No Republican lawmaker has yet risked political suicide by publicly pushig back against Donald Trump. But if even 2 dared to come forward together to try to convince other Party members to follow their lead, then Trump might finally be brought under better control. He is having fun now, often acting crazy, issuing sometimes contradictory orders right and left. It could require only 2 Republicans taking that initiative, then inviting others to follow suit, to finally restrain Mr. Trump The American people and the whole world cannot endure 3 more years of a Trump presidency so out of control, as he issues impulsive orders and sinks further into dementia. Concern was once expressed about Biden's mental fitness, but with Trump now in the presidency, the question has become even more acute and urgent.
Yes, Donald Trump, at age 79, has begun displaying increasing cognitive decline. That's obvious even to an ordinary observer like me. No one in the Republican Party has yet dared to step in to try to control him. Those who might try would admittedly face considerable risks, not only from Trump himself, but from his enablers and supporters. But let's hope some Republicans will still dare to take up the challenge.
Or will the whole world just continue to suffer the brunt of Trump's thoughtless and often destructive decisions and oddly garbled orders? That's already happening. How bad does it need to get? The emperor is wearing no clothes, but no one dares to tell him.
"The Emperor's New Clothes" is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen about a vain emperor marching completely naked before his loyal subjects. The story was first published in Denmark in 1837.
The emperor was said to be marching naked, though certainly is not totally naked in this original illustration from that time, apparently not considered appropriate then to fully display in a story for children. In the story, a little boy shouts, "The emperor is naked!"
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Living out here in the countryside as we do now, we have relied on my son's car to take us everywhere, a roomy gray 2006 Lincoln Town car that has logged over 200,000 miles, not sure exactly how many, as the odometer has stopped working. But now the car isn't runnning at all, so we are stuck. Nor is it easy to find the needed replacement parts, though local mechanics are working on that. We hope to be able to resurrect our trusty car, as we really do need it. We've had the car towed to our driveway until the necessary parts can be found and we can afford to actually have it fixed.
This wood carving has always greeted us out where we often pick up a freshly made pizza.
Here again are nearby trees with their leaves now changing color.
I don't know why I've just received a long email from Florida Republican Senator Ashley Moody. Could she have gotten my email address from contacts made on behalf of friends and family living in Florida? In any case, her message makes me aware once again of the stark political divide. Republicans and Democrats may be living in completely different worlds. I almost hesitate to display her letter to me here, though it certainly reveals a worldview shared by many lawmakers and their supporters, but one totally foreign to me.
I may not actually live to ever see a female US president, though I voted for both Hillary and Kamala. I did once see a Honduran woman elected president, but only because her husband, a former president, had endorsed and campaigned for her. If Harris decides to run again, she has my vote!
The British royals recently visited Pope Leo, so no language problem there.
SNAP: Trump administration won’t use contingency fund to pay November food stamp benefits | CNN Politics https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/
If some administration action or omission is likely to upset or harm many people, Trump is usually all for it. He seems to feel that hurting or upsetting others displays his full power. Maybe he considers it payback for all the slights and injustices that he has ever endured in his life. He also is having serious memory problems and may not recall exactly what has been upsetting him, but he knows he's angry about something.
Trump has recently even hinted about running for a 3rd term despite legal hurdles, which would mean staying in office well into his 80's. Steve Bannon says there are actual ways for Trump to do that and Trump apparently likes being president and would want to try to stay in office. If he finds some way to run again, pray now to the Almighty to deliver us from this evil! Pray that a likely challenger emerges. And no more Trumps either, not Don Jr., not Eric, not Barron, not even JD Vance. We do need a entirely new type of president, hopefully a woman at last and a Democrat for a change. Will I live ever to see the day?
Since taking office for a second time, Trump has overseen massive changes to the physical features of the White House, including a gold-drenched Oval Office overhaul, a paved-over lawn in the Rose Garden, and now a major demolition of the East Wing to make way for his massive ballroom.
Mr. Trump has been showing that he can do anything he wants, despite serious objections. He seems to enjoy being destructive!
Daily Beast, Trump Rips Out Presidents’ Historic Trees for New Ballroom
TIMBER!
Satellite images show that six trees, including magnolias commemorating two presidents, have been erased from the White House grounds.
Now Trump has ordered the complete obliteration of a whole wing of the White House to allow him to build his brand new ballroom, where he plans to hold a grand opening celebrating himself. He has already irreparably damaged the historic building and the grounds. The symmetry of the former design, with east and west wings balancing out each other, is now gone forever.
More importantly, Mr. Trump is also still killing people without restraint.
In a recent conversation with CBS News, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said some of those killed in recent U.S. strikes on boaters have been innocent civilians having no association whatsoever with the drug trade. The Colombian president reiterated his accusation that the attacks violate both due process and international law. Petro also speaks more grammatical English than Trump ever did, athough he prefers to speak publicly in his native Spanish while having his remarks interpreted into English.
As most readers already know, after my retirement and since my return from the Peace Corps in Honduras, for several years I then worked part-time both as a Spanish-English interpreter and as a translator of written materials, after first passing rigorous tests. I had originally learned both English and Spanish at age 2 when my family was traveling in Central America.
Trump recently called President Petro an "illegal drug leader" and a "bad guy" while threatening to increase tariffs on Colombian goods. He has now even sent an aircraft carrier to the region to show that he really means business. (We taxpayers are footing that bill.)
Wash. Post, Pentagon orders aircraft carrier to Latin America as Trump signals escalation
Is Donald Trump now trying to start a war with Colombia?
We will soon see how this all this plays out. Most Americans don't seem eager to go to war against Colombia just so Trump can show that he is still top dog.
Many observers believe Trump, at age 81, now clearly displays increasing dementia, which runs in his family, as has already been mentioned.
However, Donald Trump is not alone among lawmakers with possible dementia, many of whom have aged in office, such as the late California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who died in office at age 90 in 2023, after exhibiting serious memory problems.
Here's a recent DC police report Police Report Says Member of Congress, 88, Has Dementia
ELDERS IN CHARGE
ELDERS IN CHARGE
A police report says D.C.’s congressional delegate was scammed out of $4000 after exhibiting the “early stages of dementia.” We're talking here now about Eleanor Holmes Norton. She first came to Congress in 1991. Her current term ends in January 2027 and she says she plans to run for reelection.
At 87, I am close in age to Holmes Norton, who is 88. I admit to being rather forgetful now myself, writing reminder notes on a daily calendar. My memory is not nearly as sharp as it once was. But I do still speak Spanish, which I learned along with English at an early age, as already mentioned.
Senator Chuck Grassley, age 92, of Iowa is the oldest member of both chambers and the longest serving Republican in history. He will be 95 when his current term ends. He has announced no plans to retire then. Observers believe Grassley also now clearly exhibits signs of dementia. (The brain, like the body, ages over time.)
Let's turn now from lawmakers' ages to a very different subject: problems around clergy celibacy in the Catholic church.
Daily Beast, Almost 4,400 people abused by priests in Italy, victims' group alleges
Celibacy for clergy in the Catholic church, especially for males, doesn't seem to work very well, and really never has. It may be easier to achieve among females, most of whom apparently have a lower sex drive which derives from the male hormone testosterone, something produced less in females. So in female friendships, a power dynamic fueled by testosterone probably proves less important than in male friendships or relationships, perhaps leading to more equality among females.
However a power dynamic involving male religious brothers, deacons, and priests may particularly disadvantage sexually defeneseless youngsters serving as altar boys or assigned to help with other religious tasks. This is particularly true in the Catholic church with its strict rules on clerical celibacy, often honored in the breach.
Although some denominations permit clergy to marry, even there, older men may prey sexually on vulnerable young men and boys volunteering to assist them. Sexual domination is not just a matter of satisfying a sex drive, but also involves a power dynamic of taking control and requiring the compliance of others, including convincing them to follow a leader who chooses what they must do and why.
I'm ending now with a photo of my granddaughter Natasha, living in Florida with her 17-year-old son, graduating from high school in June.
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