Nonfiction – Page 13 – education and deconstruction.com

Lunatic Commie Guy – BONUS POST

[Please note: The word “Featured” on the left side above was NOT inserted by this blogger, but apparently was inserted by WordPress, and it cannot be removed. NO post in this blog is sponsored.]

Here’s a little ditty on the mayoral race in New York City, about Zohran Mamdani’s situation.

LUNATIC COMMIE GUY

sung to the tune of “Magic Carpet Ride” with apologies to Steppenwolf and to whomever else the rights may concern.

Trump likes to ream Dems out, yes yes

before his sycophantic crowd.

He’s got a stranglehold on the Right. In spades he shows his might.

Getting taxed, he fears.

He wants Mamdani out of there.

Well, you know well, what’s on Trump’s mind.

He tells you to vote against Zohran,

calls him a lunatic Commie guy.

We don’t know well, Mamdani.

He’s got big housing dreams, you see.

But social programs are never free.

Beware of LIES, all. Ask the budget SIZE, all.

Don’t let sound bites get in the way.

Like Dinkins – thirty years ago,

it’s near the end of Adams’ term.

New York City’s candidates’, mayoral campaigns are going low.

Just look around, no detailed plans can be found.

Well, you know well, what’s on Trump’s mind.

He tells you to vote against Zohran,

calls him a lunatic Commie guy.

We don’t know well, Mamdani.

He’s got big housing dreams you see.

But social programs are never free.

Beware of LIES, all. Ask the budget SIZE, all.

Don’t let sound bites get in the way.

Well, you know well, what’s on Trump’s mind.

He tells you to vote against Zohran,

calls him a lunatic Commie guy.

We don’t know well, Mamdani.

He’s got big housing dreams you see.

But social programs are never free.

The Loom of Time

The Book of the Week is “The Loom of Time, Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China” by Robert S. Kaplan, published in 2023. This redundant volume contained a hodgepodge of articles on the author’s observations, information and opinions gleaned from interviews, of his travels all over the Middle East over the course of decades, through wars, regime changes and anarchy.

Kaplan provided only a brief overview; for, all through the Post-WWII Era to date, America’s foreign policy has involved providing a lot of CIA-related (non-Congress-approved!) financial, military and / or humanitarian aid to its allies-of-the-moment, a lot of whose details have been kept top-secret, and are still classified.

Kaplan made generalizations on the evolution, advances and declines of Middle Eastern and Central Asian nations. He wrote that a nation whose military takes over its leadership, is one in decline. The author briefly described Egypt’s past leaders, including Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak, and Egypt’s “Arab Spring” between 2011 and 2013.

During Mubarak’s ousting, ordinary Egyptians were traumatized by the street violence. They simply wanted quiet and economic security. Even after the regime change, free speech was banned, and dissidents were tortured and killed. Yes, the chaos had dissipated, but the people were still forced to live under crushing oppression.

The author contradicted himself in saying that the Obama administration chose not to aid ordinary Egyptians in ousting the dictatorial Mubarak, but later, Kaplan implied that the American government was somehow involved in the ousting. No more details were provided. Military man al Sisi became the new top Egyptian leader, while the extremist Muslim Brotherhood also gained significant political power.

The American Republican Party viciously smeared Obama for making Egyptians worse off. They say it was all his fault. Nevertheless, Egyptians varied in their views on whether the political situation had improved or worsened, depending on their own circumstances. A big hindrance to developing democracy in a country is educating the peasants, of which Egypt has a large number, who are easily brainwashed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Geopolitically, one thing leads to another. Egypt’s political instability was related to its inability to fulfill its water needs, as Ethiopia appropriated a portion of the Nile river in its own territory– building infrastructure to meet its own electricity needs.

The author commented naively, that “Quietly, methodically, in a strange way” China is becoming financially intertwined with Egypt. China has a controlling interest in a Suez Canal infrastructure project– a major international trading conduit– and urban construction projects. Perhaps Kaplan is unaware that for decades, China has been contracting with numerous countries to build infrastructure for them. It has significant financial stakes in many large American corporations.

The author goes on to describe how China signed on to pave streets, build new housing and transportation, skyscrapers and parks in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. China has already begun assembling highways and byways in the Soviet “Stans” territories, and is planning to ultimately build a paved trade-route beginning in China that runs through Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Eurasia.

The author visited Sulaymaniyah in Kurdistan in northern Iraq. American-taxpayer dollars kick-started the multi-religious political arrangement that has allowed the Kurds to live relatively peacefully since the Second Gulf War. The younger generation has technology, but the older generation is corruption-entrenched. Their uni-ethnic society (two factions of Kurds) is thus vulnerable to unrest from haters. There are free elections but the politicians go unregulated. (Sounds familiar!) Armed men run the country.

Read the book to learn a bit about the ancient history and recent geopolitics of various lands of Middle East and Central Asia; however, in order to connect the dots, the reader must pore over the entire book from cover to cover. Or already have gleaned context and background through the most efficient way to read history– personal accounts of politicians and leaders with historical backdrop, or “life and times” biographies.

Compromise – BONUS POST

Here’s what TACO Trump is singing now.

COMPROMISE

sung to the tune of “Break My Stride” with apologies to Matthew Wilder and to whomever else the rights may concern.

Last week I passed the greatest bill.
I hush up our debt to China.
I’m acting like Reagan kinda.
You’re mesmerized by my good-news mill.
I’ve sold you down the river. Ha ha. And you love me still. Thanks Fox.

I have to backtrack and compromise.
No dirty secret’s gonna slow me down. USA!
Never MIND my flip-flopPING.

I have to backtrack and compromise.
I will reign forever all-around. USA!
Never MIND my flip-flopPING.

My legend is growing.
I hope you forget my past.
With the bragging rights of Ali, I reveal the Democrats’ folly.
You turn to me to solve your problems at last.
I’m the reason why America’s so vast. Thanks Fox.

I have to backtrack and compromise.
No dirty secret’s gonna slow me down. USA!
Never MIND my flip-flopPING.

I have to backtrack and compromise.
I will reign forever all-around. USA!
Never MIND my flip-flopPING.

Never let another nation of the world,

rip us off again.

Never let another nation of the world,

threaten us with anything.

If we see another nation like that,

we will tell them

we won’t put up with you.

It kills-me-to say,