Henry. TDS is a mental illness more than anything else. You can't reason with them. Two days ago, this woman on SB Current replied to my praise of Trump by saying I needed to stop watching Fox and start watching MSNBC, NPR, CNN and reading The New York Review of Books, etc. When I explained to her that not only do I not watch Fox News but as a freelance writer, I spent thirty years among the people who run the places she mentions, as well as being published in The New Yorker, NYT, The Atlantic - her response was that obviously I'm insane because I still like Trump despite having been around people who write that Trump is Hitler. How can you reason with someone who won't take in what you're saying? A normal response would be “Really? And you disagree with what they're writing about Trump? Do tell.” And I would have told her how it sickens me to watch media people I once respected become nothing more than propagandists and destroy our once strong and free press.
You don't have to love Trump in order to hate what the media has done to this country. And I use the word “hate” because I do hate it. You don't have to love Trump in order to hate what the Democratic Party has become and what they are doing to the once great state of California which is to turn it into a place completely controlled by them through their “sustainable” housing where only the people who support them will be given housing at all.
With all due respect for your priest, he's wrong to go on about Putin the way he did. I don't like Putin. But the people he should tell to stop hating are the people who put Zelensky in power, who put biolabs on the border and who used NATO to try to control Putin and who have caused the destruction and deaths in Ukraine.
And the same with Israel and Gaza. The hatred is not just from one side. And please don't anyone tell me I'm anti-Semitic for saying this.
Trump hatred is as irrational as it is disingenuous. Look no further than the inflammatory screed by regular Montecito Journal columnist Robert Bernstein in a recent issue. A total disconnect from his typical love, peace and good will approaches to the lighter side of local life.
Projections of the unmet Shadow in one's own soul would be how Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung would describe this degree of irrational hatred. What existential fears deep within the individual are in fact projected on just this one man?
Will understanding the role of the projected Shadow and re-owning this projected Shadow help lower the temperature of this current wave of all encompassing political hatred? And equally important, will understanding it on less personal level also help us? Not a time to lose focus, respond in kind to these chronic sideline distractions and false punditry, or lose heart. I direct this as much to myself, as anyone else. What does exposure to this all-encompassing Trump hatred trigger in me. (It's not fair mommy, he hit me first. - Injustice?)
We have undertaken a noble task, which is nothing less than honoring Benjamin Franklin's early warning. Saving our free-wheeling Republic. These disruptions are most likely integral to its ongoing renewal. Big Government vs Limited Government - the schism is as old at the US Constitution itself.
It never ceases to amaze me how people can read the same thing but come away with something completely different. I guess being in print has something to do with that. But like when interviewing a dozen people after a shooting, you get twelve different stories when they all saw the same thing. There are some responses, which I expected, wishing to point out Trump is no Jesus. I made that clear. It's the public "crucifixion" that runs parallel. The waste Trump is cutting back is just that. It's waste. We've been feeding the beast of government not paying attention to the diet and it became very obese. You can cry all you want about cutting this and that and the poor kids and the blah blah. It needs to be done. Had Harris won, the government would have been fed even more public Cheetos with no end in sight to reduce the diet. Give it a break. Give it a chance. It will work out and everyone benefits. Even the negative nanny's.
So you are in favor of unlimited unvetted I migration? What be edit does that have to America? And don't say picking strawberries ca ut se we can get all the pickers we need through a legal vetted process. And. What exactly did RFKJr do to the disabled that you object to? Your vague answers leave me guessing.
Thank you, Dr Laura. Good to hear from you. We had met years ago at the SB Harley Dealership in Carpinteria. My wife and I donated to your non-profit. You had given my wife some of your beautiful jewelry. I appreciate the kind words.
Thank you Henry for a meaningful reminder as to how the left has weaponized hate. Yes, even on this site there are individuals who commonly refer to our President as “Hitler” and conservatives as “Nazis.” These individuals know who they are. One need only go to other local sites such as Edhat or Jerry Roberts “Newsmakers” to read a plethora of disgusting hate mongering. Yes, these sites and others are merchants in hate, all while ignoring our standard of living in this state becoming more and more desperate. I suppose the hate peddling is to offset reality?
Why is it the liberal left continues to romanticize criminals who occupy our communities, giving them cover and our tax dollars for living expenses, all while our Veterans live under bridges?
You mentioned Henry, our Clergy. Why has many in the Clergy been mum about the moral decline of our society and its causes? Last night my wife and I watched “Conclave” which has ironic relevance now after the passing of Pope Francis. The film for the most part was well done until the ending, whereby the fictitious Pope selected was actually a hermaphrodite. Talk about blasphemy and fulfillment of leftist fantasy.
Make no mistake, we are engaged in a battle of survival for western civilization. Kudos to our President in his first 100 days, and may God bless him and give him the necessary strength to overcome the hateful leftist agenda.
Did I read it correctly when the author said that Trump will be more hated than Hitler? (I just got home from an all-night work shift and I'm very tired) If I have understood correctly, I'd say the hatred Trump has incurred is hardly what Hitler endured, as Hitler's crimes against humanity speak for themselves. I must say however, that the cult worship of BOTH the Democrats and Trump are evidence of the lack of ability on the part of the vast majority to be able to think outside the confines of their respective ideologic straightjackets.
For those who mock what I say, I would dare ask "How did Trump make America "great again" in his four-year stint of his first term; and how did Biden 'Build back better' " in the four years he had in the Oval Office?
I would add that while the hatred Trump has received comes with the territory of being the Chief Executive, his endless mocking of people, his refusal to address the Musk Nazi salute issue, (Did Trump or Musk attempt to deny it was a Nazi salute?) his denigration of the military, ("I like people who weren't captured") and his lack of any show of remorse for his making fun of the disabled,
"pus*y-grabbing comment) and so forth, have certainly earned him the disdain of many for his obvious lack of charecter, while ironically being the icon of the "Christian" and "morality" movements.
BC: your acceptance of media distortions about Trump are surpassed only by your need to cling to them. Let's all do some serious navel-gazing and look for self-injected adrenalin hits elsewhere.
On one day Trump did a nazi salute with one hand while grabbing kitty with the other and simultaneously made fun of a paraplegic veteran immigrant intersectional transexual person of color. All this before lunch! Mad skill.
This article only fans the flames of miss-information.
I can agree that love is the answer, but this peice is claptrap. It fuels the fire of missinformation.
Trump is not being persecuted. Trump is behaving like a spoilt child. Zero management skills. I have no belief he cares for the people. He just wishes to make some money for himself while he is president, think meme coins, dinner if you are largest meme coin holder. This is not preseidential conduct.
The middle east hates the west. duh, hello, do you remember the crusades? Do you remamber the RAF gunning down camel riders in the 1920's? Do you remember the west installing the Shah? This is thousands of years of war fare often encouraged by the roman catholic church. From where I sit the middle east has good cause to doubt/hate the west.
I can't support Hamas. Israel's conduct in return will only make the issues worse. As a Englishman who remember "the Troubles", issues like these only fester upon them selves as each side "knows" that they are the righteous cause. Israel is abusing it's power, with American approval. The kids were right over Vietnam and may be , just maybe they are right over Palestine too.
All the immigrants i meet are incredibly grateful to be here. Part of the problem is the US only allows 10,000 worker class immigrants per year. This is not enough as worker class immigrants are needed to do the tough jobs US citizens no longer wish to do. How can a country that can create wonderful software for Twitter, X, and other social media apps be so lax at creating good policy and the software of real use to actually run the country beats me.
As for Israel, I'm not there, and thus I will not comment but one side insists Israel is merely trying to exist, while the other side insists Israel has become a huge bully, and again--I can't comment.
Per your point about immigrants, the U.S., especially California and other states in the south-west, have been flooded with WAY more immigrants than can be sustained, and the effects of over-crowding, traffic, and the inevitable social problems that occur when there is a conscious effort to create a poverty class has been devastating. Also, the attitude of "we are better than they are, and they are put on this Earth to be our Beasts of Burden", whether people realize this or not, is racist to its core. No one race/nationality is better than another.
Now the twist: I think otherwise, your observations are spot-on, and Trump's contempt for both his opponents AND his followers is obvious, and the go-to excuse of his cult followers is that the media has brainwashed people into hating him. These people are cultists, and immune to the reality that he mocks even them. (Per his comment in 2019 that he could shoot people in plain daylight but people would STILL vote for him, plus his comment about P.O.W.'s.
The problem with America is that we have the two cults--the one that is convinced that racism is everywhere and that if can simply "Re-imagine" everything, all will be right with the world, and of course, the anti-male, and pro-LGBTQ-ever-expanding acronym of the worship of sexuality but of course the more they demand--and have their demands met--the more they move the goalposts, and yet the gangs, LGBTQ+ suicides, and failing education system persist. Meanwhile, the other cult believes that Trump cares about them, and is somehow the epitome of the great moral re-awakening of Christian America, and all these two cults do is yell at each other, and can only see the faults of the opposing side, while failing to see their own.
Daniel- where did you get US only allows 10,000 worker permits? For fiscal year 2024, which ended September 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor certified approximately 384,900 H-2A positions, reflecting the number of permits issued based on employer applications. That’s for Agriculture workers alone. You posted its a disservice to post misinformation, so why did you? .
I relied upon David Stockman for my info source. I apologise for any errors, they were unintentional. Stockman may wellbe correct in the allowed/expected quota for the category and then employers ask for numbers above the quota. So both can be correct. Again I apologise. The one thing we need in these strained times is accuracy of the facts.
Practical constraints, like court backlogs (700,000 cases in 2018), no shows for court dates, and local non-cooperation, allowed some 10-15M illegal aliens to remain, but this was not a policy of legalization.
You might ask AI: I did. There’s no evidence that David Stockman in his books or other writings or speeches ever addressed 10,000 or a quota. Moreover, the first Trump administration (2017-2021) did not give illegal aliens a “right to stay.” Its policies focused on reducing illegal and legal immigration.
Father forgive Henry Shulte for he knows not what he says.
Henry, I am glad you are returning to Church. This is what we need in America more than ever. We need to return to the moral and spiritual foundation of our civilization, that which gave rise to the furthest reaches of scientific exploration, birthed the universities in the sheltered civilized bosom of the Cathedrals and made politics and economics subordinate to God's morality. The rot and hollowing out into modernism, hedonism and technology worship all started when we got a little too cocky with the results of science and technology, we thought we could start our own Churches better than Christ could or that we didn't need God at all! I pray that you take your renewed interest in Church into a deeper study of its history written by people who are not its enemies. The book by Rodney Stark, "Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History" is a great place to start.
I love your call to love. It is what Christ commanded. But we also must be just. If we bear false witness or accept false witness as true, we can end up facilitating injustice. It is not loving to use the tiny amount of power we have to enable unjust suffering and cruelty.
I pray you will undertake another deep dive, one into the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If you do, you will likely want to retract statements such as "It wasn’t long before the massacred took a back seat and Hamas was being praised for its actions. Way too many Americans sided with the mass murderers."
The American government has sided with the mass murderers in this conflict for nearly a century. The mass murderers are the terrorist gangs called Stern Gang, Lehi, Irgun who massacred peaceful villages like Deir Yassin and Tantura causing a wave of flight out of which they exiled three fourths of a million Palestinians and, like pirates, claimed their homes and property and orchards and land as their own. Foundation myths of Israel say "we made the desert bloom" and "a land without a people for a people without a land." Are Palestinian Christians and Muslims not people? If the Israelis made the desert bloom, why was Palestine already known as a great source for citrus? Jaffa Oranges? All of this history of the founding and expanding of Israel is well documented but ignored by mainstream media. Why?
Even if your incomplete claims about the attack on Oct 7 were true, Israel has flattened Gaza and withheld food and water, causing deaths of children from malnutrition. There are outright plans to remove the people. Deaths are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Pope Francis to his credit spoke against this barbarity and called for a cease fire and for peace. He called the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza every day. Those human beings in Gaza, fellow Catholics among them, were not raised to hate, they were raised hated by Israel with the backing of the largest power in the world, the US, and ignored by most of the world.
I agree with you that the way out is love. And with truth, we can love well and protect everyone. We can protect Israelis from being complicit in genocide, displacement and theft by helping them see that they have a better future going forward if they find a way to make peace and make conflict and conquest a thing of the past. The demonic efforts to stoke the US into toppling Iran will unleash brutal suffering on the Israeli people and harm the economic situation of the entire world. It is evil to stoke war when peace through diplomacy is possible.
And I hope it is obvious we cannot love the Palestinians or Lebanese or Syrians or Yemenis without also wanting their security and hearing about the conflict from their point of view. This is becoming more difficult as the Trump administration is seeking to remove even peaceful fully law abiding green card holders for speaking up or writing op eds criticizing these policies. How is that American?
Americans who have spoken about the power of the pro-Israel lobby in government or media were cancelled and the topic has been censored for decades. It is not wise and it is unAmerican to use coercion to silence debate rather than the power of evidence and reason. There have been some Patriots and peace lovers who have dared to do it and brave the storm. Gen. Wesley Clark warned after 9/11 that pro-Israel neocons had a list of 7 countries they wanted the US to vanquish for Israel. All but one have been devastated by our government's policies. This has sent us into deep debt that we may not recover from, ended the lives of millions of innocent human beings, killed and maimed 10's of thousands of US service personnel and shredded the societies such that people will continue to suffer long into the future due to those actions.
It may sound crazy to you, but people across the world who have been taking a more honest look at global affairs wonder why Israelis teach their children to hate and Americans teach their children to hate. I have been working for some time to oppose war and help make US foreign policy more in line with the Golden Rule, as Ron Paul was laughed at for calling for. You can laugh at me too, but I will not be used to facilitate mass murder and theft. I will not facilitate the massive crimes undertaken in our name and with our tax dollars for mass murderers in Israel. I pray that you will study more carefully and discern for yourself after considering the points of view from all sides and the documentary evidence. Christ called us to be innocent as doves, but wise as serpents. We live in very deceptive times, so this is not easy, but if we want to love, we have to pursue truth. St. Michael, pray for us.
This comment is in response to Julia Riskin's comments below.
I've got to hand it to you, Julia, for standing up for your people, right or wrong. When you said "Israelis don't teach hate. That's incredibly racist" I remembered this video of Israeli schoolchildren being tested on how well they'd learned their lessons: https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1808511947534397440/vid/avc1/532x400/r9o4QtAGGvloQgJI.mp4 I'm confident you will be able to watch the 61 seconds with pride, not seeing hate. Those of us who are targets of Israeli hatred (e.g. John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy) might feel differently about what these children are being taught. (quotes below)
Looking a little further down page, I see you typed: "None of the wars we were in have anything to do with Israel and Clark didn't say that". Now that's Chutzpah, Julia!
Quotes from the Israeli school video:
Q: What happens when you meet Arabic kids, what do you feel?
A: Angry
A: I feel I want to kill them
...
Q: How do you see Jerusalem in the next 10 years?
A: Everybody will be a religious Jew
A: And there will be Arabs, but they will be slaves
Oh, because the messiah will be here. I got it
Q: What do you say?
A: There will be a massive war and all the Arabs will die
Not all. Of course not. This is not my fight, but since it seems to be yours, what percentage of Israelis are taught such things?
(The school seemed to be teaching this, and the students seemed to expect that in ten years only religious Jews and Arab slaves would be in Jerusalem).
Schulte: You DARE claim that trumps sins are “ caring about Americans”” ?
If this is your truth, please explain why the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS….according to all polls…..ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF ANYTHING TRUMP IS DOING ?
All of the polls show him being DISAPPROVED OF BY AMERICANS.
Maybe you’d like to name one thing he is doing which benefits Americans, and why millions show disapproval every day in many cities of this country.
MY POINT : GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT. If you listen and watch the TRUTHSAYERS you will then be the SPEAKER OF TRUTH. YOUR JESUS WOULD PROBABLY COMMEND YOU FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH….otherwise, you’d better start looking for a fireproof whole body garment.
Oh wait, let me guess: you didn’t by any chance vote for that colossal bag of wind….DID YOU?
He deports men without due process.
He is a convicted felon,
He is a woman abuser
He is a tax evader.
He claims he won the Biden Presidency
He incited men to hurt people during the crazy invasion on Jan 6
He incited those lawless men to “ hang Mike Pence “
He’s filed for bankruptcy 6 times.
He lies, lies, lies
He said he would sue his Doctor…just recently…..if the Doctor revealed the truth about trumps health.
He loves dictators, and Hitler and Putin in particular.
He married 2 immigrants but is full of hatred for immigrants. Jails them without due process.
He threatens daily to destroy social security which Americans have paid into and count on for their older ages.
He has created total chaos during his first 100 days for thousands of Americans.
EVERY INTELLIGENT PERSON WHO GIVES HIS ASSESSMENT OF TRUMP SEES HIM AS MENTALLY DEFICIENT.
TRY, WITHOUT LYING, TO TELL ME ONE TRUE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT THAT PERSON YOU CLAIM “ cares about Americans “.
And you might consider looking at your halo….its very tarnished. Tell the truth and it will shine again.
Don’t trust the polls Nancy. Many of us avoid responding to pollsters. While some of us don’t like the hour by hour, play by play reporting of events, we know our federal government must be restructured for its future and the safety of all citizens, residents and guests. We are not on the mountain top with access to Intell. I’ve been reminded that we’re not even in the trenches. Nor are we pawns in a strategic chess game. We’re not on the board.
Trump with all his character flaws is mindful of the forgotten, and unlike others, he works nonstop on multiple fronts. Too many is better than none.
Democrats have yet to offer a viable alternative beyond socialists or communist leaning status quo candidates. By 2016, 2020, and 2024 voters had observed and experienced daily corrupt politicians, judiciary, and our do-nothing Congress. Since LBJ’s “Great Society”, and the subsequent Nixon (abolished gold standard), Bush, Obama and Biden administrations, it’s been downhill.
The growth and cost of the federal government for international and domestic social, medical, educational programs, etc, is far removed from US Constitution defined federal responsibilities. That’s what catapulted Trump’s initial 2016 victory.
What happened to individual responsibility? Self sufficiency? Providing first for self, family, and national defense?
I look daily at the debt clock, and my federal indebtedness of $323,000+.
What’s the DEM debt reduction plan beyond hating those working to try to fix by cutting spending?
HANDS OFF the wallets of strangers. States rights, local control unless a federal responsibility to protect and defend all citizens, including females, and our guests.
Excuse, but who was the last President to have a balanced budget? Who was President when America once again became a debtor nation in order to fight two unnecessary wars?
Before you give credit to the balanced budget president, remember that it was the Republican controlled Congress with Newt Gingrich at the helm that made it impossible for him to do anything else but sign the bills that made it possible
President Bill Clinton for years balanced the federal budget earning applauds. Didn’t his economic kitchen cabinet meet at Girvirtz’s Montecito home, before his appointment to Fiji Ambassador? Franklin Roosevelt likely made us a debtor nation fighting two declared wars on two fronts. By “two unnecessary wars”: which ones? Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf War … enlighten me please. Bush? I don’t know. Apparently we need “unnecessary wars” to fund employment in the five main corporations in the military industrial complex.
Montecito93108 I clearly don’t agree with you, except that it is true trump is flawed but in so many many ways….especially downright stupid…..that I can hardly believe anyone voted for him. I can only assume that he was voted in by the gullible and the greedy ( hoping for tax relief ).
Things were working well for everyone during Biden’s term. How can you trust a trump who pretended he HAD NOT LOST the Biden win?
I simply do not see what he offers ANYONE. Why don’t you tell me what he offers you in so-called positive terms not because you do not like that the lDemocratic party cares for the needy, the helpless, the sick, as well as every American.
Usually Republicans answer my question in terms of what they don’t like about Dems, as you seem to have done.
Ridiculous post Nancy. You’re angry. Disruption is required to sort through the mess. Republicans care about people. Politics is about power, control, money. Americans disagree about money: how to tax and spend it. Democrats tend to be more greedy wanting to spend money to “help people become dependent”. As a generalization, Republicans advocate self-sufficiency, personal responsibility. Reality is Trump won. No party preference, independents, and even moderate Democrats voted for Trump. He had a plan to cut spending and to reduce the size of our huge wasteful government debt. Will the plan work.? Maybe. His plan beats no plan, and Congressional inaction for decades. Let’s be patient. Negotiations take time. Change and transitioning to new norms takes time.
Democrats have nothing to offer, at least not yet.
Let’s live within Constitutional parameters of a federal government that protects our national sovereignty and inalienable rights. Less is more for all Nancy. Read both Party Platforms. No one agrees with everything. If there’s only two buses going down the road and you had to ride one, which one is closest to meeting your needs? I’m not a registered Republican but I am a caring, mindful citizen. I voted for Trump’s plan in 2016, 2020, and 2024. I would do the same. Harris had no plan. The status quo cannot be sustained.
Be grateful that up to now you have. The freedom of speech to view your take on governing.
You may. Or have that privilege for long. I have already stated what I perceive to be the function of governing in this democracy : caring about the people who live in the U.S.
JJST ONE LAST REMARK : look at trumps history of his failed businesses. All have failed. He is a bad business man, and he’s trying again to run the u.s.economy AS A BUSINESS.
An intelligent President does not run the U.S. to MAKE MONEY.
THE ONLY HAPPY SENTENCE IN YOUR COMMENTS IS THAT YOURE NOT A REPUBLICAN. I hope it’s an honest one, but in the end, if you approve of trumps actions…..kidnapping and exporting harmless 10 year residents of the U.S……you’re on the wrong side of being a good human.
Nancy everyone votes in their own self interests based on what they experience, hear, read, process, and/or think will result. Politics is about money and power, not about people beyond our being a useful commodity. Trump voters aren’t “gullible” or “greedy” unless you consider restoring value to American citizenship as greedy.
We had a choice of only two candidates. One was transparent, communicating, and accessible — actively marketing himself and his plan to right our sinking ship. His use of “I-I-I” this and that was annoying but his message was delivered and heard. It made sense. I know of no working person — who is not government paid — who is not concerned about gross government overspending. Where in the US Constitution are we citizens to provide for needs and wants of others beyond their security and inalienable rights?
Agree: we’re compassionate and caring Americans. We also expect and now demand our money spent wisely for our protection, safety and national security.
The other candidate Harris seemed to assume continuation of the failed status quo with an added smile or twinkle would deliver her enough votes to ascend to POTUS. She was a weak candidate from her AG days. Her career unbelievable. Her followers simply want everyone taken care of (by spending into bankrupcy). Love one another globally.
Tell us the DEM Plan to reduce the national debt. The plan to help young and hard working people to survive and even get ahead without any government assistance. I cannot find the DEM Plan.
There are parts of the GOP Plan that are troublesome and conflicting, but their cards are on the table. My list of concerns grows weekly: I gringe hearing for personal gain Don Jr promote buying gold to prepare for recession or worse; or Israel Ambassador Huckabee promoting drug use; or Eric’s wife Laura Trump marketing her planned Senate run on FOX; or seeing blatant nepotism via the Duffys and the Schlapps … Que sera. I’m confused that Trump wants more babies to propel the economy while the Plan is to eliminate Social Security spousal benefits for wives/ moms/ homemakers.
Tolerate what we don’t like and participate in the process, or take to the streets?
Let’s hope for two or more qualified 2028 POTUS Candidates. I hope for a smaller federal government, Congressional action not just talk, a return of respectful debate, and end of traditional political manipulations and corruption. Don’t most citizens simply want to live our lives? The clock is ticking.
I forgot to express my disagreement with YOUR SAYING “politics is about money and power “ . Maybe to the REPUBLICANSk….! Politics to the Democrats is about trying to make as many people as possible live well! I know you will say I am naive, but you are wrong, I DEFINETLY believe our last two Democratic Presidents ,,,, Obama and Biden did just that, as did Roosevelt.
There were a few Republicans who also strived to care for all Americans.
You are SO wrong….. I realize it is a male Republican view of government: each man for himself! Well, trump doesn’t care for you or governing, he’s just a sick self-centered narcissist, definitely interested in money and power, a clear indication of how truly SMALL AND POWERLESS HE FEELS ALL THE TIME. He’s trying to lift his shitty self to a higher place, but all the money and power are not going to make him like himself any better.
He keeps trying for more and more chaos, and I guess it's not working for him.
Money and power do not bring happiness. History has shown us that.
Do you think Hitler was a happy man? Is Netanyahu ? when is killing enough humans ENOUGH?
Politics to the Democrat party is to have as many people as possible dependent on government. Last time I checked you were dependent on government. If it was up to me I would take that tit out of your mouth and slap your face. You are a true moron Nancy. Are you married?
So you want a smaller government……to what end? How will it benefit you? , because after all, that is your concern, as you said, Everyone votes his best interest.
i say you are WRONG. Many Liberals care for their fellow man. Judging from the self-serving words written here by this mob of greedy people, I now understand the REPUBLICAN M.O. is grab as much as you can for yourself….damn the sick, the needy, the divorced mother with 3 children or more….damn the woman who doesn’t want one more child and is pregnant, pretend to care about government debt when in reality you just want more goodies for yourself. That is the image of the so called Conservative Party which incidentally appears to have so few women who EVER SPEAK UP IN CONGRESS. And the one who does is a total nut. And trump now wants those few Republican women to have 6 kids and Vance wants them to get a cat and stay home…..and you want our government to let the sick, the hungry, the needy, the uneducated , and the aged to just lie down and die or go to jail in some other country.
Thanks Montecito….fortunately you’re saying what has seemed the case all along, but everyone here has evaded saying so. What a disgusting mob you all are. Where is your compassion, your disgust at greed? How much do you need to be happy? None of the substack gang who writes here seems very happy. You may criticize the Democrats but they have made this the kind of country the whole world wants to visit and live in. And yet we don’t provide for our needy nearly as much as many other countries….Sweden and Canada come to mind. People have loved America UNTIL NOW. THE WHOLE WORLD HATES what trump is doing and this bunch wants him to continue destroying our democracy, and you say, GO AHEAD?
Did your mother drop you on your head as a child? I would bet one million dollars that you are childless and unmarried. You would say by choice and I agree that no man would choose your toxic personality.
Jeff: you seem to be very interested in my personal data, as though my ideas are necessarily connected to my status. Briefly I will tell you I have twin boys and was married for 30 years ( my husband died ).. If you’d like to learn more about me, be the first to reveal your history, and I would then be glad to exchange information.
I repeat here what I’ve said many times: the view each of us has of reality depends almost SOLELY on our source of information, I seek as sources what I think are the best this society has to offer.
And I have listed them here any times.
Not one Republican here has deemed to reveal the sources of his information he claims to be true. I suspect because it is FOX NEWS….WHICH if I’m correct would EXPLAINS-YOUR POINTS OF VIEW. Which are not consistent with TRUTHS.
So, if you disagree with me, why don’t you state where you get YOUR information?
Why you’re alarmed…as you appear to bullishly be….about my perception of the role of government is surprising. Democracy in the U. S. has always been about tasking care of the people who live here and pay their taxes ( which trump didn’t do ) and follow the laws of this country. It is NOT about PUSHING PEOPLE AROUND ACCORDING TO THE WHIM OF THE GUY WHO BOUGHT HIS WAY INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!
Recently watched the 1973 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”
It is a tour de force of creativity and questioning the story of Jesus.
Whether you are a believer or not, the story is a recurring theme throughout all of human history.
Particularly the relationship between Judas and Jesus himself. Their fates and actions written long before their existence and inextricably intertwined. Neither would exist without the other, and Jesus would have been long forgotten or just a minor footnote in history were it not for the actions of the Jewish Pharisees or the singular act of betrayal by Judas.
I mention all of this because it is impossible not to connect the dots between the stories that echo throughout history. Most recently the rise, fall, and resurrection of one Donald J. Trump.
I am not Christian and not even particularly religious. But the pattern is obvious and history fascinates me.
Thank you for recognizing this fact and having the courage to write it and publish it.
How soon will hate become dangerous? Compassion and kindness, providing for others, is taught and prioritized in public schools, and by some parents. The end result: compassion = entitled. This translates into an absence of personal individual responsibility. Anger turns to hate, when others do not want to incur the cost to support what they were taught by schools and parents to believe are their ‘entitled rights’ to shelter, food, medical care, social services, AND travel, salon visits, and the latest greatest tech.
Our country, county and my personal budget can’t afford to meet the demands of the entitled. So they hate me; but will they harm me?
“Adult” children live with parents to benefit from the comforts of home rather than brave potential hardship of moving where they can earn to be self supporting. Some parents welcome having adult kids remain at home: perhaps a co-dependency friendship relationship began decades earlier, or they help with family expenses. No matter. Every family is different. (Mine left home at age 17 for the farthest university he could find: MIT, and hasn’t been back since. He says: don’t look back, look forward.) At Santa Barbara High pros taught in music, performing arts and athletics: Plan ahead; work towards what you want. Your life can be what you make it. Shift gears as needed. Anger- hate gets you no where.
The good News of the day for all that has been spoken, God Wins this War! For we are all his Warriors donned with the Full Armor of God. We are courageous, brave Lions, American Citizens who have acknowledged that it is through Our Ancestors, Founding Fathers, who compacted/ Convenant our Us Constitution ratified and approved for Congress also was California's 1849 Constitution same approval. All is not lost here in California, New California State has just been following our ancestors fm West Virginia Article 4 sections 3 and 4 on a much larger scale for the past 7 plus years 13 Constitutional conventions, 70,000 Declarations of Truth/Affidavits, 190 grievances read at the steps of Sacramento and our counties including Santa Barbara County here in Lompoc, we have brought these greivances to the school boards, city councils and the Board if Supervisors. God is moving and shifting alot with our Country, for bringing New California into Statehood, We stand firm with our Armor behind President Trump, our Military, all American Citizens. The Public is invited to our Constitutional Assembly being held in the 1st and 8th of May, 2025 up at Harris Ranch, https://www.newcaliforniastate.com/events-1/delegates-assembly-great-state-of-new-california tickets are available. Santa Barbara County is represented. There is no where else to turn too for our state for we must stand firm with our Shield of Faith, in our Lord who is our Creator "Blessed is the Nation whose Lord is our God, for his people he has chosen for his his inheritance." PSALMS 33:12 This Spiritual War is almost over. Statehood is coming in Under President Trump, We the People must bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Our Oath is taken without reservation. God Bless America🕊🕊✨️✨️🙏🙏🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Yes Thank You Henry Keep your Armor of God On Everyone Ephesians Chapter 6. Verses 10 thru 20 one other Note on Our Beautiful US Constitution Article 6 was compacted with the Covenant to God and his Natural Laws for this Land is his chosen Inheritance for us. New California because of it's economic and rich minerals, and metals the 5th largest economy is restoring the Nation and New California State there is no more seperation of State from God not when his covenant to his people, who were made in his image and protocting God's Children.
Jesus fed the poor, healed the sick, welcomed the stranger, befriended society's outcasts; and he did it all for FREE - no insurance, co-payments, or bit-coins required. Trump is cancelling school lunches and food aid to the poor, cancelling medicaid, deporting the strangers, and attacking outcasts as if they were less than human. That sounds like the OPPOSITE of what Jesus did and what he asked us to also do. Trump is "Christlike"? Sorry, he is more anti-Christlike. As for calling his MAGA movement "NazI" - the Nazis were not able to "kill millions of people" until AFTER they had gradually undermined democracy and the rule of law in the Weimar Republic by shutting down the press, firing and imprisoning judges, civil servants, and others who opposed them, like trade unions and opposition political parties. The Nazis first victims were not "millions of Jews", they were the "special needs" children, the LGBTQ+ community, and German liberals (the "Woke" of Weimar). In other words, the exact same methods being employed by our "Nazi-like" Gangster-in-Chief and his cabinet of caporegimes. I am sure your priest is grateful and thanking Lord Jesus that you did not include his name is your spurious and sacrilegious defense of the Criminal-in-Chief and his growing army of deranged sycophants. The "hate" you so decry is the fruit of 10 years of Trump-cult worship. Do you even remember the "fine people" marching like SA-troopers, torches aglow, shouting "Jews will not replace us!"? Why are you so afraid of the "brown people"? I have more fear of native-born American Christian nationalist White supremacist than I do of a Mixtec Indian who snuck into my country to pick strawberries. Trump worshippers want a secure border around a country free of immigrants and, apparently, the "rule of law" is impeding that goal. It reminds me of a Mexican proverb: "I thought I was free until I discovered the size of my cage." Well, Henry, the cage is being built and I can already feel it closing in.
Thank you, Henry. TDS is a mental illness more than anything else. You can't reason with them. Two days ago, this woman on SB Current replied to my praise of Trump by saying I needed to stop watching Fox and start watching MSNBC, NPR, CNN and reading The New York Review of Books, etc. When I explained to her that not only do I not watch Fox News but as a freelance writer, I spent thirty years among the people who run the places she mentions, as well as being published in The New Yorker, NYT, The Atlantic - her response was that obviously I'm insane because I still like Trump despite having been around people who write that Trump is Hitler. How can you reason with someone who won't take in what you're saying? A normal response would be “Really? And you disagree with what they're writing about Trump? Do tell.” And I would have told her how it sickens me to watch media people I once respected become nothing more than propagandists and destroy our once strong and free press.
You don't have to love Trump in order to hate what the media has done to this country. And I use the word “hate” because I do hate it. You don't have to love Trump in order to hate what the Democratic Party has become and what they are doing to the once great state of California which is to turn it into a place completely controlled by them through their “sustainable” housing where only the people who support them will be given housing at all.
With all due respect for your priest, he's wrong to go on about Putin the way he did. I don't like Putin. But the people he should tell to stop hating are the people who put Zelensky in power, who put biolabs on the border and who used NATO to try to control Putin and who have caused the destruction and deaths in Ukraine.
And the same with Israel and Gaza. The hatred is not just from one side. And please don't anyone tell me I'm anti-Semitic for saying this.
Trump hatred is as irrational as it is disingenuous. Look no further than the inflammatory screed by regular Montecito Journal columnist Robert Bernstein in a recent issue. A total disconnect from his typical love, peace and good will approaches to the lighter side of local life.
Projections of the unmet Shadow in one's own soul would be how Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung would describe this degree of irrational hatred. What existential fears deep within the individual are in fact projected on just this one man?
Will understanding the role of the projected Shadow and re-owning this projected Shadow help lower the temperature of this current wave of all encompassing political hatred? And equally important, will understanding it on less personal level also help us? Not a time to lose focus, respond in kind to these chronic sideline distractions and false punditry, or lose heart. I direct this as much to myself, as anyone else. What does exposure to this all-encompassing Trump hatred trigger in me. (It's not fair mommy, he hit me first. - Injustice?)
We have undertaken a noble task, which is nothing less than honoring Benjamin Franklin's early warning. Saving our free-wheeling Republic. These disruptions are most likely integral to its ongoing renewal. Big Government vs Limited Government - the schism is as old at the US Constitution itself.
It never ceases to amaze me how people can read the same thing but come away with something completely different. I guess being in print has something to do with that. But like when interviewing a dozen people after a shooting, you get twelve different stories when they all saw the same thing. There are some responses, which I expected, wishing to point out Trump is no Jesus. I made that clear. It's the public "crucifixion" that runs parallel. The waste Trump is cutting back is just that. It's waste. We've been feeding the beast of government not paying attention to the diet and it became very obese. You can cry all you want about cutting this and that and the poor kids and the blah blah. It needs to be done. Had Harris won, the government would have been fed even more public Cheetos with no end in sight to reduce the diet. Give it a break. Give it a chance. It will work out and everyone benefits. Even the negative nanny's.
What policy of Donald Trump do you find objectionable? Or is this personal?
So you are in favor of unlimited unvetted I migration? What be edit does that have to America? And don't say picking strawberries ca ut se we can get all the pickers we need through a legal vetted process. And. What exactly did RFKJr do to the disabled that you object to? Your vague answers leave me guessing.
Thank you for your essay, Mr Schulte. Well written and painfully true. Dr Laura Schlessinger
Thank you, Dr Laura. Good to hear from you. We had met years ago at the SB Harley Dealership in Carpinteria. My wife and I donated to your non-profit. You had given my wife some of your beautiful jewelry. I appreciate the kind words.
Thank you Henry for a meaningful reminder as to how the left has weaponized hate. Yes, even on this site there are individuals who commonly refer to our President as “Hitler” and conservatives as “Nazis.” These individuals know who they are. One need only go to other local sites such as Edhat or Jerry Roberts “Newsmakers” to read a plethora of disgusting hate mongering. Yes, these sites and others are merchants in hate, all while ignoring our standard of living in this state becoming more and more desperate. I suppose the hate peddling is to offset reality?
Why is it the liberal left continues to romanticize criminals who occupy our communities, giving them cover and our tax dollars for living expenses, all while our Veterans live under bridges?
You mentioned Henry, our Clergy. Why has many in the Clergy been mum about the moral decline of our society and its causes? Last night my wife and I watched “Conclave” which has ironic relevance now after the passing of Pope Francis. The film for the most part was well done until the ending, whereby the fictitious Pope selected was actually a hermaphrodite. Talk about blasphemy and fulfillment of leftist fantasy.
Make no mistake, we are engaged in a battle of survival for western civilization. Kudos to our President in his first 100 days, and may God bless him and give him the necessary strength to overcome the hateful leftist agenda.
Did I read it correctly when the author said that Trump will be more hated than Hitler? (I just got home from an all-night work shift and I'm very tired) If I have understood correctly, I'd say the hatred Trump has incurred is hardly what Hitler endured, as Hitler's crimes against humanity speak for themselves. I must say however, that the cult worship of BOTH the Democrats and Trump are evidence of the lack of ability on the part of the vast majority to be able to think outside the confines of their respective ideologic straightjackets.
For those who mock what I say, I would dare ask "How did Trump make America "great again" in his four-year stint of his first term; and how did Biden 'Build back better' " in the four years he had in the Oval Office?
I would add that while the hatred Trump has received comes with the territory of being the Chief Executive, his endless mocking of people, his refusal to address the Musk Nazi salute issue, (Did Trump or Musk attempt to deny it was a Nazi salute?) his denigration of the military, ("I like people who weren't captured") and his lack of any show of remorse for his making fun of the disabled,
"pus*y-grabbing comment) and so forth, have certainly earned him the disdain of many for his obvious lack of charecter, while ironically being the icon of the "Christian" and "morality" movements.
BC: your acceptance of media distortions about Trump are surpassed only by your need to cling to them. Let's all do some serious navel-gazing and look for self-injected adrenalin hits elsewhere.
On one day Trump did a nazi salute with one hand while grabbing kitty with the other and simultaneously made fun of a paraplegic veteran immigrant intersectional transexual person of color. All this before lunch! Mad skill.
You're saying these things never happened?
What utter rubbish!!!!
This article only fans the flames of miss-information.
I can agree that love is the answer, but this peice is claptrap. It fuels the fire of missinformation.
Trump is not being persecuted. Trump is behaving like a spoilt child. Zero management skills. I have no belief he cares for the people. He just wishes to make some money for himself while he is president, think meme coins, dinner if you are largest meme coin holder. This is not preseidential conduct.
The middle east hates the west. duh, hello, do you remember the crusades? Do you remamber the RAF gunning down camel riders in the 1920's? Do you remember the west installing the Shah? This is thousands of years of war fare often encouraged by the roman catholic church. From where I sit the middle east has good cause to doubt/hate the west.
I can't support Hamas. Israel's conduct in return will only make the issues worse. As a Englishman who remember "the Troubles", issues like these only fester upon them selves as each side "knows" that they are the righteous cause. Israel is abusing it's power, with American approval. The kids were right over Vietnam and may be , just maybe they are right over Palestine too.
All the immigrants i meet are incredibly grateful to be here. Part of the problem is the US only allows 10,000 worker class immigrants per year. This is not enough as worker class immigrants are needed to do the tough jobs US citizens no longer wish to do. How can a country that can create wonderful software for Twitter, X, and other social media apps be so lax at creating good policy and the software of real use to actually run the country beats me.
As for Israel, I'm not there, and thus I will not comment but one side insists Israel is merely trying to exist, while the other side insists Israel has become a huge bully, and again--I can't comment.
Per your point about immigrants, the U.S., especially California and other states in the south-west, have been flooded with WAY more immigrants than can be sustained, and the effects of over-crowding, traffic, and the inevitable social problems that occur when there is a conscious effort to create a poverty class has been devastating. Also, the attitude of "we are better than they are, and they are put on this Earth to be our Beasts of Burden", whether people realize this or not, is racist to its core. No one race/nationality is better than another.
Now the twist: I think otherwise, your observations are spot-on, and Trump's contempt for both his opponents AND his followers is obvious, and the go-to excuse of his cult followers is that the media has brainwashed people into hating him. These people are cultists, and immune to the reality that he mocks even them. (Per his comment in 2019 that he could shoot people in plain daylight but people would STILL vote for him, plus his comment about P.O.W.'s.
The problem with America is that we have the two cults--the one that is convinced that racism is everywhere and that if can simply "Re-imagine" everything, all will be right with the world, and of course, the anti-male, and pro-LGBTQ-ever-expanding acronym of the worship of sexuality but of course the more they demand--and have their demands met--the more they move the goalposts, and yet the gangs, LGBTQ+ suicides, and failing education system persist. Meanwhile, the other cult believes that Trump cares about them, and is somehow the epitome of the great moral re-awakening of Christian America, and all these two cults do is yell at each other, and can only see the faults of the opposing side, while failing to see their own.
Daniel- where did you get US only allows 10,000 worker permits? For fiscal year 2024, which ended September 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor certified approximately 384,900 H-2A positions, reflecting the number of permits issued based on employer applications. That’s for Agriculture workers alone. You posted its a disservice to post misinformation, so why did you? .
I relied upon David Stockman for my info source. I apologise for any errors, they were unintentional. Stockman may wellbe correct in the allowed/expected quota for the category and then employers ask for numbers above the quota. So both can be correct. Again I apologise. The one thing we need in these strained times is accuracy of the facts.
Practical constraints, like court backlogs (700,000 cases in 2018), no shows for court dates, and local non-cooperation, allowed some 10-15M illegal aliens to remain, but this was not a policy of legalization.
You might ask AI: I did. There’s no evidence that David Stockman in his books or other writings or speeches ever addressed 10,000 or a quota. Moreover, the first Trump administration (2017-2021) did not give illegal aliens a “right to stay.” Its policies focused on reducing illegal and legal immigration.
Father forgive Henry Shulte for he knows not what he says.
Henry, I am glad you are returning to Church. This is what we need in America more than ever. We need to return to the moral and spiritual foundation of our civilization, that which gave rise to the furthest reaches of scientific exploration, birthed the universities in the sheltered civilized bosom of the Cathedrals and made politics and economics subordinate to God's morality. The rot and hollowing out into modernism, hedonism and technology worship all started when we got a little too cocky with the results of science and technology, we thought we could start our own Churches better than Christ could or that we didn't need God at all! I pray that you take your renewed interest in Church into a deeper study of its history written by people who are not its enemies. The book by Rodney Stark, "Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History" is a great place to start.
I love your call to love. It is what Christ commanded. But we also must be just. If we bear false witness or accept false witness as true, we can end up facilitating injustice. It is not loving to use the tiny amount of power we have to enable unjust suffering and cruelty.
I pray you will undertake another deep dive, one into the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If you do, you will likely want to retract statements such as "It wasn’t long before the massacred took a back seat and Hamas was being praised for its actions. Way too many Americans sided with the mass murderers."
The American government has sided with the mass murderers in this conflict for nearly a century. The mass murderers are the terrorist gangs called Stern Gang, Lehi, Irgun who massacred peaceful villages like Deir Yassin and Tantura causing a wave of flight out of which they exiled three fourths of a million Palestinians and, like pirates, claimed their homes and property and orchards and land as their own. Foundation myths of Israel say "we made the desert bloom" and "a land without a people for a people without a land." Are Palestinian Christians and Muslims not people? If the Israelis made the desert bloom, why was Palestine already known as a great source for citrus? Jaffa Oranges? All of this history of the founding and expanding of Israel is well documented but ignored by mainstream media. Why?
Even if your incomplete claims about the attack on Oct 7 were true, Israel has flattened Gaza and withheld food and water, causing deaths of children from malnutrition. There are outright plans to remove the people. Deaths are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Pope Francis to his credit spoke against this barbarity and called for a cease fire and for peace. He called the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza every day. Those human beings in Gaza, fellow Catholics among them, were not raised to hate, they were raised hated by Israel with the backing of the largest power in the world, the US, and ignored by most of the world.
I agree with you that the way out is love. And with truth, we can love well and protect everyone. We can protect Israelis from being complicit in genocide, displacement and theft by helping them see that they have a better future going forward if they find a way to make peace and make conflict and conquest a thing of the past. The demonic efforts to stoke the US into toppling Iran will unleash brutal suffering on the Israeli people and harm the economic situation of the entire world. It is evil to stoke war when peace through diplomacy is possible.
And I hope it is obvious we cannot love the Palestinians or Lebanese or Syrians or Yemenis without also wanting their security and hearing about the conflict from their point of view. This is becoming more difficult as the Trump administration is seeking to remove even peaceful fully law abiding green card holders for speaking up or writing op eds criticizing these policies. How is that American?
Americans who have spoken about the power of the pro-Israel lobby in government or media were cancelled and the topic has been censored for decades. It is not wise and it is unAmerican to use coercion to silence debate rather than the power of evidence and reason. There have been some Patriots and peace lovers who have dared to do it and brave the storm. Gen. Wesley Clark warned after 9/11 that pro-Israel neocons had a list of 7 countries they wanted the US to vanquish for Israel. All but one have been devastated by our government's policies. This has sent us into deep debt that we may not recover from, ended the lives of millions of innocent human beings, killed and maimed 10's of thousands of US service personnel and shredded the societies such that people will continue to suffer long into the future due to those actions.
It may sound crazy to you, but people across the world who have been taking a more honest look at global affairs wonder why Israelis teach their children to hate and Americans teach their children to hate. I have been working for some time to oppose war and help make US foreign policy more in line with the Golden Rule, as Ron Paul was laughed at for calling for. You can laugh at me too, but I will not be used to facilitate mass murder and theft. I will not facilitate the massive crimes undertaken in our name and with our tax dollars for mass murderers in Israel. I pray that you will study more carefully and discern for yourself after considering the points of view from all sides and the documentary evidence. Christ called us to be innocent as doves, but wise as serpents. We live in very deceptive times, so this is not easy, but if we want to love, we have to pursue truth. St. Michael, pray for us.
This comment is in response to Julia Riskin's comments below.
I've got to hand it to you, Julia, for standing up for your people, right or wrong. When you said "Israelis don't teach hate. That's incredibly racist" I remembered this video of Israeli schoolchildren being tested on how well they'd learned their lessons: https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1808511947534397440/vid/avc1/532x400/r9o4QtAGGvloQgJI.mp4 I'm confident you will be able to watch the 61 seconds with pride, not seeing hate. Those of us who are targets of Israeli hatred (e.g. John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy) might feel differently about what these children are being taught. (quotes below)
Looking a little further down page, I see you typed: "None of the wars we were in have anything to do with Israel and Clark didn't say that". Now that's Chutzpah, Julia!
Quotes from the Israeli school video:
Q: What happens when you meet Arabic kids, what do you feel?
A: Angry
A: I feel I want to kill them
...
Q: How do you see Jerusalem in the next 10 years?
A: Everybody will be a religious Jew
A: And there will be Arabs, but they will be slaves
Oh, because the messiah will be here. I got it
Q: What do you say?
A: There will be a massive war and all the Arabs will die
A: And part of them will become slaves
Evaluator: Good, you got all the information
Thank you kids!
Keep up in your education here
Not all. Of course not. This is not my fight, but since it seems to be yours, what percentage of Israelis are taught such things?
(The school seemed to be teaching this, and the students seemed to expect that in ten years only religious Jews and Arab slaves would be in Jerusalem).
Schulte: You DARE claim that trumps sins are “ caring about Americans”” ?
If this is your truth, please explain why the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS….according to all polls…..ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF ANYTHING TRUMP IS DOING ?
All of the polls show him being DISAPPROVED OF BY AMERICANS.
Maybe you’d like to name one thing he is doing which benefits Americans, and why millions show disapproval every day in many cities of this country.
MY POINT : GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT. If you listen and watch the TRUTHSAYERS you will then be the SPEAKER OF TRUTH. YOUR JESUS WOULD PROBABLY COMMEND YOU FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH….otherwise, you’d better start looking for a fireproof whole body garment.
Oh wait, let me guess: you didn’t by any chance vote for that colossal bag of wind….DID YOU?
He deports men without due process.
He is a convicted felon,
He is a woman abuser
He is a tax evader.
He claims he won the Biden Presidency
He incited men to hurt people during the crazy invasion on Jan 6
He incited those lawless men to “ hang Mike Pence “
He’s filed for bankruptcy 6 times.
He lies, lies, lies
He said he would sue his Doctor…just recently…..if the Doctor revealed the truth about trumps health.
He loves dictators, and Hitler and Putin in particular.
He married 2 immigrants but is full of hatred for immigrants. Jails them without due process.
He threatens daily to destroy social security which Americans have paid into and count on for their older ages.
He has created total chaos during his first 100 days for thousands of Americans.
EVERY INTELLIGENT PERSON WHO GIVES HIS ASSESSMENT OF TRUMP SEES HIM AS MENTALLY DEFICIENT.
TRY, WITHOUT LYING, TO TELL ME ONE TRUE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT THAT PERSON YOU CLAIM “ cares about Americans “.
And you might consider looking at your halo….its very tarnished. Tell the truth and it will shine again.
Don’t trust the polls Nancy. Many of us avoid responding to pollsters. While some of us don’t like the hour by hour, play by play reporting of events, we know our federal government must be restructured for its future and the safety of all citizens, residents and guests. We are not on the mountain top with access to Intell. I’ve been reminded that we’re not even in the trenches. Nor are we pawns in a strategic chess game. We’re not on the board.
Trump with all his character flaws is mindful of the forgotten, and unlike others, he works nonstop on multiple fronts. Too many is better than none.
Democrats have yet to offer a viable alternative beyond socialists or communist leaning status quo candidates. By 2016, 2020, and 2024 voters had observed and experienced daily corrupt politicians, judiciary, and our do-nothing Congress. Since LBJ’s “Great Society”, and the subsequent Nixon (abolished gold standard), Bush, Obama and Biden administrations, it’s been downhill.
The growth and cost of the federal government for international and domestic social, medical, educational programs, etc, is far removed from US Constitution defined federal responsibilities. That’s what catapulted Trump’s initial 2016 victory.
What happened to individual responsibility? Self sufficiency? Providing first for self, family, and national defense?
I look daily at the debt clock, and my federal indebtedness of $323,000+.
What’s the DEM debt reduction plan beyond hating those working to try to fix by cutting spending?
HANDS OFF the wallets of strangers. States rights, local control unless a federal responsibility to protect and defend all citizens, including females, and our guests.
Excuse, but who was the last President to have a balanced budget? Who was President when America once again became a debtor nation in order to fight two unnecessary wars?
Before you give credit to the balanced budget president, remember that it was the Republican controlled Congress with Newt Gingrich at the helm that made it impossible for him to do anything else but sign the bills that made it possible
President Bill Clinton for years balanced the federal budget earning applauds. Didn’t his economic kitchen cabinet meet at Girvirtz’s Montecito home, before his appointment to Fiji Ambassador? Franklin Roosevelt likely made us a debtor nation fighting two declared wars on two fronts. By “two unnecessary wars”: which ones? Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf War … enlighten me please. Bush? I don’t know. Apparently we need “unnecessary wars” to fund employment in the five main corporations in the military industrial complex.
Montecito93108 I clearly don’t agree with you, except that it is true trump is flawed but in so many many ways….especially downright stupid…..that I can hardly believe anyone voted for him. I can only assume that he was voted in by the gullible and the greedy ( hoping for tax relief ).
Things were working well for everyone during Biden’s term. How can you trust a trump who pretended he HAD NOT LOST the Biden win?
I simply do not see what he offers ANYONE. Why don’t you tell me what he offers you in so-called positive terms not because you do not like that the lDemocratic party cares for the needy, the helpless, the sick, as well as every American.
Usually Republicans answer my question in terms of what they don’t like about Dems, as you seem to have done.
Ridiculous post Nancy. You’re angry. Disruption is required to sort through the mess. Republicans care about people. Politics is about power, control, money. Americans disagree about money: how to tax and spend it. Democrats tend to be more greedy wanting to spend money to “help people become dependent”. As a generalization, Republicans advocate self-sufficiency, personal responsibility. Reality is Trump won. No party preference, independents, and even moderate Democrats voted for Trump. He had a plan to cut spending and to reduce the size of our huge wasteful government debt. Will the plan work.? Maybe. His plan beats no plan, and Congressional inaction for decades. Let’s be patient. Negotiations take time. Change and transitioning to new norms takes time.
Democrats have nothing to offer, at least not yet.
Let’s live within Constitutional parameters of a federal government that protects our national sovereignty and inalienable rights. Less is more for all Nancy. Read both Party Platforms. No one agrees with everything. If there’s only two buses going down the road and you had to ride one, which one is closest to meeting your needs? I’m not a registered Republican but I am a caring, mindful citizen. I voted for Trump’s plan in 2016, 2020, and 2024. I would do the same. Harris had no plan. The status quo cannot be sustained.
Be grateful that up to now you have. The freedom of speech to view your take on governing.
You may. Or have that privilege for long. I have already stated what I perceive to be the function of governing in this democracy : caring about the people who live in the U.S.
JJST ONE LAST REMARK : look at trumps history of his failed businesses. All have failed. He is a bad business man, and he’s trying again to run the u.s.economy AS A BUSINESS.
An intelligent President does not run the U.S. to MAKE MONEY.
THE ONLY HAPPY SENTENCE IN YOUR COMMENTS IS THAT YOURE NOT A REPUBLICAN. I hope it’s an honest one, but in the end, if you approve of trumps actions…..kidnapping and exporting harmless 10 year residents of the U.S……you’re on the wrong side of being a good human.
Nancy everyone votes in their own self interests based on what they experience, hear, read, process, and/or think will result. Politics is about money and power, not about people beyond our being a useful commodity. Trump voters aren’t “gullible” or “greedy” unless you consider restoring value to American citizenship as greedy.
We had a choice of only two candidates. One was transparent, communicating, and accessible — actively marketing himself and his plan to right our sinking ship. His use of “I-I-I” this and that was annoying but his message was delivered and heard. It made sense. I know of no working person — who is not government paid — who is not concerned about gross government overspending. Where in the US Constitution are we citizens to provide for needs and wants of others beyond their security and inalienable rights?
Agree: we’re compassionate and caring Americans. We also expect and now demand our money spent wisely for our protection, safety and national security.
The other candidate Harris seemed to assume continuation of the failed status quo with an added smile or twinkle would deliver her enough votes to ascend to POTUS. She was a weak candidate from her AG days. Her career unbelievable. Her followers simply want everyone taken care of (by spending into bankrupcy). Love one another globally.
Tell us the DEM Plan to reduce the national debt. The plan to help young and hard working people to survive and even get ahead without any government assistance. I cannot find the DEM Plan.
There are parts of the GOP Plan that are troublesome and conflicting, but their cards are on the table. My list of concerns grows weekly: I gringe hearing for personal gain Don Jr promote buying gold to prepare for recession or worse; or Israel Ambassador Huckabee promoting drug use; or Eric’s wife Laura Trump marketing her planned Senate run on FOX; or seeing blatant nepotism via the Duffys and the Schlapps … Que sera. I’m confused that Trump wants more babies to propel the economy while the Plan is to eliminate Social Security spousal benefits for wives/ moms/ homemakers.
Tolerate what we don’t like and participate in the process, or take to the streets?
Let’s hope for two or more qualified 2028 POTUS Candidates. I hope for a smaller federal government, Congressional action not just talk, a return of respectful debate, and end of traditional political manipulations and corruption. Don’t most citizens simply want to live our lives? The clock is ticking.
Montecito 93108
I forgot to express my disagreement with YOUR SAYING “politics is about money and power “ . Maybe to the REPUBLICANSk….! Politics to the Democrats is about trying to make as many people as possible live well! I know you will say I am naive, but you are wrong, I DEFINETLY believe our last two Democratic Presidents ,,,, Obama and Biden did just that, as did Roosevelt.
There were a few Republicans who also strived to care for all Americans.
You are SO wrong….. I realize it is a male Republican view of government: each man for himself! Well, trump doesn’t care for you or governing, he’s just a sick self-centered narcissist, definitely interested in money and power, a clear indication of how truly SMALL AND POWERLESS HE FEELS ALL THE TIME. He’s trying to lift his shitty self to a higher place, but all the money and power are not going to make him like himself any better.
He keeps trying for more and more chaos, and I guess it's not working for him.
Money and power do not bring happiness. History has shown us that.
Do you think Hitler was a happy man? Is Netanyahu ? when is killing enough humans ENOUGH?
Politics to the Democrat party is to have as many people as possible dependent on government. Last time I checked you were dependent on government. If it was up to me I would take that tit out of your mouth and slap your face. You are a true moron Nancy. Are you married?
Jeff: a sheer example of another insecure male. Thanks for the proof Jeff.
Montecito 93108
So you want a smaller government……to what end? How will it benefit you? , because after all, that is your concern, as you said, Everyone votes his best interest.
i say you are WRONG. Many Liberals care for their fellow man. Judging from the self-serving words written here by this mob of greedy people, I now understand the REPUBLICAN M.O. is grab as much as you can for yourself….damn the sick, the needy, the divorced mother with 3 children or more….damn the woman who doesn’t want one more child and is pregnant, pretend to care about government debt when in reality you just want more goodies for yourself. That is the image of the so called Conservative Party which incidentally appears to have so few women who EVER SPEAK UP IN CONGRESS. And the one who does is a total nut. And trump now wants those few Republican women to have 6 kids and Vance wants them to get a cat and stay home…..and you want our government to let the sick, the hungry, the needy, the uneducated , and the aged to just lie down and die or go to jail in some other country.
Thanks Montecito….fortunately you’re saying what has seemed the case all along, but everyone here has evaded saying so. What a disgusting mob you all are. Where is your compassion, your disgust at greed? How much do you need to be happy? None of the substack gang who writes here seems very happy. You may criticize the Democrats but they have made this the kind of country the whole world wants to visit and live in. And yet we don’t provide for our needy nearly as much as many other countries….Sweden and Canada come to mind. People have loved America UNTIL NOW. THE WHOLE WORLD HATES what trump is doing and this bunch wants him to continue destroying our democracy, and you say, GO AHEAD?
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Did your mother drop you on your head as a child? I would bet one million dollars that you are childless and unmarried. You would say by choice and I agree that no man would choose your toxic personality.
Jeff: you seem to be very interested in my personal data, as though my ideas are necessarily connected to my status. Briefly I will tell you I have twin boys and was married for 30 years ( my husband died ).. If you’d like to learn more about me, be the first to reveal your history, and I would then be glad to exchange information.
I repeat here what I’ve said many times: the view each of us has of reality depends almost SOLELY on our source of information, I seek as sources what I think are the best this society has to offer.
And I have listed them here any times.
Not one Republican here has deemed to reveal the sources of his information he claims to be true. I suspect because it is FOX NEWS….WHICH if I’m correct would EXPLAINS-YOUR POINTS OF VIEW. Which are not consistent with TRUTHS.
So, if you disagree with me, why don’t you state where you get YOUR information?
Why you’re alarmed…as you appear to bullishly be….about my perception of the role of government is surprising. Democracy in the U. S. has always been about tasking care of the people who live here and pay their taxes ( which trump didn’t do ) and follow the laws of this country. It is NOT about PUSHING PEOPLE AROUND ACCORDING TO THE WHIM OF THE GUY WHO BOUGHT HIS WAY INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!
It's not worth it.
There's she goes again. The warden in charge of her section should see that the doors remain locked!
Huh?
Recently watched the 1973 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”
It is a tour de force of creativity and questioning the story of Jesus.
Whether you are a believer or not, the story is a recurring theme throughout all of human history.
Particularly the relationship between Judas and Jesus himself. Their fates and actions written long before their existence and inextricably intertwined. Neither would exist without the other, and Jesus would have been long forgotten or just a minor footnote in history were it not for the actions of the Jewish Pharisees or the singular act of betrayal by Judas.
I mention all of this because it is impossible not to connect the dots between the stories that echo throughout history. Most recently the rise, fall, and resurrection of one Donald J. Trump.
I am not Christian and not even particularly religious. But the pattern is obvious and history fascinates me.
Thank you for recognizing this fact and having the courage to write it and publish it.
https://youtu.be/lN4TxOd9I8Q
How soon will hate become dangerous? Compassion and kindness, providing for others, is taught and prioritized in public schools, and by some parents. The end result: compassion = entitled. This translates into an absence of personal individual responsibility. Anger turns to hate, when others do not want to incur the cost to support what they were taught by schools and parents to believe are their ‘entitled rights’ to shelter, food, medical care, social services, AND travel, salon visits, and the latest greatest tech.
Our country, county and my personal budget can’t afford to meet the demands of the entitled. So they hate me; but will they harm me?
“Adult” children live with parents to benefit from the comforts of home rather than brave potential hardship of moving where they can earn to be self supporting. Some parents welcome having adult kids remain at home: perhaps a co-dependency friendship relationship began decades earlier, or they help with family expenses. No matter. Every family is different. (Mine left home at age 17 for the farthest university he could find: MIT, and hasn’t been back since. He says: don’t look back, look forward.) At Santa Barbara High pros taught in music, performing arts and athletics: Plan ahead; work towards what you want. Your life can be what you make it. Shift gears as needed. Anger- hate gets you no where.
Great post Henry! Thanks for your insights! Blessings to you and your family!
The good News of the day for all that has been spoken, God Wins this War! For we are all his Warriors donned with the Full Armor of God. We are courageous, brave Lions, American Citizens who have acknowledged that it is through Our Ancestors, Founding Fathers, who compacted/ Convenant our Us Constitution ratified and approved for Congress also was California's 1849 Constitution same approval. All is not lost here in California, New California State has just been following our ancestors fm West Virginia Article 4 sections 3 and 4 on a much larger scale for the past 7 plus years 13 Constitutional conventions, 70,000 Declarations of Truth/Affidavits, 190 grievances read at the steps of Sacramento and our counties including Santa Barbara County here in Lompoc, we have brought these greivances to the school boards, city councils and the Board if Supervisors. God is moving and shifting alot with our Country, for bringing New California into Statehood, We stand firm with our Armor behind President Trump, our Military, all American Citizens. The Public is invited to our Constitutional Assembly being held in the 1st and 8th of May, 2025 up at Harris Ranch, https://www.newcaliforniastate.com/events-1/delegates-assembly-great-state-of-new-california tickets are available. Santa Barbara County is represented. There is no where else to turn too for our state for we must stand firm with our Shield of Faith, in our Lord who is our Creator "Blessed is the Nation whose Lord is our God, for his people he has chosen for his his inheritance." PSALMS 33:12 This Spiritual War is almost over. Statehood is coming in Under President Trump, We the People must bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Our Oath is taken without reservation. God Bless America🕊🕊✨️✨️🙏🙏🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
AMEN 😊
Yes Thank You Henry Keep your Armor of God On Everyone Ephesians Chapter 6. Verses 10 thru 20 one other Note on Our Beautiful US Constitution Article 6 was compacted with the Covenant to God and his Natural Laws for this Land is his chosen Inheritance for us. New California because of it's economic and rich minerals, and metals the 5th largest economy is restoring the Nation and New California State there is no more seperation of State from God not when his covenant to his people, who were made in his image and protocting God's Children.
Jesus fed the poor, healed the sick, welcomed the stranger, befriended society's outcasts; and he did it all for FREE - no insurance, co-payments, or bit-coins required. Trump is cancelling school lunches and food aid to the poor, cancelling medicaid, deporting the strangers, and attacking outcasts as if they were less than human. That sounds like the OPPOSITE of what Jesus did and what he asked us to also do. Trump is "Christlike"? Sorry, he is more anti-Christlike. As for calling his MAGA movement "NazI" - the Nazis were not able to "kill millions of people" until AFTER they had gradually undermined democracy and the rule of law in the Weimar Republic by shutting down the press, firing and imprisoning judges, civil servants, and others who opposed them, like trade unions and opposition political parties. The Nazis first victims were not "millions of Jews", they were the "special needs" children, the LGBTQ+ community, and German liberals (the "Woke" of Weimar). In other words, the exact same methods being employed by our "Nazi-like" Gangster-in-Chief and his cabinet of caporegimes. I am sure your priest is grateful and thanking Lord Jesus that you did not include his name is your spurious and sacrilegious defense of the Criminal-in-Chief and his growing army of deranged sycophants. The "hate" you so decry is the fruit of 10 years of Trump-cult worship. Do you even remember the "fine people" marching like SA-troopers, torches aglow, shouting "Jews will not replace us!"? Why are you so afraid of the "brown people"? I have more fear of native-born American Christian nationalist White supremacist than I do of a Mixtec Indian who snuck into my country to pick strawberries. Trump worshippers want a secure border around a country free of immigrants and, apparently, the "rule of law" is impeding that goal. It reminds me of a Mexican proverb: "I thought I was free until I discovered the size of my cage." Well, Henry, the cage is being built and I can already feel it closing in.