All hail Marco Rubio, Potentate of Venezuela

 All hail Marco Rubio, Potentate of Venezuela

As Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is charged with using wise, disciplined diplomacy to promote peace thruout the world. As Senator for 14 years Rubio did the opposite, auditioning for Secretary of State by supporting every murderous US foreign policy misadventure that killed hundreds of thousands with bombs and economic sanctions.

A child of Cuban immigrants, Rubio championed the cruel, inhumane Cuban embargo that had been degrading life for his fellow Cubans immediately upon his election to the Senate in 2010. Now as Secretary of State he relishes imposing the oil embargo increasing that destruction. All the Cuban people have to do to get gas to drive to the hospital for life saving medical care is overthrow their government Rubio wants overthrown.

He supported the overthrow of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi that turned Libya into a failed state and destabilized large parts of Africa for years, maybe decades to come.

Rubio was all in for the US proxy war against Russia using Ukraine as a Trojan horse to do all the dying while the US squandered $175 billion sending Ukraine to the scrapheap of nations in another lost US war.

Rubio’s received over a cool million from the Israel Lobby to support Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and promote Trump’s deranged, lost war on Iran on behalf of Israel that may tank the world economy by its shutting down the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio’s official title Secretary of State does not do justice to all this murder and mayhem in which he engages. Rubio likely is more comfortable in is unofficial title of Potentate of Venezuela. He was the driving force behind the January 3 criminal US attack on Venezuela that killed over one hundred in snatching Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his wife to face trial in America on trumped up drug charges.

With Trump preoccupied seeking an exit from his failed Iran war, Rubio was tasked with running Venezuela from his Washington D.C. office. He gives marching orders to now US puppet Venezuelan ruler Delcy Rodriquez on Venezuelan finances, distribution of its natural resources; virtually all governmental matters. That’s a cool portfolio never approached by any of Rubio’s 72 Secretary of State predecessors. Why does Rodriguez put up with Potentate Rubio edicts? She doesn’t want to end up in a jail cell next to the ill-fated Maduros.

As Secretary of State Rubio Acts…and people die. As Potentate of Venezuela Rubio barks orders…and Venezuelan puppet ruler Delcy Rodriquez responds…”Yes, your majesty.”

Mentally degraded, war criminal Trump must leave office to end Iran war, reopen Hormuz Stait, save world economy`

One hundred thirty five days ago mentally degraded war criminal President Trump committed the worst military blunder in America's 250 years. He launched a criminal war at the behest of tiny Israel against Iran posing no threat whatsoever to America. He killed thousands of innocent Iranians including 124 kids at a school on the war's fist day. Trump and his war criminal Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blamed Iran claiming only Irawas incompetent enough to bomb their own people. 

But Iran was smart and prepared for Trump's criminal war. They retaliated by largely destroying all US Gulf State bases and inflicting massive damage in Israel. Trump surrendered by begging for a ceasefire which he called victory even tho the ceasefire was entirely on Iran's terms. In the 96 days since surrendering, Trump has violated the ceasefire repeatedly, imposed a failed blockade, bombed Iran, received retaliatory Iranian bombings on US bases, and done nothing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz which continues to risk world wide recession, possibly depression. 

Trump swings manically from praising Iranian leaders who he claims are ready to settle on his terms to condemning them as "scum" who he will destroy along with their 91 million subjects. All this was on display at the NATO summit in Ankara Turkey where, when not mistaking Iran for Japan or falling asleep, he fumed NATO refused to help him in his failed criminal war. 

While the world economy careens toward collapse, Trump remains more focused on desecrating the White House with his despicable ballroom, despoiling the reflecting pool, and figuring how to rig the upcoming midterms that will cost him the Congress unless he can overturn the will of the people. 

Unless the Republican Party, the Cabinet, indeed, Trump's family hold an intervention to remove him from office and get medical help for his obviously declining mental health, there will be no end to the Iran war. There will be no end to the death and destruction. Worst of all there will be no end to the impending trainwreck of the world economy including that of the largest right here in the Homeland. 

dylan

 Bob Dylan...then and today

Been a huge Bob Dylan fan since first heard his records on WFMT Midnight Special in '63. Bought his first album simply titled 'Bob Dylan'. Later found out it was only one of his 40 studio albums between '62 and '23 that wasn't successful...only 5,000 sold. I had one. Still regret it's long gone. 

Thrilled to see him in concert in mid 60's at Aerie Crown Theater McCormick Place. Vivid memories of that wonderful nite still linger including date Cheryl, first song 'She Belongs To Me'. First half was acoustic, second was electric. When acoustic string broke, Dylan remarked "Never happened to my electric guitar" a sly reference to his recent electric critics. Curious, took me just a few minutes net search to locate the date and setlist...

Nov261965

Bob Dylan Setlistat Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, IL, USA

Setlist

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1. Solo Acoustic
2. She Belongs to Me
   Play Video
3. To Ramona
   Play Video
4. Gates of Eden
   Play Video
5. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
   Play Video
6. Desolation Row
   Play Video
7. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
   Play Video
8. Mr. Tambourine Man
   Play Video
9. Electric with the band
10. Tombstone Blues
    Play Video
11. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
    Play Video
12. Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
    (Eric Von Schmidt cover)
    Play Video
13. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
    Play Video
14. Long Distance Operator
    (Bob Dylan & The Band song)
    Play Video
15. Ballad of a Thin Man
    Play Video
16. Positively 4th StreetPlay Video
18. Encore:
19. Like a Rolling Stone

Tonight daughter Jennifer taking me to see Bob Dylan perform at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, 60 years, 7 months, 12 days on. Pretty cool Dylan still alive and performing at 85. Cooler still I'm still alive and attending at 81.  

Democrats war support may sink their second straight presidential candidate in '28

Democratic leaders war support may sink their second straight presidential candidate in '28


Astoundingly, Kamala Harris received 6,265,300 less votes for president in 2024 than Joe Biden received in 2020. Polling revealed the biggest reason was Biden's all out support of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and Harris' refusal to break with Biden on that support.

The entire Democratic establishment other than Bernie Sanders joined Biden and Harris in ignoring the Democratic base to support the genocide which continues to this day. This was a big, if not the biggest factor in Democrats losing the White House in 2024, allowing Trump to regain the presidency to continue his destruction of American democracy.

With Trump now on the ropes over his senseless war on Iran that is wrecking the US economy, one would surmise Democratic leaders would welcome Trump's surrender to end the worst military defeat in US history to restore both peace and economic stability.

But no, Democratic leaders are aghast Trump has essentially surrendered in humiliation, giving Iran near complete victory over the world's only superpower. Without saying so explicitly, Democrats strongly imply Trump should have continued the war to victory as preposterous and impossible as that is. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the agreement "the art of surrender" when he should have lauded it as the path to peace and return to economic sanity. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal upped Schmer calling it "unconditional surrender." Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper termed it "despicable" while former Clinton National Security Advisor Susun Rice blasted it as "jaw dropping horrific surrender."

From this rhetoric one can conclude thye'd be thrilled if Trump had continued the bombing till Iran was completely destroyed. Instead, Schumer, Blumenthal, Hickenlooper, Rice should have been praising Trump's surrender as the wisest, bravest act of his second term after his disastrous attack on Iran sent the world's economy into precipitous decline. By slamming it, they are making peace increasingly likely to fail, possibly resulting in renewed warfare as Trump seeks to avoid their charges of being the worst loser in US history.

Democratic leaders, like they did in in 2024, completely dismiss their voting base which oppose senseless war, whether it be enabling the Israeli genocide in Gaza or enabling Israel's lust to destroy Iran using US airpower. Polling shows merely 13% of Democratic voters favor war with Iran. Yet, Democratic leaders, obsessed with both demonizing anything Trump does while promoting US exceptionalism worldwide, strongly imply US should fight Iran to all out victory.

Democrats apparently learned nothing from their devastating 2024 presidential defeat by ignoring their support of genocide as the major reason Democratic voters defected from Harris. A year and a half on they are still promoting US exceptionalism worldwide, doing nothing to end Israeli genocide in Gaza, seek peace with peaceful, non-nuclear Iran, end the grotesque oil embargo of Cuba, stop obliterating of little boats in the Caribbean and cease senseless bombings in Somalia and Nigeria.

If Democratic leaders do not jump off the War Train and hop on the Peace Train, they put their 2028 presidential candidate in danger of losing another 6,265,300 votes from Democrats, independents, possibly even some Republicans horrified by Democratic pro war policies. Democratic Party leaders cannot be that self-destructive...or can they?

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

America's 250th year makes claim for being most bloodthirsty ever

We in the peace community are not following the hoopla celebrating America's 250th birthday Saturday. The endless coverage on mainstream media glorifying America's birth promising democratic self rule by the people for the rest of the world to emulate rings hollow 250 years on.

Our 250th celebration Saturday will likely feature the most July 4th fireworks ever across the world's first great democracy. But year 250 has brought fireworks fired in senseless anger nearly worldwide, killing untold thousands. Along with cruel economic sanctions that kill silently in over 30 countries, America's Semiquincentennial is more deserving of morning than glorification. 

America has nary a single enemy threatening the Homeland. Yet our trillion dollar war budget (no longer defense) is spent in destruction of nations and peoples in Europe, Middle East, Africa, eastern Pacific, South America, Central America, even just 90 miles off the US. 

One place we're killing innocents without bombs is Cuba. Our cruel economic blockade is in its 65th year degrading life for the pitifully poor, helpless Cuban people. But its been ramped up on steroids this year with an oil blockade that makes getting to a hospital for life saving care nearly impossible. All the Cuban people need to do for relief is overthrow our government's hated Cuban government to add another notch on the US regime change belt. 

In the Caribbean, America's criminal war fighters are blowing up little unarmed boats on the pretext that doing so  saves American drug addicts from getting the cocaine America insists these little boats are bringing in to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans. Over 35 boats obliterated along with over 100 hapless crew members so far, some as far away from America as the eastern Pacific. 

In South America the US has spent the entire 21st century trying to overthrow the hated Venezuelan socialist government with economic sanctions that have killed tens of thousands. But frustrated by failure in our Semiquincentennial year, America turned to bombs and troops, killing over a hundred Venezuelans in snatching Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife to face trial on trumped up charges. Instead of the Maduros languishing in federal jail for 6 months now, the criminals in Washington who attacked and killed to snatch him should be languishing in The Hague awaiting thier trial for war crimes.  

Does even one in a thousand Americans tasked with self governance  under the Declaration have a clue where African country Somalia is much less that America has bombed imagined bad guys there over 50 times in the past year killing hundreds of innocents? America's senseless killing spree in Africa includes Nigeria as well. 

Then there are the Big 3 of America's senseless warfare: Russia, Gaza, Iran. 

Between 2014 and 2022 the US worked relentlessly with NATO to provoke a Russian war with Ukraine. The goal was to weaken, isolate Russia from the European political economy, solidifying US dominance in Europe.  In the four and a half years since, Ukraine became a failed state on the brink of collapse. Yet the US has spent the last year refusing to force a settlement to save the remainder of a now degraded Ukraine rump state. We're cheering on the NATO supported Ukraine missile attacks inside Russia and thrilled to sell Europe billions in US weapons to goose the US weapons industry. All this accomplishes is further destroy Ukraine and degrade the European economies. 

In the Middle East the US supported and enabled Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza continues albeit at a slower but inexorable pace. Just this week Israeli security cabinet member  Eli Cohen, vowed that Israel will control 100% of Gaza as the IDF continues capturing more land in the Palestinian territory in violation of the US-backed ceasefire deal. Over one thousand Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire became effective nearly 9 months ago. Yet the US weapons pipeline and moral support continues unimpeded in our Semiquincentennial year. 

Nothing in America's 250 years matches the utter folly of the February 28 attack on Iran. The criminal war launched at the urging of Israel to rid them of a regional hegemonic rival was supposed to succeed within a couple of days. It failed spectacularly.  Iran, having been suckered punched with an attack a year before by the US that also failed, was ready this time. After 39 days it was the US that essentially surrendered, entering into negotiations for a peace that will largely signal an Iranian victory. But the damage to US Gulf States bases is so massive that the Gulf States will likely never trust America again for their defense. US prestige and credibility may be irreparably damaged as an unintended consequence. And on America's 250 birthday, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed for the 127th day with no realistic end in sight. Possibly causing worldwide recession, if not depression, may be the most sorrowful legacy of America's 250th year. 

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Congressman Casten should support amendment to strip $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel

Congressman Casten should support amendment to strip $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel

The House Rules Committee has advanced Rep. Thomas Massie's amendment to strip $3.3 billion in funding for the Israeli Defense Forces from the federal budget. The vote could come as early as this Wednesday.

As leader of West Suburban Peace Coalition based Rep. Sean Casten's 6th Congressional District, I reached out to both his D.C. and local office to learn if Casten would support this critically needed amendment. Neither staff member responding had any idea of this amendment, much less whether Casten would support it.

Rep. Casten has largely ignored foreign affairs in his 4 terms as congressman in the IL 6th. Foreign Affairs ranks dead last of 7 major issues listed on his website casten.house.gov. Regarding Gaza, Casten refuses to do what Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Thomas have courageously done; call out as genocide Israel's destruction of Gaza's 139 square miles, hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded, and inexorable seizure of Palestinian land. Casten merely offers, "It is evident that major changes are needed in order to bring security and peace to Israelis and Palestinians. The United States has a responsibility to do everything in its power to prevent future suffering and allow aid to flow into Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis."

That is just 'happy talk' that Casten has been offering his constituents for nearly 3 years regarding possibly the most murderous, heinous US foreign policy ever. Casten lists his letters and other pleas to government officials to do more to end the violence, but no concrete steps to achieve end to the genocide and creation of a Palestinian state.

By stark contrast, Rep. Massie's amendment is the first effort ever to drawback US aid which facilitates the genocide in Gaza and now the near genocidal ethnic cleansing of Shi'ites in Southern Lebanon. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been nearly alone among the other 533 congressperson in supporting of Massie's amendment to go along with his longtime call to end the genocide weapons pipeline to Israel.

IL 6th District residents should call has local or D.C. office to voice their support for Casten's vote to deliver on his promise that "The United States...do everything in its power to prevent future suffering and allow aid to flow into Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis "

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Four US presidents steered European NATO into decline in furtherance of failed US proxy war against Russia

Four US presidents steered European NATO into decline in furtherance of failed US proxy war against Russia

 

The resignation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Monday comes as no surprise. Serving just 23 months, Starmer failed to revive the British economy. Possibly his biggest failing was going all in supporting the US proxy war against Russia using Ukraine as a Trojan horse to weaken, isolate Russia from the European political economy. 

 

Starmer is the seventh UK Prime Minister to leave office since the US, under President George W. Bush,  pitched NATO membership to Ukraine at the April 2008 Bucharest NATO Summit. His six predecessors all followed the US plan to totally isolate Russia from Europe by putting NATO and its nukes on Ukraine’s border with Russia. 

 

Bush’s successor Obama greenlighted a coup against the Russian leaning Ukraine President Yanukovych in 2014 to keep Ukraine NATO membership alive. That sparked a civil war with Russian leaning Ukrainians in Donbas which claimed over 10,000 Ukrainian lives there, all with US support and approval. Obama was also fine with Europe’s deceiving Russia that Minsk I and II would give Donbas Ukrainians peaceful autonomy when it was a stall for time to build up the Ukraine military to finish off the Donbas separatists. It was dastardly diplomatic duplicity. 

 

Obama’s successor Trump was worse, funning hundreds of millions in weapons to Ukraine’s military to complete the ultra-right Ukraine victory against the separatists.

 

Trump’s successor Biden was the worst. Essentially, he made Ukraine a de facto NATO member while totally dismissing Russia’s valid security concerns. With tens of thousands of US funded and supported Ukrainian troops massed on the Donbas border, Biden gave Russia’s Putin the back of his hand knowing Putin would invade. Biden believed this would be Russia’s Afghanistan 2.0 sealing Russia’s demise as a European power and US rival. 

 

Instead, it’s turned Ukraine into a failed state utterly dependent on US and European treasure in weapons and staples to simply survive against the overwhelming Russian military. But it has also greatly weakened Europe economically and politically. Besides Starmer in the UK, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor in Friedrich Merz may be following Starmer out the door by the end of the year.

 

Macron’s disapproval rating has soared to between 73 and 79 %. Merz’s is worse at 80 at 84 %. Both are largely due to their flinging badly needed domestic treasure at the lost Ukraine cause. All three fools running the biggest European economies keep flayling around like Chicken Little chirping ‘The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming.’ Very few of their fleeing voters are buying that nonsense. Nationalist opponents in France and Germany may soon achieve power opposing continued military aid to Ukraine, demanding the commons be served instead.  

 

Meanwhile, Trump in term two has had enough of his infamous four predecessors’ Russian fearmongering, including his in term one. He’s sick of supporting European defense that has no real enemies except themselves. He’s largely cut off the weapons spigot to Ukraine, leaving the big three and their 27 lessor NATO members to squander themselves into economic decline.

 

At least Trump has seller’s remorse regarding his support of US provocations which led to the inevitable Russian invasion just 13 months after he left office.  

The other three, George W., Obama and Biden will live out their lives as Russophobes, with nary a thought or concern of the enormous carnage they unleashed which continues unabated.

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL