Man of the Year - Volodmyr Zelensky

 I will soon be off to Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan. It is an old pub and restaurant, where George Washington said farewell to his troops. 

While I visit a place made famous by our  greatest president, it is impossible to tune out the noise coming from the worst. Every five minutes he or the Bearded Poodle is insulting one of America’s friends, or is acting to sell them out. 

Leadership is always in short supply. We can all agree that the brave President Zelenskyy is the most admirable leader that the world has today. He has led his people against a savage invader for more than three years now. He has certainly made his mistakes, he remains outgunned, But there is no quit in this guy, or in his nation. 

Trump and Vance Gang up on an Ally

In my last post, I wrote that American power, and our alliances, were being dismantled before our very eyes. This is what we saw, today, on live television.

President Trump, and VP Vance, met with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy, to do a photo op in advance of the parties, signing a deal, giving the US mineral rights in Ukraine, and exchange for our aid to that country. That’s fine.

Zelensky Spoke in front of The president About his need for security, guarantees, etc., which were comments best made behind closed doors. 

But what happened after that was astonishing. Trump, Who today didn’t know when the Ukraine war started, and Also, did not know how much aid we had given Ukraine, treated Zelensky with great disrespect in a series of comments. 

The bearded sneak JD Vance, then sucker punched Zelensky Questioning his gratitude for the aid already given by the US. ( Zaleski has publicly thanked the US countless times for aid given, including before both sessions of the US Congress ) 

A few interrelated things are  clear now.

One, For the first time in American history, We have a president who does not believe in our military alliances.

Two, We have a president who has no respect for our allies ( Canada, Ukraine, The NATO countries ) But who Has respect for dictators 

Three,  Our allies cannot count on the United States anymore. At this point, if Russian forces crossed into Estonia, To “liberate “the Russian speakers of Varna, do you think that Trump would do anything about it?

Friedrich  Merz, Who will likely soon become the new head of the German government, Said this week that Europe must become independent of the USA, Because, under Trump, the US is “ Largely indifferent to the fate of Europe “. 

You can’t really count Any checks and balances to come in to play here within the US system, Because the US Congress is controlled by the Republicans, And almost every Republican congressman and senator is either a Trump supporter or is it afraid of the Trumper  mob. Witness how Lindsey Graham turned against Zalensky  today.

Trump isn’t wrong on everything, but he is dead wrong on this important thing. He is a danger to the security of the United States, and to that of our friends. God knows what we will see in the next days and weeks.

Trump - The Art of the Sellout

 In his first term in office, President Trump, via the  Doha agreement, agreed to surrender Afghanistan to the Taliban. The agreement was between the US and the Taliban – the ( US ally  ) Afghan government was never permitted to take part in the negotiations.

This week, President Trump commenced negotiations with Russia to end the Ukraine war. The Ukraine government was not permitted to take part in these  negotiations. 

The Ukraine negotiation is a surrender agreement on the part of the US  every  bit as much the Afghan negotiation was. Trump has already conceded everything that was important before the negotiations even began- that Russia would not have to give back Ukrainian territory, that Ukraine would not be allowed to enter NATO.

The NATO nations have given significant support to Ukraine, But, like Ukraine, they’re not part of the negotiations, either. The NATO allies weren’t even notified beforehand about  the talks.

Trump has been exceptionally disrespectful towards the Ukrainian leadership, and is proposing that Ukraine repay the US on onerous terms, terms even more severe than were imposed on Germany after the first World War. This, while he has  been exceptionally deferential towards Putin and Russia. The Russians can’t believe their good fortune. 

It’s pretty easy to reach a deal when you give the adversary  everything that he wants. Trump did just that in Afghanistan, and he’s doing it now in Ukraine. 

Our  alliances, and our power are being dismantled before our very eyes.

Bad president abuses Canada

 I’ve been fond of Canada since forever. I’ve been there six times- twice to Quebec, twice to Toronto, twice to Vancouver.

Most Americans don’t follow the news in Canada, but I do. I look at the headlines at both the Montreal Gazette, and the Toronto global mail every day, via Apple News+.

President Trump has been a wild lunatic on a number of international matters since he was sworn in this year, but Let’s focus on Canada here.

Trump has claimed that Canada has not properly secured its border with the US, allowing ( non Canadian ) illegals to sneak in to the US. He has also claimed that Canada is allowing fentanyl to be produced in Canada, and smuggled into the US over the northern border.

Both issues are fair to raise but Trump grossly exaggerates the extent of the problem as respects Canada. 

Trump was about to impose a 25% tariff on most Canadian goods coming into the US, because Canada  was supposedly doing nothing to stop the drugs and the illegals- but then, at the last minute he paused Tariff implementation, because PM  Trudeau agreed to devote more security at their side of the border. 

What Trump did not tell us That Trudeau had -already- reached The same deal with President Biden In December 2024.  The screaming and roaring on the US side was about nothing. 

Canada has been a good neighbor and ally of the US for as long as our two nations have been around. Trump has seriously harmed that relationship. Not only by his inept  “ negotiating “, but by his disrespectful Comments about the Canadian nation, his comments about making Canada the 51st state, all The asinine comments that no real president would ever make.

It has long been the tradition that The anthems of both the USA and Canada are played before NHL hockey games involving teams from the two countries. Recently, we have seen Canadian fans boo the US anthem, and In return we have seen US fans in some cities booing the Canadian anthem.

I expect the trade  and security issues between the nations to be resolved shortly. But damage has been done. 

 Americans will forget this affair shortly, Canadians won’t.

Je me souviens. 

ATW Roll Call!

 A Tangled Web was an interesting place. I believe that it lasted for most of two decades.

It was the site of much verbal fisticuffs, also the place where some good conversation was had.

ATW went away, and I was sad when it did. 

I would  like to Invite all participants of the old ATW to add a comment here. Just a few words to say how you are getting along these days, more if you wish.

I hesitate to invite anybody by name, because I will forget people, But here goes – this invite applies to David Vance, Troll, mahons, Patty, Daphne, Frank, Noel, Petr, Peter, Andrew, Charles in Texas. Colm, Alison, Aileen,  Allan from Aberdeen, the  guy from rural Canada, whose name I forgot. 

Also, if it is possible, I would like to hear what’s going on with Chris Gaskin, who used to run a couple of websites of his own, and to the folks from United, Ireland, Irish Eagle, And another Irish website called El Blogador. 

I don’t have contact information of a number of these people, if anyone could reach out To the long lost, I would appreciate that.

Did Trump Push a bad deal for Israel?

 As I have mentioned on the former site, I listen to the English stream from  Israel News Talk Radio every week.

It is a private opinion station, tilting right.

There is a lot of angry comment on this station at this moment about the truce agreement between Hamas and Israel. I think that more than a few Israeli share this unhappiness.

While everyone is happy To see the Israeli hostages released, there is great anger that  a much larger number of Hamas terrorists  will be released. 

In an earlier agreement with Hamas,  Sinwar was released by the Israelis. It is likely that this agreement will see the release of other is just as bad as Sinwar.

Both Biden and Donald Trump are taking credit for making this deal happen. Both of them are believed to have put pressure on Bibi to make it happen. .The  Israeli right tends to support  Donald Trump, but maybe not so much anymore. Some might not like Bibi so much go forward, either.

Patty is OK!

 The other day, Patrick asked for Patty’s  information. He and David were worried about her, As she lived in the Los Angeles area. We all were frequent contributors to the ATW website. I am happy to report that she is fine, as she moved to Florida a few years ago.

Below, you will see a photo of her former house in Pacific Palisades, burning to the ground. . Please share.

Also below, please see a note from Patty. I will continue to correspond to The old gang, and perhaps bring the group together now and then…

Hi Phantom: So nice to hear from you. Thank-you for checking in. 

My husband and I moved out of the Palisades a little over 3 years ago. We sold the house we built; our timing was just plain lucky. We moved to Jupiter, Florida and we are extremely happy here.

We lived in Pacific Palisades most of our lives, and it was a charming, beautiful spot to live. We left some family, many friends and many memories...so it is beyond words to watch the town burn down.  Traumatic really.  No water.  No fire trucks. Speechless.  I just cannot express the magnitude of what happened. 

Thanks to the incompetence and stupidity of those in charge, a bad situation became catastrophic. And, it is not over. 

Someone sent me a photo of our old house burning and also a photo of one of the neighborhoods (the Alphabet Streets).  I'll attach with this letter.

The silver lining of this horror is that I have heard from so many people. Most that live there  are seriously traumatized.  

Before I sign off, though, let me ask: how are you?  Are you still in NYC?  and do you still write anywhere. I hope you are well and enjoying a brew occasionally with a great group of people for comraderie.  I always thought of ATW as a very rowdy bar, like Cheers.  

Patty

Congestion pricing in NYC- A good idea?

 As of this past midnight, Congestion pricing is in effect in the southern part of Manhattan, below 60th St. During peak hours, The additional toll for most drivers of private passenger cars will be nine dollars.

The stated goals of this program are to reduce congestion in the central business district, and to use the toll  monies To fund needed mass transit infrastructure work. If these Two things happen – that congestion is reduced, and that all the money is efficiently, used for transit infrastructure, then I’m for it.

You would never know that anyone is in favor of it if you listen to the New York Post and WABC AM talk radio. They’ve criticized congestion pricing endlessly.

I think that any normal person Who works normal hours and who drives into Manhattan every day is probably a complete fool. I’ve driven into Manhattan during peak hours a few times, it is no fun at all.

But for some – medical workers, and first responders who work Unpredictable hours, Or those blue collar workers who live in places like Northeast Pennsylvania that don’t have good transit options, The additional $45 a week toll will bite hard. 

I think that similar congestion pricing plans have worked fairly well in places like London, and in the well run city of Singapore. Let’s See this scheme in New York really does what it’s supposed to do.