June 19, 2026 - Juneteenth, False Reality, Flux, and Poison

 

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Truly, ‘Here Be Dragons’ and This Remained One Until Juneteenth 

It took two years after President Lincoln signed the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ for news of it to reach the slaves in Texas. And here in the United States today, it has been only about five years since ‘Juneteenth,’ commemorating that 1855 event, became a Federal holiday. 

Professor Barbara Walter out at UCSD wrote about this holiday in her June 17 ‘Here Be Dragons’ posting with a piece that all should read and study. Click here or copy and paste https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/ on your device’s browser line, to learn the lessons that facing up to instituted evils can ultimately teach us, and why such evils must be avoided even today. 

JL 

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The Joys of Living in One’s Own Reality 

Those who are celebrating President Trump’s successfully ending the war he started with Iran three and a half months ago as a victory can join with those who believe the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks for the NBA title and that the Las Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Believing something does not make it true, no matter how hard you try. 

(Of course, for those who don’t follow sports, the New York Knicks and the Carolina Hurricanes each won their league’s championships. Now I can go to bed a bit earlier.) 

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Once the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ is signed by Vice President Vance, if indeed that ceremony even takes place on Friday, the real negotiations will commence. From a historical viewpoint, it might be that President Trump wanted to avoid putting his name on wherever this ‘Memorandum’ may lead. 

In any event, here is the actual text of what was intended to be signed on Friday, accompanied by commentary on each part by knowledgeable New York Times reporters. To get there, click here or copy and paste https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/politics/us-iran-agreement-deal-text.html on your device’s browser line. (If you cannot access it that way, I can email a copy to you if you wish.)  

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There are so many bases to touch in order to keep up with what is really going on in the world and in this country today that I will leave that task to Professor Heather Cox Richardson who does a great job in her ‘Letters from an American’ each day.  Her June 15 posting is a great example. Click here or copy and paste https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ on your device’s browser line to get there. 

JL

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 A State of Flux

After some Google searching, Artificial Intelligence came up with this, a Cambridge English Dictionary’s definition which seems to make sense in describing the world in which we live. 

 "A ‘state of flux’ means a situation is unstable, constantly changing, and not yet settled or fixed. Derived from the Latin word fluere (meaning "to flow"), it describes conditions that are in transition, where final arrangements or outcomes remain undetermined.” 

Yes, but I didn’t need AI to conclude that. 

JL 

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A Poison That is Contaminating the Internet

So you have a nice monitor, tablet, or even telephone, none of which came into your hands inexpensively. And it supposedly has opened the world of communication and ideas, beyond using it for email, to you. Hah! 

That was initially the case until the purveyors of news and opinion discovered three magic words, ‘Upgrade to Paid,’ turning the internet into something like a newspaper that only published headlines but no articles about what those headlines announced. 

Such upgrading to get at the stories behind the headlines can end up costing more than did the device you use to access the internet and the software you pay for to accomplish that! 

Sometimes, before those three dread words appear, a site might tell you a tempting portion of a story, but that is only bait to get you to ‘Upgrade to Paid.’  Nevertheless, a few sites, including Professor Richardson's and Paul Krugman's, give you a decent amount of information before their 'paywalls' confront you.

Some believe government regulation can remedy this situation, but wouldn’t that give government a choke hold on the dissemination of news and opinion? 

JL 

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Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri 

 Your comments on this ‘blog’ would be appreciated. My Email address is jacklippman18@gmail.com. 

 Forwarding Postings: Please forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it (Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.) If you want to send someone the blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or you can provide a link to that address in your email to them. 

 There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog. Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com , or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting. 

 Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com

 More on the Sources of Information in Jackspotpourri: The sources of information used by Jackspotpourri include a delivered local daily ‘printed’ newspaper (now the South Florida Sun Sentinel) and what appears in my daily email; that includes the views of many contributors, including the New York Times and other respected journals. Be aware that when I open that email, I first quickly glance at and screen out those sent to my very old former email address and those considered ‘promotional’ by Gmail’s system as no more than advertisements or requests for donations. 

 Besides these sources, I also utilize the Google search engine where I can look up any subject I want. Lately, these search results have been headed by a very generalized summary clearly labeled as being developed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). On occasion I might use such search results, but when I do, I will say that I am doing so. Generally, however, I try not to use such summaries in preparing Jackspotpourri. Following such ‘AI’ search results, there follows the other results of my search. Unlike the usually anonymous AI-generated summaries, the sources of these results are clearly indicated, giving them a greater credibility than any AI summary. It comes down to who YOU want to be in the driver’s seat in seeking information: yourself or something else (Artificial Intelligence), the structure of which somewhere along the way had to have been created by others, with whose identity I am neither familiar nor comfortable. At least when I read a column by Timothy Snyder, for example, I know from where it comes, and to some extent, what to expect. 

Caution should be exercised in using Artificial Intelligence. Always! 

 JL

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June 15, 2026 - Republicans by Choice, Trump's Nominees, Kennedy Center, and Bruised Hands

 

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Why Are There So Many Republican Voters? 

There are plenty of good reasons for Americans not to vote for Republicans, although many continue to do so and continue to support the President. His unnecessary war with Iran, tariffs, disregard of the Constitution, inflation, weakening long-standing alliances, and the shredding of the nation’s economic safety net all provide solid reasons for voters to desert the Trump-controlled G.O.P.  But not enough do. Why is that? 

I believe those who continue to vote for Republicans do so as a reaction to the support Democrats receive from those whose outlook on racial and gender issues they see as overly, if not overtly, liberal. 

They prefer to be on the opposite side. It seems more comfortable or even more respectable to look at America through a rear-view mirror, seeing things as they used to be, not as they are today. For some of them, it might even be a mask for unadmitted racism or bigotry.    It is that simple. So, they vote for Republicans rather than for Democrats. 

Compare the numbers of those who prefer conservative news sources such as Fox upon which to base their opinions rather than CNN, MS Now, or the traditional major networks’ ‘local’ channels (which themselves are undergoing changes … but that’s another story). It is that simple. 

But calling Republican voters out for their making this bad choice only serves to arouse their defenses and strengthen their convictions. 

JL 

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New Trump Nominees 

It’s hard to believe that the initial nominee to replace the resigned (or fired) Pam Bondi as Attorney General could be worse than she was, but that’s the case. In her ‘Letters from an American’ dated June 9, Professor Heather Cox Richardson explains why the President’s nomination of his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, to be our Attorney General, is dreadful. You can check it out by clicking here or copying and pasting https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ on your device’s browser line.

The AG is supposed to be the ‘peoples’ lawyer and not the president’s lawyer, despite that position falling within the Executive Branch. For example, Blanche was Trump’s personal lawyer in the lawsuits stemming from his association with Stormy Daniels. Remember her? 

And speaking of Trump appointees, by Thursday, June 11, there was enough firm opposition from both Parties to totally unqualified real estate heir Bill Pulte’s temporary appointment as Director of National Intelligence for the President to announce that Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC head, would be the permanent occupant of that Cabinet level position, subject to approval by the Senate. 

Clayton is a bit more qualified than is Trump’s Palm Beach neighbor, Pulte, but still lacks the intelligence experience that is required for that job. For a look into the confusion with which the Trump administration is filled, also look at Professor Richardson’s June 11 posting at the link shown above. JL 

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Some Things Can Be Erased – Others Cannot 

Early in the morning of June 13, Donald J.Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center in Washington, pursuant to a Judge’s order. I hope that when the drapery covering the work done to comply with that order is eventually removed, that is proven to be the case. Changes in its name can be made only by Congress, which had established the Center. 

If only it were that simple to remove Trump’s name from all of the other places where he has illegally inserted it! 

It will take many years for real Americans to get that done and view Donald Trump in his proper perspective, well-deserved ignominy. 

Drapery over facade of Kennedy Center
 for Performing Arts in Washington on June 13

The Judge’s order did not mention anything about hiding the place from which Trump’s name had been illegally added and finally removed, so Republicans are in no rush to remove the drapery pictured above still covering the scaffolding. I suspect they will just assume that Judge Kelley, a Democratic appointee, was working for the ‘Deep State.’ They feel everyone is just picking on ‘Poor Donald.’ 

JL

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A Trump Medical Symptom Explained 

Some political reports on the President’s recent medical examinations attributed the bruises on the back of his right hand to excessive ‘handshaking’ while some doctors attributed it to his excessive use of aspirin.

Let me add to that although I am not a medical professional.

I think they are simply bruises acquired when seated on the toilet as he wipes his butt and accidentally rubs the back of whatever hand he uses to grip the toilet paper against the edge of the toilet seat. The skin on the back of one’s hands is very thin at that point and is easily bruised. Check yours out. You'll see.

I am a few years older than President Trump and occasionally have experienced such bruising. More careful wiping can remedy this symptom. 

JL 

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Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri

Your comments on this ‘blog’ would be appreciated. My Email address is jacklippman18@gmail.com. 

 Forwarding Postings: Please forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it (Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.) If you want to send someone the blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or you can provide a link to that address in your email to them. 

 There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog. Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com , or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting. 

 Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com 

 More on the Sources of Information in Jackspotpourri: The sources of information used by Jackspotpourri include a delivered local daily ‘printed’ newspaper (now the South Florida Sun Sentinel) and what appears in my daily email; that includes the views of many contributors, including the New York Times and other respected journals. 

Be aware that when I open that email, I first quickly glance at and screen out those sent to my very old former email address and those considered ‘promotional’ by Gmail’s system as no more than advertisements or requests for donations. 

Besides these sources, I also utilize the Google search engine where I can look up any subject I want. Lately, these search results have been headed by a very generalized summary clearly labeled as being developed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). On occasion I might use such search results, but when I do, I will say that I am doing so. Generally, however, I try not to use such summaries in preparing Jackspotpourri. Following such ‘AI’ search results, there follows the other results of my search. 

Unlike the anonymous AI-generated summaries, the sources of these results are clearly indicated, giving them a greater credibility than any AI summary. It comes down to who YOU want to be in the driver’s seat in seeking information: yourself or something else (Artificial Intelligence), the structure of which somewhere along the way had to have been created by others, with whose identity I am neither familiar nor comfortable. At least when I read a column by Timothy Snyder, for example, I know from where it comes, and to some extent, what to expect. 

Caution should be exercised in using Artificial Intelligence. Always! 

JL 

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June 8, 2026 - Poitics as Usual, the 'Bulwark,' Sources of Info, and Party Orientation Changes

 

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Political Scene Remains Fuzzy 

Paul Krugman’s June 3 posting is primarily devoted to the appointment of the unfit and inexperienced Bill Pulte, from the family of builders, as Director of National Intellegence. It is a additional job for him as he also continues in his existing position as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees the U.S. housing finance system and is not reluctant to refer Trump’s critics to the DOJ to look for purported mortgage fraud. 

Pulte’s only virtue is absolute loyalty to Trump. Krugman started off on June 3 by declaring that Trump is ‘no longer interested in governing’ and ‘is filled with rage and obsessed with revenge.’         

The Founding Fathers, after breaking away from the English king, never anticipated a president like Trump. Neither did American voters. If Congress has its say, they will not allow Pulte’s appointment. But temporarily, in an ‘acting’ capacity, he has this second job. 

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It should not be forgotten that Republicans still wield power in Congress. When the Senate just passed the immigration bill Trump wanted, it rejected a Democratic effort to tie a rider to it that would have permanently killed his not-quite-dead ‘slush fund.’ The ‘acting’ Attorney-General says he is not pursuing it further but the President implies otherwise when asked.

Republicans do not give up easily, making the November mid-term elections even more important because Trump will be president until January of 2029. That’s why the Democrats need to win control of both Houses of Congress in November, a demanding challenge. And that’s not even mentioning the war against Iran that he started and the inflationary troubles his tariffs have brought about for the American people. 

Nevertheless, I sense that finally realizing that many of his actions are illegal, Donald Trump is seeking immunity for himself and his family from future prosecution, and possible incarceration if indicted and found to be guilty. A Democratic takeover of both Houses of Congress might lead there. And the president is not counting on the Supreme Court riding to his rescue. 

Even though it appears that he may have backed off a bit due to public and Congressional reaction to his outrageous, but not-quite-dead ‘slush fund’ deal ripping off American citizens and taxpayers in exchange for his dropping his phony lawsuit against the IRS, the ‘immunity’ part of that corrupt deal still seems to remains safely afloat, aimed at preventing any future investigation of Donald Trump’s (or his family’s) tax returns. 

Those familiar with the ‘Monopoly’ board game know Trump’s greatest fear is losing his ‘Get out of Jail, Free’ card and being forced to pick up a new card which might very well instruct him to ‘Go to Jail, Go Directly to Jail, Do not Pass Go, and Do not collect that $1,776,000,000 (you were planning to steal to use to compensate those January 6, 2021 insurrectionists who were convicted and punished for their actions on that date).’ That’s why the November 3 mid-term election is important, if not crucial, for Democrats. Nothing comes easily.

JL 

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About Souces of Information, Particularly ‘The Bulwark’ 

Online sources of information come and go, some surviving by asking followers to pay for the bulk of their content via subscriptions while others remain free, but are not reluctant to ask for donations. 

Somewhere in this mixture is ‘The Bulwark.’ Jackspotpourri is reluctant to include information from ‘The Bulwark’ itself or from other comments appearing on their news and opinion sites. Why? ‘The Bulwark’ seems to be trying to be all things to all people; its roots are clearly conservative Republican and ‘Neo-Con’ but they do a good job of hiding that. 

Here is an Artificial Intelligence summary of where ‘The Bulwark’ is politically. I still do not trust them. 

“The political orientation of The Bulwark is center-right, primarily defined by its staunchly anti-Donald Trump, "Never Trump" conservative stance. Founded in 2018 by former Republican operatives and conservative commentators, the publication focuses on defending liberal democracy and often partners with moderate Democrats and independent voters to push back against right-wing populism. 

Here is a breakdown of the publication's political identity and core themes:

 

• Founders & Contributors: It was launched by key figures in the conservative movement, including Sarah Longwell, Charlie Sykes, and Bill Kristol.

 

 • Political Philosophy: While rooted in traditional, pre-Trump conservatism and neoconservatism, the editorial board now broadly describes its mission as the protection and preservation of liberal democracy. 

• Coalition Building: Because of their unified opposition to the MAGA movement, they frequently collaborate with and appeal to moderate Democrats and disaffected left-leaning voters who prioritize institutional norms and democratic guardrails. 

For more details on their editorial stances or to read their latest columns, you can visit The Bulwark.” 

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I wonder how ‘The Bulwark’ would position itself if the Democrats gain control of one or both Houses of Congress in November. Would they remain an ally of liberal Democrats? Would they resurrect a Republican ‘opposition’ status? I just don’t know. 

Meanwhile, other online sources of free information are disappearing every day. They come and go, depending on the solidity of their financing. Nevertheless, I continue to follow the free KOS site, which constantly begs for donations, as well as the ‘free’ part of Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s ‘Letters from an American.’ Also, I do pay to subscribe to the printed and delivered (by USPS snail-mail) New Yorker magazine, giving me access to their online material, as well as paying for the New York Times online version and the daily delivered South Florida SunSentinel print newspaper. 

There is no longer any free lunch, even at ‘The Bulwark.’ As for social media sites like Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, or ‘X,’ I just do not have time for them. That goes for much of what’s on YouTube as well. 

But getting back to why I do not trust ‘The Bulwark:’ its conservative background has a strong base in American hisory. Let’s look at it. 

Back in 1789, the new nation’s new Constitution (replacing the Articles of Confederation) provided for a census. In 1790, legislation establishing it was passed, one of the purposes of which was the apportionment of representatives in the House of Representatives. (Senate seats were then still filled by State legislatures.) That legislation specified that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person, and this was considered a fair compromise in those days.  Years later, the 1861-1865 Civil War, and the resulting 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution finally corrected that injustice, getting back to the Declaraton of Independence's saying that 'all men are created equal.' 

But by 1876, racism backed by ‘Black Codes’ passed by State legislatures, had reappeared, it being a dominant theme among local Democrats. 

In that year, 1876, a neck and neck electoral college race resulted in a deal both major parties liked, awarding the patronage-rich presidency to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and withdrawing the occupying Union troops from the defeated South, satisfying to Democrats. 

That is when the switch in the political philosophies of our two major parties took place, but still leaving conservatism dominant for both of them.  Once in office, the Republicans strongly manifested that, and the Democrats, usually out of office, belatedly grasped at more liberal ideas, such as civil service reform. 

It might be an oversimplification, but that is where we are today, personified by a conservative President Trump contrasted with the more liberal ideas of out of office Democrats. And that is why I am cautious of the conservative and neo-con ideas behind ‘The Bulwark.’ (A neo-con is a liberal who switched allegiances in a rightward direction.) 

Given the right candidates, a deal such as was made in 1876 is possible and 'The Bulwark's' genesis suggests that they might use that opportunity to advance their own conservatiive ideas.  As I said earlier, I do not trust them.

JL 

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 Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri 

Your comments on this ‘blog’ would be appreciated. My Email address is jacklippman18@gmail.com. 

 Forwarding Postings: Please forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it (Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.) If you want to send someone the blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or you can provide a link to that address in your email to them. 

 There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog. Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com , or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting. 

 Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com

 More on the Sources of Information in Jackspotpourri: The sources of information used by Jackspotpourri include a delivered local daily ‘printed’ newspaper (now the South Florida Sun Sentinel) and what appears in my daily email; that includes the views of many contributors, including the New York Times and other respected journals. Be aware that when I open that email, I first quickly glance at and screen out those sent to my very old former email address and those considered ‘promotional’ by Gmail’s system as no more than advertisements or requests for donations. 

Besides these sources, I also utilize the Google search engine where I can look up any subject I want. Lately, these search results have been headed by a very generalized summary clearly labeled as being developed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). On occasion I might use such search results, but when I do, I will say that I am doing so. Generally, however, I try not to use such summaries in preparing Jackspotpourri. 

After such ‘AI’ search results, there follows the other results of my search. Unlike the anonymous AI-generated summaries, the sources of these results are clearly indicated, giving them a greater credibility than any AI summary. It comes down to who YOU want to be in the driver’s seat in seeking information: yourself or something else (Artificial Intelligence), the structure of which somewhere along the way had to have been created by others, with whose identity I am neither familiar nor comfortable. At least when I read a column by Timothy Snyder, for example, I know from where it comes, and to some extent, what to expect. 

Caution should be exercised in using Artificial Intelligence. Always! 

JL 

                                                         * * * *

June 2, 2026 - Flying Pigs, Stealing YOUR property, Pogroms, Property Tax Elimination, and More

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Seeing is Believing

It has been reported that pigs have been seen flying over some of the States of the old Confederacy (you know, the guys that temporarily lost the Civil War) where today’s Republican State legislators staunchly maintain that their revised Congressional district maps positively, definitely, absolutely, and certainly have nothing whatsoever to do with the racial makeup of the populations of the districts involved, and that’s beyond a shadow of a doubt.

JL

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‘You Elected Me So It’s Mine’

Pictured Above - Arena being built for UFC wrestling matches on White House South Lawn as part of 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, adjacent to the mostly demolished White House East Wing, where a massive ballroom is to be built. While Trump can’t manage the economy or a war he started with Iran, he is better with real estate, even that he doesn’t own. One observer commented that lightning attracted by this steel structure might be dangerous to attendees. 

Check out Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s ‘Letters from an American’ dated May 28 to find out how President Trump is treating United States government property as something that belongs to him, his personal property, and not merely entrusted to him during his term of office in the presidency. Click here or copy and paste heathercoxrichardson@substack.com up on your browser line for the details of this disgraceful state of affairs as well as the latest on Trump’s attack on the rule of law in this country. 

JL 

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Just Like Jackspotpourri Has Been Saying All Along

‘Deep Dive’ on the KOS website on May 29 concluded with these words polishing off an article on the many entertainers who are cancelling out of Trump’s ‘Freedom250’ Anniversary programs (or their reincarnations) in D.C. (There are two such slates of programs; the official bipartisan ‘America250’ and Trump’s ‘Freedom250.’ Don’t confuse them.): 

‘At the end of the day, Americans really fucked up when they elected this corrupt, evil wannabe dictator in 2024. Aside from the economic pain he’s inflicted with his illegal tariffs and boondoggle of a war in Iran, he’s now putting a gigantic damper on the country’s 250th birthday—which feels more like a funeral. Just imagine the lineup we could have gotten if a Democrat won the White House.’ 

Whose fault is that? Are any of you looking in a mirror? Or at your blindsided neighbors? 

JL 

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Latest from Paul Krugman - ‘Pogroms – American Style’ and More 

When a video posting says upfront that it will take 38 minutes to view, few people will watch it. Economics savant Paul Krugman should take note of this. 

More readable is his free June 1 posting that likened Trump’s animosity toward immigrants to a pogrom. Check it out by clicking here or copying and pasting paulkrugman@substack.com on your device’s browser line to read it.

And while you’re in that ballpark, take a look at Krugman’s May 31 free posting in which he addresses the President’s mental illness, something of which all but the most naïve are well aware. 

JL 

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Learning Corner - Anthropology 

With the advent of Artificial Intelligence, the word ‘anthropology’ has been thrown around quite a bit. Very simply, when you merge the biology of human beings with sociology, the study of groups, the result is anthropology. Still puzzled? 

One Artificial Intelligence source offers this definition: ‘Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic study of humanity. It explores human biology, evolutionary history, language, and culture to understand what makes us human across time and space. It examines our species holistically, linking the social sciences, biological sciences, and humanities.’ 

By itself, the word ending ‘ogy’ or ‘logy’ refers to the particular science or subject, often in its Greek or Latin root form, that precedes it (examples: geology, neurology, etmology). As for the meaning of ‘anthropo,’ it is derived from the Greek word for humans or mankind. 

Trying to properly define ‘anthropology’ is difficult. The phrase ‘humanistic study of humanity’ in the above definition becomes meaningless because of its redundancy, sort of like saying ‘hunger is feeling hungry;’ neither defines anything whatsoever. 

 JL 

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Big Tax Savings for Floridians is BS 

When 'termed-out' departing Florida Governor DeSantis tries to push through a tremendous tax savings bill for Floridian homeowners, he is playing games, promising it will lead to the ultimate elimination of property taxes. Now, who can oppose that? 

The tax reductions this would bring about would greatly take away from town, city, and county agencies the financial resources to pay for the services they presently provide. This includes schools, police, fire departments, various health services, trash collection, roadways, and much more. But fear not. The State will find a way to pay for these necessities, once local government lacks the money to do so. Hurrah! 

It’s a dream that the State will get the money for this from businesses and the very wealthy. Their accountants always find ways of getting around such taxation. Quite simply, those services will be greatly reduced or disappear entirely. 

Equally important is the transfer the control of providing these services from locally elected government to State government, controlled by over-represented rural voters who don’t give a damn for local governments, often dominated by minorities or transfers from other States. 

Ultimately, this will have to be voted on by the people of the State, but that doesn’t mean much since Republicans have a way of getting around that, as their positions on guns and Congressional district realignment proves. Keep your eyes open and read your local newspapers. You could always move to another State. There are 49 of them. 

JL 

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Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri 

Your comments on this ‘blog’ would be appreciated. My Email address is jacklippman18@gmail.com. 

 Forwarding Postings: Please forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it (Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.) If you want to send someone the blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or you can provide a link to that address in your email to them. 

 There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog. Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com , or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting.

 Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com 

 More on the Sources of Information in Jackspotpourri: The sources of information used by Jackspotpourri include a delivered local daily ‘printed’ newspaper (now the South Florida Sun Sentinel) and what appears in my daily email; that includes the views of many contributors, including the New York Times and other respected journals. Be aware that when I open that email, I first quickly glance at and screen out those sent to my very old former email address and those considered ‘promotional’ by Gmail’s system as no more than advertisements or requests for donations. 

 Besides these sources, I also utilize the Google search engine where I can look up any subject I want. Lately, these search results have been headed by a very generalized summary clearly labeled as being developed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). On occasion I might use such search results, but when I do, I will say that I am doing so. Generally, however, I try not to use such summaries in preparing Jackspotpourri. 

 Following such ‘AI’ search results, there follows the other results of my search. Unlike the anonymous AI-generated summaries, the sources of these results are clearly indicated, giving them a greater credibility than any AI summary. It comes down to who YOU want to be in the driver’s seat in seeking information: yourself or something else (Artificial Intelligence), the structure of which somewhere along the way had to have been created by others, with whose identity I am neither familiar nor comfortable. At least when I read a column by Timothy Snyder, for example, I know from where it comes, and to some extent, what to expect. 

Caution should be exercised in using Artificial Intelligence. Always! 

                                                  

 JL 

                                                             * * * *

May 28, 2026 - Don's Slush Fund, Advice for Dems, Endgame in Iran, and More

 

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The President’s ‘Slush’ Fund 

While the insurrectionists to which Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment refers were those who rebelled against the United States in the Civil War, its language is also applicable to any other insurrectionists, including those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The President and his supporters cannot rewrite history, which always provides precedent, legal or otherwise; here are the words from that Amendment: “… neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States … but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.” 

Janurary 6 Insurrectionists in Action

On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump’s supporters violently invaded the Capitol in order to prevent the counting of electoral votes for president. Some Capitol and local police suffered physical injuries in defending the Capitol; several died as a result of this insurrection as did at least one insurrectionist. Anyone who claims that was not an act of rebellion nor insurrection is blinded by the President’s thoroughly disproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was ‘stolen,’ and is at best a misguided fool. 

Any attempts to compensate these convicted insurrectionists, even after the President pardoned them (pardons affect sentences, not convictions) are forbidden by the Fourteenth Amendment. Even a hard-headed Republican should understand that. 

JL 

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A Message to Democrats 

Democrats are struggling to identify the reasons they lost the presidency in 2024. I blame it on two things; First, President Biden (and his advisers) ignored his aging and his apparent knocking on the doorway to senility. But of course this was not true of observant Republicans and those Americans who were watching and listening and found it difficult to consider giving him four more years as president. His dropping out in favor of his vice-president came months, if not years, too late. That was his fault. Secondly, Kamala Harris quickly found the horse given her to ride to be a lame one, hobbled by ‘identity politics’ that brought with it not only well organized support, but well organized opposition as well, making the election into a choice between her supporters’ menu of positions and Donald Trump, who while probably not on top of the issues, at least had previously filled that position four years previously. 

Democrats failed to recognize that the country was looking to elect a president to be a leader and not to participate in referendums on gender identification, climate change, health care, abortion rights, gun violence, energy sources, immigration, and such issues, which while popular with significant groups of Democrats, also unified opposition to some of them. It only took opposition to one of such issues to lock in a voter for Donald Trump. His campaign was spearheaded by opposition to the Democrat’s infatuation with politics aimed at those identifying with such ‘identity’ groups.’ More cautious Republicans, meanwhile, only had to stress traditional G.O.P. patriotic and kitchen table values, and make promises, soon to be revealed as impossible lies once Trump was elected in 2024. 

Today, as we approach the mid-term elections, and look ahead to 2028, the Democrats must recognize three things: 

 1.The people want change and may be willing to accept seemingly radical solutions to bring it about. What we have now is not working well. Nobody is in love with the Electoral College; we should not fear change within the limits provided in our Constitution. 

 2. Democrats must be willing to espouse positions with which not all Democrats agree. There must be tolerance of disagreement within the Party. (example: a supporter of abortion rights might not be bothered by the use of fossil fuels.) 

 3. In approaching these two aims, there must be an overriding sense of unity among Democrats, recognizing that ‘change’ and ‘disagreement’ must be harnessed together to bring about benefits for the entire American population. 

Such unity is essential and must come first. This sense of unity readily manifested itself in the 1930s through President Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal,’ a life preserver thrown to a country then struggling through an economic disaster. Thirty-five years later, in better times, President Lyndon Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ followed that model, aiming to serve the needs of the people in a country with a thriving economy. Most of his efforts still survive, despite unending Republican attacks on them. That is why a sense of unity is so very important to Democrats. They must prioritize their efforts to attain that unity, and once that is accomplished, concentrate on change and tolerance for disagreement. Unity comes first, taking precedence over individual issues, ones that served as stumbling blocks in 2024. 

(The above comments were written before seeing UCSD Professor Barbara Walter’s May 27 ‘Here Be Dragons’ column on this subject which you can find at barbarafwalter@substack.com.  It is worth your attention. Also worth your time is Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s ‘May 27 ‘Letters from an American’ at https://substack.com/@heathercoxrichardson which sheds a historic light on today’s news.) 

JL 

                                                      

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Trump's Endgame in Iran IS Surrender 

Via Simon Rosenberg’s ‘Hopium Chronicles,’ here are two excerpts from Robert Kagan’s new Atlantic magazine article, ‘Trump’s Endgame is Surrender.’

Rosenberg wrote: ‘One of the ways things are going to get worse for Trump and the Republicans is is that soon it will become impossible to deny that Trump has lost in Iran, has committed arguably the biggest mistake by an American President in our history, and left America in a far, far weaker position in the world. That he is, simply, an historic failure.’ In the article, the outlines of President Trump’s endgame in the Iran war are now emerging. In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the other day, Trump reportedly explained that the United States was negotiating a “letter of intent” with Iran that would “formally end the war and launch a 30-day period of negotiations” on Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The purpose and effect of such an agreement should be clear: The United States is walking away from the crisis. Trump may launch another limited strike to look tough and satisfy the demands of the war’s supporters, but it would be a performative gesture. ‘Endgame’ in this case is a euphemism for ‘Surrender.’ 

Here are two excerpts Rosenberg quotes.

 …….. ‘Trump no doubt hopes that he can slip away without Americans noticing the magnitude of this defeat. The financial markets may stabilize if it is clear that oil will eventually start flowing again through a reopened strait, even if under the new Iran-controlled system. A major strategic setback for the United States need not affect Wall Street. The president may also hope that he can change the subject by launching another military operation, this time against the government in Cuba. And the news media have indeed begun writing more about Cuba than about the unfolding disaster in Iran.’

 …….. ‘According to one U.S. official, Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire” after the call with Trump—for good reason. The Iran war may end up as the single most devastating blow to Israel’s security in its brief history. On the present trajectory, Iran will emerge from the conflict many times stronger and more influential than it was before the war. It will exercise leverage with dozens of the richest nations in the world, all of which will have an acute interest in keeping Iran happy. They will be unlikely to take Israel’s side in any conflict that it has with Tehran or with its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, because Iran will have the means to punish them if they do. Israel will emerge more isolated than it has been at any time in its history—and not least from its only reliable protector, the United States. When Trump turns his back on Israel, as he must do to implement this policy, MAGA will gladly follow. The bipartisan anti-Israel consensus in the United States will grow and harden.’  

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This is not news to those who have followed the actions of President Trump. Anything he does or says is for his personal benefit, directly or through his family. He views the presidency as just another business venture, like his bankrupt casinos, his phony university and airline, and his real estate ventures that have failed, all debacles from which he was able to escape relatively unscathed. Being found to be a felon on 34 counts concerning his businesses’ practices by a New York court is meaningless to him; he has even named his personal attorney in that case as our nation’s acting Attorney General. 

Trump has never been reluctant to turn on his supposed supporters when it serves to make him look good. The latest sucker to be in that position is Bibi Netanyahu, who joins Bondi, Noem, and innumerable Republicans tightrope walkers who thought their supporting him protected them from his selfish wrath. Texas Senator Cornyn fits that description too. Sitting ‘on the fence’ in a relationship with President Trump ignores the fact that the top of that fence may be filled with spikes that ultimately can impale a fence sitter where it hurts most. 

But conceivably, this time there just might be sufficent backlash to return Trump ‘to the vile dust from when he sprung, unknown, unhonored, and unsung’, as the poet Sir Walter Scott wrote. He is losing the support of some Republicans in Congress who at last are beginning to see him for the self-serving ‘nonentity’ that he is and always was, with just enough skill to successfully ingratiate him to a gullible American public that failed to pay attention! But in the 2026 and 2028 elections, surrendering to Iran, attacks on our Constitutional rights, and undisguised corruption might be too much, even for them to swallow, strengthening Democratic candidates. 

Let’s get something straight though. Donald Trump is NOT the problem. If it weren’t him, there would be someone else like him. He is what he is. To pin down the problem, look to those who voted for him and his supporters in Congress, who for a variety of reasons such as greed, desire to appeal to bigots, pseudo-patriotism, or plain old fashioned ignorance, fall for his carnival midway salesman’s pitch. They are the ones Democrats must somehow reach. 

JL 

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Republicans Made The Bed In Which We Lie 

Here’s an excerpt from an New York Times opinion column by David French that appeared online on May 27. 

 “Trump is a profoundly unpopular president who still enjoys the deep devotion of his base. This puts Hill Republicans in a terrible position — as we’ve just seen in Indiana, Kentucky and Louisiana. If they defy Trump, they lose their jobs. If they obey Trump, they defend the policies and practices that are hurting the country and courting electoral disaster for the G.O.P. 

But I have zero sympathy. If they’d done their duty in 2021 and convicted Trump in his impeachment trial, then Trump would be a private citizen. They made their bed, and must lie in it, but they made our bed also. We’re all paying the price for the decision they made. May history treat their failure with the contempt it deserves.” 

The lesson: Other than during the presidencies of Lincoln, Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt, Republicans have not been on the side of the people. Remember that when you vote.

JL 

                                                     * * * 

Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri 

Your comments on this ‘blog’ would be appreciated. My Email address is jacklippman18@gmail.com. 

 Forwarding Postings: Please forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it (Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.) If you want to send someone the blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or you can provide a link to that address in your email to them.

 

There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog. Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com , or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting.

 

 Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com

 More on the Sources of Information in Jackspotpourri: The sources of information used by Jackspotpourri include a delivered local daily ‘printed’ newspaper (now the South Florida Sun Sentinel) and what appears in my daily email; that includes the views of many contributors, including the New York Times and other respected journals. Be aware that when I open that email, I first quickly glance at and screen out those sent to my very old former email address and those considered ‘promotional’ by Gmail’s system as no more than advertisements or requests for donations. 

Besides these sources, I also utilize the Google search engine where I can look up any subject I want. Lately, these search results have been headed by a very generalized summary clearly labeled as being developed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). On occasion I might use such search results, but when I do, I will say that I am doing so. Generally, however, I try not to use such summaries in preparing Jackspotpourri. 

Following such ‘AI’ search results, there follows the other results of my search. Unlike the anonymous AI-generated summaries, the sources of these results are clearly indicated, giving them a greater credibility than any AI summary. It comes down to who YOU want to be in the driver’s seat in seeking information: yourself or something else (Artificial Intelligence), the structure of which somewhere along the way had to have been created by others, with whose identity I am neither familiar nor comfortable. At least when I read a column by Timothy Snyder, for example, I know from where it comes, and to some extent, what to expect. 

Caution should be exercised in using Artificial Intelligence. Always! 

JL 

                                                    * * * *